Keeping America Out of Iran’s Airspace: China Delivering New Man-Portable Air Defences – ReportsMilitary Watch Magazine – July 29, 2026Informed sources cited by Reuters have reported that Iran is preparing to receive its first shipment of up to 400 Chinese man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS) within the coming weeks. The reported transfer of an estimated $60-70 million worth of air defence systems would significantly strengthen Iran’s short-range air defence network, at a time when the lower tiers of the country’s air defence network have already proven highly capable and shot down several dozen U.S. and Israeli aircraft. Chinese forces have increasingly shifted towards the more modern FN-6 and FN-16 as its principal shoulder-fired air defence weapon. Having been brought into service only in 2014, the Verba is widely considered the world’s most capable man-portable air defence system, and while far more costly than preceding Russian systems, it has very significant performance advantages. Procuring both Chinese and Russian man-portable systems in parallel could make operations in Iranian airspace considerably more complex.