SA-18

Description:

SA-18 is the NATO name for the Russian Igla shoulder-launched surface-to-air missile. It is a sophisticated fire-and-forget missile that has a heat-seeking guidance system. The latest variant is the Igla-S otherwise known as the SA-24.

PRIMAL Assessment:

In late 2012 Syrian rebels on YouTube claimed to have captured Igla missile systems and to have shot down Syrian aircraft. If this is true the potential for these weapons to be used in a terrorist attack against a civilian airliner has increased markedly.