All the same as how some post-WWII coastal vessels in Naval like the Bravy and USS Douglas can fire their hand guided SAMs into the air and aim their reticle downwards to fly their SAM into a ship, should that be possible for AAs that have no anti-tank capabilities and only missiles like the Improved Chapparal and Strela? They might be infrared lock-on systems but nothing is stopping them from launching at a ground target since they have heat signatures as well.
I take no sides here, just posing the question to see what the community thinks.
In reality it is possible to fire AIM-9 as an unguided rocket from aircraft, would not surprise me if the ground launch variant is also capable.
As for Soviet options and machines using weapons based off of MANPADs? I do not know if they can be fired without a lock. In theory the seeker should be able to lock ground targets if the environmental conditions permit.
That’s what I was thinking especially considering how things like the Chapparal for example aren’t fixed turrets. Like the missles aren’t stuck looking in the air. You can look downwards with the missiles and very well can aim them at other ground vehicles.