The 9K333 ''Verba'' (russian: Верба, "Willow") is a Russian fourth-generation man-portable

infrared homing Infrared homing is a passive weapon guidance system which uses the infrared (IR) light emission from a target to track and follow it seamlessly. Missiles which use infrared seeking are often referred to as "heat-seekers" since infrared is rad ...

surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...

(SAM)

MANPADS Man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS or MPADS) are portable surface-to-air missiles. They are guided weapons and are a threat to low-flying aircraft, especially helicopters. Overview MANPADS were developed in the 1950s to provide military ...

. "9K333" is the Russian

GRAU The Main Missile and Artillery Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (), commonly referred to by its transliterated Russian acronym GRAU (), is a department of the Russian Ministry of Defense. It is subordinate to the ...

designation of the system. Its

NATO reporting name NATO reporting names are code names for military equipment from Russia, China, and historically, the Eastern Bloc (Soviet Union and other nations of the Warsaw Pact). They provide unambiguous and easily understood English words in a uniform man ...

is SA-25.

History

The 9K333 ''Verba'' was originally developed as a replacement for the

9K38 Igla The 9K38 Igla (russian: Игла́, "needle", NATO reporting name SA-18 Grouse) is a Russian/Soviet Union, Soviet MANPADS, man-portable infrared homing surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. A simplified, earlier version is known as the 9K310 Igl ...

. The Verba's primary new feature is its multispectral optical seeker, using three sensors - ultraviolet, near infrared, and mid-infrared - as opposed to the Igla-S' two. Cross-checking sensors against one another better discriminates between relevant targets and decoys, and decreases the chance of disruption from countermeasures, including lasers that attempt to blind missiles. According to a KBM spokesperson, the Verba can engage fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft and “new types of threats” such as unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles. “The 9K333 can effectively engage aerial targets with low infrared signature. The system can be coupled to an external identification friend or foe FFunit,” the spokesperson said. The Verba's containerised 9M336 surface-to-air missile (SAM) can be integrated into ground- and sea-based short-range air-defence (SHORAD) systems. “The SAM can also be used by air platforms,” the spokesperson added.

Production

The system is in serial production for the Russian Armed Forces, with several ground forces and airborne formations receiving Verbas since 2014. It first appeared with the Ivanovo VDV division after passing Army testing in the summer of 2011 and being confirmed for production in late 2011. As of 2015, KBM has equipped the Russian army with three brigade and two divisional sets. Four VDV units received Verba in 2014–15. MANPADS "Verba" passed state tests in 2011. Officially, it entered service in 2015. KBM signed a long-term contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense to supply Verba and carries out its production. As of April 2017, 10 sets have been delivered and 801 systems as of November the same year. Deliveries continue.

Operators

* - Quantity yet unknown with unknown number of SA24 9K38 Igla S. (Armenian and Russian sources) * *

History

Production

Operators

References

See also