'How to shoot down an F-18': Videos show Iran militia members training to use anti-aircraft missiles
Iran’s military forces are preparing for a potential new round of US-Israeli attacks by deploying more man-portable air defence systems, or MANPADS, drawing on lessons from the recent war and the downing of multiple US and Israeli aircraft. FRANCE 24 obtained documents and videos revealing mass training by the Revolutionary Guards for members of the Basij, the IRGC’s paramilitary force, on how to fire MANPADS.
Issued on: 26/05/2026 - 17:22
8 min Reading time Share By: Ershad ALIJANI
Since the US and Israel began their war on Iran on February 28, Iranian military forces have succeeded in shooting down or damaging several US and Israeli aircraft.
According to a US Congressional Research Service report published on May 13, at least 42 American aircraft were destroyed or damaged during the recent war with Iran. While the report does not clarify the exact cause of damage in each case, its explanations suggest that dozens of aircraft, including one F-15, one F-18 and an MC-130, were shot down or damaged by Iranian MANPADS or low-altitude surface-to-air missile systems.
MANPADS are lightweight guided missiles that can be operated by a single crew member and do not require radar to track an aircraft. However, their range is limited to between 5 and 10 kilometres, and their small warheads, usually weighing between 1 and 3 kg, are sometimes not powerful enough to destroy a target, causing only minor damage.
According to experts, MANPADS are cheap, mobile, easy to manufacture, easy to use and simple to train new crews on, while remaining difficult to detect.
Evidence gathered by FRANCE 24 suggests Iranian security forces are training large numbers of paramilitary Basij members to use more of these guided missiles in the event of another round of US-Israeli air strikes. Videos and training materials on using the weapons have been circulating widely among Basij members on social media.
'Dangerous surprise weapon'
Farzin Nadimi is a military expert for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He explains:
MANPADS can be dangerous surprise weapons for aircraft. They can be relocated, and because they use infrared guidance, they emit no signals of their own, no emissions at all. As a result, they can be completely concealed and ready to fire.
They first lock precisely on to the temperature of the aircraft’s engine. More advanced systems, with more sensitive sensors, can also lock on to the aircraft’s body, detecting the friction caused by airflow over the fuselage and the heat it generates.
They can also explode near the aircraft, meaning that even if they do not hit it directly, they can still damage the target.
The Russia-Ukraine war has shown that these systems can even be effective against cruise missiles, to the point that Russia had to add flare systems to its cruise missiles to mislead MANPADS.
Many videos recorded during the US-Israeli war on Iran show Iranians using these systems effectively against Israeli and US aircraft.
Perhaps the most significant use of Iranian MANPADS came on April 3 in southwestern Iran. First, an F-15 was shot down by what President Donald Trump said was a shoulder-mounted missile, or MANPADS. Then, during what the US says was a rescue mission for the downed F-15 pilots, Iranian forces say they hit more American aircraft, at least one MC-130 and an A-10 Warthog, potentially with MANPADS fire.The pilots and crew were saved by the US army.
And it was not the first or last successful strike by Iranian MANPADS.
On March 25, Iranian forces damaged a US F-18 in southern Iran using a MANPADS. The aircraft was able to land safely despite the damage, according to official reports.
In another video, recorded on March 31, Iranian state media said an Iranian missile downed an American LUCAS suicide drone over Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf. We could not verify this video independently.
In mid-April, a few days after the ceasefire between Iran and Israel-US came into effect, the Iranian armed forces, drawing on recent combat experience, recognised the effectiveness of these systems and began training more personnel to use MANPADS.
They produced what were effectively homemade tutorial videos and sent them to their ranks, showing how to use the Misagh-1 and Sahand-3, two Iranian-made MANPADS, against enemy aircraft.
{{ scope.counterText }}Alongside these tutorial videos, a PDF file containing basic instructions on how to use the Misagh-1 was also sent to thousands of Basij members. FRANCE 24 obtained a copy of the file.
{{ scope.counterText }}Nadimi explains that this training could be effective because of the simplicity of operating these systems:
“Anyone who has received short training on these systems gains the ability to hit or severely damage an aircraft as soon as it flies at low altitude within range, especially if the pilot is not properly prepared against them.”
Iran produces its own versions of MANPADS, many of them derived from Russian and Chinese systems. As early as 2008, the US State Department listed Iran among more than 20 countries that had produced such systems.
The best-known Iranian MANPADS family, also believed to be responsible for shooting down or damaging some US and Israeli aircraft, is the Misagh series.
Iran began producing the Misagh-1 in the early 2000s, based on the Chinese QW-1 Vanguard. Since then, it has developed more advanced versions: the Misagh-2 and Misagh-3, equipped with laser fuses and an effective range of five kilometres.
Latest missiles reduce the pilot's chances of manoeuvring
Nadimi says the latest generation of shoulder-launched missiles, the Misagh-3, are equipped with a laser detonation system:
"These missiles have laser proximity fuses. They emit precise laser beams. As soon as the laser reaches the target’s body, it activates the explosive fuse and detonates. The advantage is that the missile does not have to hit the target directly; instead, it explodes at a certain distance from the target and sprays a cone of shrapnel towards it.
It can be directed towards the fuselage or towards the cockpit. It is not necessarily aimed only at the aircraft’s exhaust section, as with older-generation systems.
Overall, these missiles do reduce the pilot’s chances of manoeuvring to evade them to some extent.”
In the weeks after the ceasefire on April 8, Iran continued training personnel to operate MANPADS, later updating the programme with live sessions using virtual reality headsets.
One of these sessions is documented in a video that shows dozens of Basij members being trained to operate MANPADS. The training included a VR simulator.
Another document, dated May 16 but not publicly released, was widely circulated among the Basij ranks. Unlike the earlier basic guidance on operating Iranian MANPADS, this tutorial goes further, setting out tactical methods for using them in the field.
{{ scope.counterText }}Since at least 2008, the United States has recognised the threat MANPADS pose to its military. A report that year stated: “Countering the proliferation of Man-Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS) is a top US national security priority.”
However, according to some experts, the US Air Force is not prepared to confront this kind of threat: a guided missile costing a few thousand dollars that is capable of shooting down or damaging aircraft worth tens of millions.
It is a risk that US military officials also appear to acknowledge. In a report published by the New York Times on May 18, a military official warned that “the downing of the F-15E jet last month and the groundfire that struck an F-35 revealed that American flight tactics had become too predictable in ways that allowed Iran to defend against them more capably".
Farzin Nadimi believes the risk is real:
After the ceasefire, Iran had an opportunity to learn these lessons and pass them on to operational units.
However, this has a tactical impact, not a strategic one.
Tactically, yes, they may make refinements and adjustments to their tactics, or even to their weapons, for example, to better target drones or helicopters.
But the real danger for striking forces would come if the conflict entered a ground-war phase, with helicopters and aircraft required to support troops at low altitude.”
According to some reports, not only Iran has invested in the home made MANPADS, they have also bought an unknown number of Russian Verba MANPADS, as well as Chinese systems.
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