9K35 Strela-10


The 9K35 Strela-10 is a highly mobile, visually aimed, optical/infrared-guided, low-altitude, short-range surface-to-air missile system. "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 9K22 "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 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. Modernization of equipment extends the “life” of an air defense system for 3–5 years.
The SA-13 Gopher 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 2x6 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:
The Strela-10 system was originally designed to use the 9M37 missile as its primary weapon, but its launch system was designed to be also backwards compatible with the 9M31M missile of the earlier 9K31 Strela-1 system.
Each 9M37 missile is 2.2 m 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 500...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:
All missiles—9M31M, 9M37, 9M37M and 9M333—are equipped with optical homing heads utilizing reticle-based photocontrast and/or infrared homing. 9M333 is said to have particularly good countermeasures resistance due to its triple-channel homing head, while the photocontrast channel of 9M37/9M37M is described as back-up method to the IR channel.
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.
System9K31 Strela-1M9K35 Strela-109K35M Strela-10M3-K9K35M Strela-10M4MIM-72A ChaparralMIM-72G Chaparral
Missile9M31M9M379M37M9M333MIM-72AMIM-72G
year of
introduction		197119761981198919671982/1990
diameter 120120120120127127
length 1803219021902 23029002900
weight 324040428686
warhead 2.63351112.6
fuzeimpact and proximityproximity + impactproximity + impact8-ray laser proximity + impactimpact + radar proximityimpact + directional doppler radar proximity
seeker headAM-modulated photocontrast AM-modulated photocontrast FM-modulated uncooled IRTwo-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 0.80.80.80.8??
Max. range of target destruction 4.25.05.05.06..9 6..9
Min. intercept altitude 302525101515
Max. intercept altitude 3000..350035003500350030003000
speed 420517517517515 515
target max speed : approaching / receding?415/310415/310415/310??

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 1st Squadron, SAAF was killed in action when his Mirage F1AZ, was shot down by a Cuban SA-13 Gopher surface-to-air missile in Cuatir while on an operational attack over Southern Angola.

Operation Desert Storm

Iraq had several operational Strela-10 systems in the beginning of the 1991 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, a total of 27 coalition aircraft are believed to have been hit by Iraqi IR-homing SAMs, resulting in a total of 14 aircraft losses. Some of the aircraft losses were shot down on the spot, while others, such as the OA-10A 77-0197, managed to return to base only to be lost on a crashed landing. Others still landed safely but were since written off as total losses.
At least two of the losses are believed to have been due to Strela-10 hits: on February 15 an A-10A Warthog of 353rd TFS/354th TFW was hit by a SAM believed to be 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 A-10A 79-0130 was also hit by what is believed to have been a missile from a Strela-10. Phyllis was killed in the incident.

Syrian Civil War

On April 14, 2018, American, British, and French forces launched a barrage of 105 air-to-surface and cruise missiles targeting eight sites in Syria. According to a Russian source, five Strela-10 missiles launched in response destroyed three incoming missiles, However, the American Department of Defense stated no Allied missiles were shot down.

Gallery

Operators

Current operators