Iran’s Heat-Seeking Missiles Are a Nightmare for the US Air Force

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The missiles are cheap to make, easy to use, and deadly for low-level US aircraft caught unawares.

In modern conflicts, aircraft are increasingly threatened by ground fire, even against less advanced militaries and non-state militias. Indeed, the United States has already lost several dozen aircraft and unmanned drones against Iran during Operation Epic Fury—most notably an F-15E Strike Eagle downed over Iran two weeks ago, with the pilot and weapons systems officer later rescued from the ground.

How is it that countries like Iran can field effective air defense systems against far stronger ones like the United States? The answer lies in large part with anti-air missiles, which rely on technology that is decades old, widely proliferated, and easy to manufacture even by pariah states like Iran.

How Do Anti-Air Missiles Work?

There are three basic types of anti-air missile.

First, infrared (IR)/heat-seeking missiles target an engine’s heat signature. An example of a heatseeking missile is a MANPADS, a relatively low-cost and low-tech shoulder-fired missile that can be seen in recent footage almost taking down a US F/A-18 Super Hornet.

Second, radar-guided missiles use ground or onboard radar to close on a target. These missiles........

© The National Interest