9K34 Strela-3
| 9K34 Strela-3 | |
|---|---|
MANPADS) | |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1974–present |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | KBM, Kolomna |
| Specifications | |
| Mass |
|
| Length | 1.47 metres (4.8 ft) |
Operational range | 4,500 metres (14,800 ft) |
| Flight altitude | 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) vs. jets 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) vs. slow moving targets |
| Maximum speed | 470 metres per second (1,700 km/h; 1,100 mph) |
The 9K34 Strela-3 (
Strela 2, and thus development proceeded rapidly. The new weapon was accepted into service in the Soviet Army
in January 1974.
Description
The most significant change over the Strela 2 was the introduction of an all-new
pressurized nitrogen
bottle attached to the launcher.
The effect of cooling was to expand the seeker's lead sulphide detector element's sensitivity range to longer
μm
as opposed to 2.8 μm of uncooled PbS elements). In practice this made possible the tracking of cooler targets over longer ranges, and enabled forward-hemisphere engagement of jets under favourable circumstances. The seeker also had better tracking rate, enabling the missile to track maneuvering of fast and approaching targets.
A negative side effect from the aforementioned improvements was increased missile weight, which caused a slight decrease in the kinematic performance of the original Strela-2 (SA-7). [citation needed] Against relatively slow, low-altitude battlefield air threats the overall effectiveness was much improved.[citation needed]
Strela-3 missiles have been exported to over 30 countries.
The original Strela-3 missile was the 9M36. The follow-on to the Strela-3 was
Igla
.
The naval version of this missile has the NATO reporting name of SA-N-8.
Operational history
 |
Iraq
On 22 November 2003 an Airbus A300 cargo plane was hit by a Strela-3 missile after takeoff from Baghdad International Airport, but managed to land safely despite losing hydraulic power.
On 6 May 2006, a British Westland Lynx AH.7 of the Royal Navy from 847 Squadron was shot down with a Strela-3 over Basra, killing five crewmen and crashing into a house.[1]
Georgia
During the
Su-25 was shot down over Nizhnaya Eshera on 4 July 1993 by SA-14,[2] and several other aircraft on both sides may have been shot down by SA-14s.[3]
Former Yugoslavia
A British
Bosnian Muslims
.
DRC Congo
A
Il-76 was shot down by Congolese rebels using an SA-14 on 11 October 1998 during the Second Congo War, resulting in the death of 40 troops and crew.[4]
Afghanistan
SA-14s used by the
Turkey
A SA-14 (9K34 Strela-3) MANPADS was found during
PKK.[citation needed
]
Operators
Current operators
Afghanistan
Angola[7]
Azerbaijan[7]
Bosnia and Herzegovina[7]
Bulgaria[9]
Croatia[7]
Cuba[7]
Georgia – used during Georgian civil war.[3]
Hezbollah[6]
Iran[7]
Jordan[7]
Kurdistan[10]
Kazakhstan[11]
Kurdistan Workers' Party[12]
Nicaragua[7]
North Korea[7]
Peru[7]
Russia[7]
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Syria[7]
Turkmenistan[7]
Ukraine[13]
Houthis[14]
Former operators
Czechoslovakia – never acquired to military service[9]
East Germany – never acquired to military service[9]
Finland[8]
FMLN[8]
India[8]
Iraq[8]
Hungary – never acquired to military service[9]
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam[6]
Poland – 100 bought in the 1980s, but never acquired to military service.[9]
Soviet Union[15]
United Arab Emirates – Used by the Abu Dhabi Royal Guard.[8]
Comparison chart
| System | 9K32M Strela-2M (missile: 9M32M) | 9K34 Strela-3 (missile: 9M36)[16] | FIM-43C Redeye[17] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service entry | 1968 | 1974 | 1968 |
| Mass, full system, ready to shoot | 15 kg | 16 kg | 13.3 kg |
| Weight, missile | 9.8 kg | 10.3 kg | 8.3 kg |
| Length | 1.44 m | 1.47 m | 1.40 m |
| Warhead | 1.15 kg (0.37 kg HMX) directed-energy blast fragmentation | 1.17 kg (0.39 kg HMX) directed-energy blast fragmentation, including a 20g secondary charge to set off remaining rocket propellant | 1.06 kg M222 (0.36 kg HTA-3) blast fragmentation |
| Seeker type | AM-modulated (spin scan), uncooled PbS detector element (1–2.8 μm sensitivity range). Tail-chase only. | FM-modulated (con scan), nitrogen-cooled PbS detector element (2–4.3 μm sensitivity range). Limited forward hemisphere (all-aspect) capability | AM-modulated, gas-cooled PbS detector element. Tail-chase only. |
| Maximum range | 4,200 m | 4,500 m | 4,500 m |
| Speed | 430 m/s | 470 m/s | 580 m/s |
| Target's maximum speed, approaching/receding | 150/260 m/s | 310/260 m/s | –/225 m/s |
| Engagement altitude | 0.05–2.3 km | 0.03–3.0 km | 0.05–2.7 km |
See also
- List of Russian weaponry
Citations
- ^ "RAF Pursues Common DAS Demonstrator".
- ^ "2005". Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2013-04-20.
- ^ a b Cooper, Tom. "Georgia and Abkhazia, 1992-1993: the War of Datchas". ACIG.org. Archived from the original on 3 March 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ Cooper, Tom. "Zaire/DR Congo, 1980-2001". ACIG.org. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ Cooper, Tom. "Afghanistan, 1979-2001; Part 2". ACIG.org. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ a b c d e "Guided light weapons reportedly held by non-state armed groups 1998-2013" (PDF). Small Arms Survey. March 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 18, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) (14 February 2018). "The Military Balance 2018". The Military Balance. 118.
- ^ ISBN 978-0710609793.
- ^ a b c d e "samolotypolskie.pl - 9K34 (9M36) "Strzała-3"". www.samolotypolskie.pl.
- ^ Military Balance 2016, p. 492.
- ISBN 978-0-521-19714-4. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2018-08-31. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
- ^ "SA-14 (9K34 Strela-3) MANPADS was found today in Hakurk belonging to the PKK. Additionally, multiple caves, shelters, ammunition and IED's have been found and destroyed in the last couple of days". twitter.com. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ "Additional air defense systems are being sent to Ukraine, US official says". 16 March 2022.
- ISBN 978-1032508955.
- ISBN 978-0080375694.
- ^ Istorija sozdanija i razvitija vooruzhenija i vojennoi theniki PVO suhoputnyh voisk Rossii
- ^ "General Dynamics FIM-43 Redeye". www.designation-systems.net.
General and cited references
- Petukhov, Sergei I.; Shestov I.V. (1998). Istorija sozdanija i razvitija vooruzhenija i vojennoi tehniki PVO suhoputnyh voisk Rossii, 1.-2 [History of design and development of missile systems and military systems of AAW of Russian Land Forces]. VPK Publishing.
- "Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, FIM-43". Archived from the original on 17 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
- ISBN 9781857438352.
External links
Media related to Strela-3 at Wikimedia Commons
