9K35 Strela-10
The 9K35 Strela-10 is a Soviet highly mobile, short-range surface-to-air missile system. It is visually aimed, and utilizes optical/infrared-guidance. The system is primarily intended to engage low-altitude threats, such as helicopters. "9K35" is its GRAU designation; its NATO reporting name is SA-13 "Gopher".
Development
The 9K35 is the successor of the 9K31 Strela-1 and can also use the Strela-1's missiles in place of the 9M37.Development of the 9K37 Strela-10SV system was initiated July 24, 1969. The decision to begin the development of a new non-all-weather system was taken despite the simultaneous development of an all-weather hybrid gun/missile system 2K22 "Tunguska" mainly as an economical measure. It was also seen as advantageous to have a system capable of fast reaction times and immunity to heavy radio-frequency jamming.
Rather than being mounted on an amphibious but lightly armoured BRDM-2 chassis like the 9K31, the 9K35 is mounted on a more mobile tracked, modified MT-LB, with more room for equipment and missile reloads. Provision for amphibious capability is provided in some variants in the form of polyurethane-filled floats.
The Strela-10SV system and its 9M37 missile were tested in Donguzkom range from 1973 to 1974, but the results were disappointing: the system was found deficient in terms of missile probability of kill, vehicle reliability, among other things. Acceptance to service was thus delayed until May 16, 1976, by which time improvements had been introduced to the system.
Development of the system continued throughout the years through Strela-10M, -10M2 and -10M3 variants introducing among other things improved radio communications and provision for better integration to the Soviet integrated air defence system air picture data. Also improved missiles have been developed and by September 2007 the 9K35M3-K Kolchan variant, mounted on a BTR-60 wheeled chassis, was displayed for the first time at the Moscow Air Show MAKS 2007.
The Russian Armed Forces will receive 72 advanced mobile "night" short-range anti-aircraft missile complexes "Strela-10M4" by 2016. In 2014, the Russian Airborne Troops received the first batch of 18 "Strela-10M4" vehicles. This modernization is intended to extend the service life of the system for 3–5 years.
The Strela-10M is expected to be replaced by the Sosna anti-aircraft missile system. The system is based on the MT-LB chassis consisting of 12 Sosna-R 9M337 beam rider missiles with a range of 10 km and altitude of 5 km.
Description
Associated systems and vehicles
The 9K35 is a SAM system with electro-optical guidance. It has the capability to use radars for target acquisition and range. Some vehicles have a pintle-mounted PKT 7.62 mm machine gun in front of the forward hatch for local protection. Other vehicles have been seen with additional support railings for the system on the rear deck. The following is a list of associated equipment:- 9A34M2, 9A34M3-K: launcher vehicle with 9S86 range only radar located between the two pairs of missile canisters on the transporter erector launcher and radar .
- 9A35M2, 9A35M3-K: launcher vehicle with 9S16 passive radar detection system that gives a 360° azimuth and minimum 40° elevation coverage
- 9F624 and 9F624M training simulator
- 9S482M7 Control Post.
- 9U111: a 1,950 kg trailer-mounted 12 kW generator unit, designed to feed power to up to four 9A35M2, 9A35M3-K or 9A34M2, 9A34M3-K launcher vehicles at a distance of up to 30 m by cable while conducting maintenance or training operations.
- 9V839M: system checkout vehicle
- 9V915M, 9V915M-1: technical maintenance vehicle
- MT-LBU with 9S80 F/G-band target acquisition radar
- Ranzhir-M 9S737М ; is a mobile command center for a mixed grouping of air defense forces, such as the Tor, Tunguska, Strela-10, and Igla.
Missiles
Each 9M37 missile is 2,200 mm long, weighs 40 kg and carries a 3.5 kg warhead. The maximum speed of the missile is near Mach 2, engagement range is from 800 to 5000 m and engagement altitude is between 10 and 3500 m.
Four missiles are mounted on the turret in boxes, ready to launch, and eight more are carried inside the vehicle as reloads. Reloading takes around 3 minutes.
The 9M37 was quickly replaced with a slightly improved 9M37M, and later the more significantly upgraded 9M333, which introduced:
- heavier warhead of improved expanding-rod design and larger HE content
- new proximity fuzing with 8-ray laser to improve probability of fuzing on near misses of very small targets such as cruise missiles or UAVs
- triple-channel guidance system for more robust countermeasure rejection
- improved engine to provide similar performance despite the slight increase in missile length and weight.
All main variants—Strela-10SV, Strela-10M, Strela-10M2 and Strela-10M3—can use all aforementioned missile types.
The main characteristics of the missiles are listed in the table below, based on source number, unless otherwise noted. For comparison purposes data for nearest western equivalent, the somewhat larger and heavier MIM-72 Chaparral, is also provided.
As the photocontrast channel provides effective head-on engagement ability, firing range against an approaching target can be considerably longer than the maximum ranges listed above, likewise maximum firing range would be considerably less than the maximum range of target destruction against a receding target. Definition of range and effective ceiling for MIM-72 is unknown and the figures are therefore not directly comparable.
| System | 9K31 Strela-1M | 9K35 Strela-10 | 9K35M Strela-10M3-K | 9K35M Strela-10M4 | MIM-72A Chaparral | MIM-72G Chaparral |
| Missile | 9M31M | 9M37 | 9M37M | 9M333 | MIM-72A | MIM-72G |
| year of introduction | 1971 | 1976 | 1981 | 1989 | 1967 | 1982/1990 |
| diameter | 120 | 120 | 120 | 120 | 127 | 127 |
| length | 1803 | 2190 | 2190 | 2230 | 2900 | 2900 |
| weight | 32 | 40 | 40 | 42 | 86 | 86 |
| warhead | 2.6 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 12.6 |
| fuze | impact and proximity | proximity + impact | proximity + impact | 8-ray laser proximity + impact | impact + radar proximity | impact + directional doppler radar proximity |
| seeker head | AM-modulated photocontrast AM-modulated photocontrast FM-modulated uncooled IR | Two-channel: 1) AM-modulated photocontrast FM-modulated uncooled IR | Three-channel: 1) photocontrast, 2) IR, 3) IRCCM channel | cooled IR of AIM-9D cooled all-aspect IR, 2) UV | ||
| Min. range of target destruction | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | ? | ? |
| Max. range of target destruction | 4.2 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 6..9 | 6..9 |
| Min. intercept altitude | 30 | 25 | 25 | 10 | 15 | 15 |
| Max. intercept altitude | 3000 | 3500 | 3500 | 3500 | 3000 | 3000 |
| speed | 420 | 517 | 517 | 517 | 515 | 515 |
| target max speed : approaching / receding | ? | 415/310 | 415/310 | 415/310 | ? | ? |
Contract for production of MIM-72G by retrofitting new components was awarded in late 1982, with all missile in US service upgraded by the late 1980s. New production of MIM-72G missiles started in 1990.
Combat use
Angolan Civil War
On February 20, 1988, 31-year-old Major Edward Richard Every from 1 Squadron SAAF, was killed in action when his Mirage F1AZ was shot down by a Cuban Strela-10 surface-to-air missile in Cuatir while on an attack mission over Southern Angola.Persian Gulf War
had several operational Strela-10 systems at the beginning of the 1991 international operation to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation, most if not all of which were organized as part of the battlefield air defence systems of the Republican Guard divisions.During the operation, 27 coalition aircraft are believed to have been hit by Iraqi IR-homing SAMs, resulting in 14 losses. Some of the losses were shot down on the spot, while others, such as OA-10A 77-0197, returned to base only to be lost in a crash landing. Others landed safely, but were written off as total losses.
At least two losses are believed to have been due to Strela-10s: On February 15 an A-10A of 353rd TFS/354th TFW was hit by a SAM believed to be a Strela-10, some 100 km north west of Kuwait City, while attacking Republican Guard targets. Pilot Lt Robert Sweet ejected and was made a prisoner of war. While attempting to protect Sweet on the ground, his wingman Steven Phyllis flying an A-10A 79-0130 was also hit by what is believed to have been a Strela-10. Phyllis was killed in the incident.