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SA-14 (Gremlin) / 9K34 Strela-3

1974 COLD WAR MODERN

SA-14 (Gremlin) / 9K34 Strela-3 History

Due to the limited capabilities of its predecessor, the 9K32 "Strela-2" (NATO: SA-7 "Grail"), the Soviet military commissioned an improved form, which became the 9K34 "Strela-3". (NATO: SA-14 "Little Devil"). The missile received a more reliable infrared target seeker, making it less susceptible to countermeasures launched by aircraft.

The system was manufactured by KBM and entered the Soviet Army's inventory in 1974. Despite its Cold War origins, the weapon is still widely used today, proving to be an effective, portable, shoulder-mounted system on the battlefield. NATO recognizes the naval form as "SA-N-8".

The 9K34 follows the same design line as previous wearable shoulder-mounted products. The system consists of an elongated launch tube with an additional power pack, trigger pack, handle and optics. The missile sits in the launch tube waiting to launch, and as it unwinds and heads toward the target at Mach speeds, the spring-loaded tail provides the necessary stability and heading correction.

The overall length of the launch tube is less than five feet. The missile (heavier than the previous Strela-2) maintains a speed of up to 1,500 kilometers per hour and can accurately hit targets at altitudes up to 7,500 feet (accuracy is significantly improved at lower altitudes. On impact, the Strela -3 missiles can do enough damage to critical components to shoot down aircraft.

Strela-3 can also attack aircraft from the front and sides with some success.

The 9K34 system has been widely used by militaries worldwide since its introduction. It was used by Iraqi forces during the 1991 Gulf War, where a General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and a Panavia Tornado of this type were shot down. The weapon was also used in Georgia-Russia skirmishes and the Bosnian war. The 9K34 also proved to be widely used in many localization operations on the African continent, where it was always easy to obtain Soviet goods. On November 22, 2003, in one of the most famous 9K34 missile attacks on aircraft, a DHL Airbus A300 cargo plane was damaged by a Streola-3 missile shortly after takeoff from Baghdad International Airport.

Despite damage to the trailing edge of the port wing and loss of hydraulic power, the plane successfully reversed a circle and landed safely for inspection and repair.