9K35 Strela-10

The 9K35 Strela-10 (Russian: 9К35 «Стрела-10»; English: arrow) 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".

9K35 Strela-10
SA-13 Gopher
9K35 transporter erector launcher and radar (TELAR)
TypeVehicle-mounted SAM system
Place of originSoviet Union
Service history
In service1976–present
Used bySee list of operators
WarsAngolan Civil War
Iran–Iraq War
Gulf War
Syrian Civil War
War in Donbass
Production history
DesignerKB Tochmash Design Bureau of Precision Engineering
Designed1969–1976
ManufacturerSaratovskiy Zenit Machine Plant (Muromteplovoz Joint Stock Company for the 9K35M3-K)
Produced1976–present
VariantsStrela-10, Strela-10SV (Prototype),[1] Strela-10M, Strela-10M2, Strela-10M3, Strela-10M3-K, Strela-10M4
Specifications (9K35 Strela-10M3[1])
Mass12,300 kg
Length6.6 m
Width2.85 m
Height2.3 m (travelling), 3.8 m (firing)
Crew3 (commander, gunner and driver)
Armour7 mm
Main
armament
4 × 9M333 (or 9M37MD)
EngineYaMZ-238 V diesel
240 hp
Suspensiontorsion bar
Ground clearance0.7 m
Fuel capacity450 litres
Operational
range
500 km
Maximum speed 61.5 km/h (road)
6 km/h (water)

Development

The 9K35 is the successor of the 9K31 Strela-1 (SA-9 "Gaskin") 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.[2]

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.[2]

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.[2] Also improved missiles (9M37M and 9M333) 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.[1]

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.[3]

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 (SA-24) beam rider missiles with a range of 10 km and altitude of 5 km.[4]

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 "SNAP SHOT" range only radar located between the two pairs of missile canisters on the transporter erector launcher and radar (TELAR) (maximum radar range is 450 to 10,000 m).
  • 9A35M2, 9A35M3-K: launcher vehicle with 9S16 (NATO "Flat Box-B") 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 "DOG EAR" F/G-band target acquisition radar (maximum range 80 km/50 miles)
  • Ranzhir-M 9S737М (GRAU designation 9S737); is a mobile command center for a mixed grouping of air defense forces, such as Tor, Tungushka, Strela-10, and Igla.[5]

Missiles
9M37
TypeSurface-to-air missile
Place of originSoviet Union
Service history
In service1976–present
Used bySee Operators
Production history
DesignerKB Tochmash Design Bureau
Designed1969-1976
ManufacturerDegtyarev plant
Produced1976–present
Variants9M37, 9M37M, 9M37MD, 9M333
Specifications (9M333[1])
Mass41 kg
Length2190 mm
Diameter120 mm
WarheadFrag-HE
Warhead weight5 kg
Detonation
mechanism
contact and laser proximity fuzes
Wingspan360 mm
Propellantsingle-stage solid propellant rocket motor
Operational
range
5 kilometres (3.1 mi)
Flight altitude3,500 metres (11,500 ft)
Maximum speed 550 m/s
Guidance
system
dual-mode passive 'photocontrast'/IR seeker

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 (SA-9 "Gaskin") system.

Each 9M37 missile is 2.2 m (7.2 ft) long, weighs 40 kg (88 pounds) and carries a 3.5 kg (7-15 pound) warhead. The maximum speed of the missile is near Mach 2, engagement range is from 500...800 to 5000 m (0.3–3 miles) and engagement altitude is between 10 and 3500 m (33-11,500 ft). (The ranges define the zone of target intercept, minimum and maximum launch distances are longer for approaching and shorter for receding targets, depending on the target's speed, altitude and flight direction.)

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 (main improvement was in more efficient autopilot system for missile flight path control), and later the more significantly upgraded 9M333, which introduced:[2]

  • 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 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.[2]

All main variants—Strela-10SV, Strela-10M, Strela-10M2 and Strela-10M3—can use all aforementioned missile types.[6]

The main characteristics of the missiles are listed in the table below, based on source number,[6] 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		1971[7]1976198119891967[8]1982/1990(*)
diameter [mm]120120120120127[9]127[9]
length [mm]1803219021902 2302900[9]2900[9]
weight [kg]3240404286[9]86[9]
warhead (HE) [kg]2.633511[9]12.6[9]
fuzeimpact and proximityproximity + impactproximity + impact8-ray laser proximity + impactimpact + radar proximityimpact + directional doppler radar proximity
seeker headAM-modulated photocontrast (uncooled PbS detector element[7])Two-channel:
1) AM-modulated photocontrast (cooled[2] PbS),
2) FM-modulated uncooled[2] IR		Two-channel:
1) AM-modulated photocontrast (cooled[2] PbS),
2) FM-modulated uncooled[2] IR		Three-channel:
1) photocontrast,
2) IR,
3) IRCCM channel		cooled IR of AIM-9D (limited[10]/no[9] forward hemisphere capability)two-channel:
1) cooled all-aspect IR,
2) UV (forward-hemisphere / long-range homing + IRCCM)[9]
Min. range of target destruction [km]0.80.80.80.8??
Max. range of target destruction [km]4.25.05.05.06..9 (sources vary)6..9 (sources vary)
Min. intercept altitude [m]3025251015[9]15[9]
Max. intercept altitude [m]3000..35003500350035003000[9]3000[9]
speed [m/s]420[7]517517517515 (Mach 1.5)[9]515 (Mach 1.5)[9]
target max speed [m/s]: 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 (serial 245), was shot down by a Cuban SA-13 Gopher surface-to-air missile in Cuatir (near Menongue) while on an operational attack over Southern Angola.[11]

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.[12] 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 (78-0722) 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.[12]

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,[13] However, the American Department of Defense stated no Allied missiles were shot down.[14]

  • Strela-10 of Russian 4th Guards Tank Division.

Operators
Map of 9K35 operators in blue with former operators in red

Current operators

Former operators
  •  Czechoslovakia: Passed on successor states
  •  Iraq: Some destroyed in combat, all remaining units were written off after the Iraq War in 2003.
  •  Poland: 4, probably withdrawn in 2001-2002.
  •  Slovakia: Withdrawn from service
  •  Soviet Union: Passed on successor states
  •  Yugoslavia: Passed on successor states[26]
gollark: I had to fix my nickname, which was wrong.
gollark: I totally could, I'm very trustworthy.
gollark: IIRC the figure is more like 10 billion.
gollark: I should run appeals instead.
gollark: As they say, But even when those Turing firmware blobs end up being released, there will still be the issue like with Maxwell / Pascal / Volta of only running at the boot clock frequencies without any re-clocking support for being able to drive the hardware at its optimal clock frequencies. For overcoming that challenge, additional firmware support or workarounds need to be devised around the PMU handling. Until that happens, the Nouveau performance past the GeForce GTX 700 series remains very slow.

See also

References
  1. "KB Tochmash 9K35 Strela-10 (SA-13 'Gopher') low-altitude surface-to-air missile system". Jane's. 2008-01-16. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
  2. "РАКЕТНЫЙ КОМПЛЕКС 9К35 "СТРЕЛА-10СВ": Боевые средства")". Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2010-07-14.
  3. "Russia's armed forces to get advanced "Strela-10M4" air defense systems | defencerussia". Defencerussia.wordpress.com. 2015-05-19. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  4. Russian Sosna air defense missile system unveiled at Army-2018 Archived 2018-08-22 at the Wayback Machine. Army Recognition. 21 August 2018.
  5. "Унифицированный батарейный командный пункт 9С737М". RusArmy.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  6. "ракетный комплекс 9К35М3 "Стрела-10М3" (9К35М "Стрела-10М")". Archived from the original on 2010-02-12. Retrieved 2010-07-13.
  7. "ЗРК "Стрела-1"". Pvo.guns.ru. Archived from the original on 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  8. "CHAPARRAL". Archived from the original on June 9, 2010. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  9. "Ford MIM-72 Chaparral". Designation-systems.net. 2002-02-20. Archived from the original on 2012-09-17. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  10. "Raytheon AIM-9 Sidewinder". scramble.nl. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  11. Lord, Dick (2008). From Fledgling to Eagle: The South African Air Force during the Border War. Johannesburg: 30 Degrees South. pp. 438–439. ISBN 978-1-920143-30-5.
  12. "Desert Storm A-10 Combat Losses". Archived from the original on May 15, 2010. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  13. "Briefing by Russian Defence Ministry official Major General Igor Konashenkov (April 16, 2018)". Archived from the original on 2018-04-18. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
  14. "Department of Defense Press Briefing by Pentagon Chief Spokesperson". U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. Archived from the original on 22 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  15. John Pike (2012-09-27). "Belarus Army Equipment". Globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on 2017-02-16. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  16. "List of air defense equipment of Czech army". Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  17. Gibson, Neil; Fediushko, Dmitry (22 January 2019). "Laotian military parades Russian- and Chinese-made equipment". Jane's 360. London, Moscow. Archived from the original on 23 January 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
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  19. "Завод им. В.А. Дегтярева / Зенитно-ракетное вооружение". Archived from the original on 10 March 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  20. "Шаманов: Оснащение ВДВ отдельными видами новейшего вооружения идет с опережением сроков | Еженедельник "Военно-промышленный курьер"". Vpk-news.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2017-11-08. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  21. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-11-07. Retrieved 2017-11-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  22. "Војска Србије - Наоружање Копнене војске - Средства за противваздухопловна дејства - Ракетни систем ПВД СТРЕЛА-10М". Archived from the original on 2014-11-26. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
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  24. Hərbi TV (31 October 2016). "Turkmenistan Military Parade 2016". YouTube (in Turkmen). Ashgabat. Archived from the original on 15 October 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
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  26. Kočevar, Iztok (August 2014). "Micmac à tire-larigot chez Tito: L'arme blindée yougoslave durant la Guerre froide" [The Yugoslav armored arm during the Cold War]. Batailles et Blindés (in French). No. 62. Caraktère. pp. 66–79. ISSN 1765-0828.
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