Strela-10 is the pride of Soviet military engineering. The 9K35 indexed anti-aircraft missile system, also known by the American classification as SA-13 Gopher, was designed to explore airspace and destroy any suspicious objects at low altitudes. In subsequent years, the complex was repeatedly modernized.
History of creation
The first such project of the Soviet military with the support of the CPSU Central Committee was the Strela-10 SV air defense missile system. The machine was created on the basis of the well-proven previous model 9K31. All the advanced features were taken from Strela-1, and the rest were carefully redesigned to perfection.
In January 1973, tests began on the new complex in harsh conditions. The first test of the SAM did not pass. The Military Council decided to finalize the model to 9K35. So at the end of 1974, Strela-10 was born. The air defense system (photo below) passed all field tests, answering positively to the question of the appropriateness of continuing the project.
The main drawback of the updated complex was the anti-aircraft missile control system. According to studies, the probability of an accurate hit of a target at an altitude of 1,500 m was approximately 60%. The air defense systems showed similar results at the shooting range at oncoming courses throughout the attack zone. In 1975, the 9M31 missile and infrared guidance system were improved. After the next tests and reliability checks, Strela-10 was put into service. In 1976, widespread production of new combat vehicles was established.
Principle of operation and purpose
SAM "Strela-10" 9K35 is able to operate in an automated mode. At the same time, the reception and processing of target designations takes place according to the manual control of the operators. Detection of enemy objects is carried out using the direction finder offline. The attack is carried out only on targets located in the visual vision of the complex.
The Strela-10 air defense system is designed to protect units of tank and motorized rifle regiments, as well as foot troops and strategically important points from airborne threats at low altitudes. Combat activities can be conducted during the march and even at the time of the change of location.
One of the main advantages of the complex is the presence of chips for automatic evaluation and blocking of equipment from pulsed non-synchronous interference. During the last revision, the 9M37M missile received a special head covering the guidance system from optical noise. The headquarters includes a radio station, equipment for target designation and receiving coordinates, a control panel for the machine and equipment.
The performance characteristics
At Strela-10 SAM, TTXs are characterized by mobility and reaction rate. The time the projectile is ready for launch varies from 5 to 10 seconds, depending on climatic conditions. Target designation takes 3-5 seconds. The distortion of azimuth data at a distance from 6 to 25 km to the object is only 1.5 degrees.
Also worthy of the Strela-10 SAM are the firing range characteristics. The maximum distance to the target with a probability of defeat of up to 99.5% is 5 km. Moreover, the flight altitude can vary from 25 to 3500 meters. At the oncoming courses, the speed of the rocket is about 1,500 km / h, and after that - up to 1,100 km / h. In turn, recognition of airborne objects occurs at a range of up to 12,000 m.
Transferring an installation from a marching position to a combat one takes no more than 20 seconds. The full reload time (4 missiles) fluctuates around 2-3 minutes. Coagulation of active weapons takes 3 minutes.
The total mass of the Strela-10 air defense system is 12.3 tons. At the same time, the machine can reach speeds of up to 61.5 km / h on the ground and 6 km / h afloat.
The composition of the complex
The main component of the Strela-10 SAM is a 9A35 series combat vehicle. It was created on the basis of the MT-LB mobile base. During the modernization, the ammunition was increased, which contained 4 missiles in the installation and 4 more spare missiles in the cargo compartment. The equipment of the guidance mechanism has also undergone improvement. Now the complex was protected by a 7.62-mm machine gun connected to on-board equipment by electric drives.
It is noteworthy that the air defense system has extremely low pressure on the soil surface, so it can move unhindered along the highway, swamp, sand, snow and water. The chassis is based on a torsion bar suspension, which gives the car additional smoothness and maneuverability. Thanks to this solution, the accuracy of the salvo and the longevity of the launch system itself are significantly increased. The ergonomics of the base are not affected by spare gear and equipment.
Assessment of the area of action is performed by the 9C86 analysis system. This equipment is designed to detect the target, determine its position and calculate the error for launching missiles. A special radio range finder is responsible for analyzing the range of military operations.
Armament complex
The main combat elements of the Strela-10 air defense system are anti-aircraft missiles 9M37. The projectile is designed according to the "duck" scheme. The homing head operates in two-channel mode, which allows optimal control by the proportional method. First of all, SAM is trying to achieve the goal in photo-contrast mode. If this method does not give results, then the head is reprogrammed for infrared navigation. This makes it possible to respond equally mobile to catch-up and oncoming goals.
To cool the rocket chips, liquid nitrogen is used, which is stored in special containers sewn into the body. This prevents early spontaneous combustion of the fuse. In the event of a failure of one of the target guidance modes, the operator who sends the missile data from the radar takes over the manual navigation.
Special ailerons mounted behind the wings are responsible for the speed of missiles. They are limited by the angular rotation of the projectile. It is worth noting that the 9M37 warhead is equipped with automatic and contact fuses. Thanks to this, in case of a missile, the rocket self-destructs.
Major modifications
The first advanced variation of the complex was the Strela-10 M air defense system. Indexing installation - 9K35M. A characteristic feature of the model was the presence of guided missiles with new guidance heads. Now the location system selected objects for destruction according to the accessibility of the trajectory. This reduced the risk of falling into interference traps.
Model "Strela-10 M2" received a modified combat complex. The task of modernization was to increase the efficiency and automation of the shock. Now the target designation came from the battery PU-12M and air defense systems. Data was confirmed by radar, processed and received on the shock receiver. It was also decided to fix polyurethane floats on the sides of the machine.
Modification "Strela-10 M3" was adopted in 1989. Here, refinement concerned only on-board equipment. The model with the letter “M4” received an expanded automatic pick-up, a scanning unit, a thermal imaging system and target tracking sensors.
"Strela-10 T" is a Belarusian version of the installation. Developed by the NGO Tetrahedron. As a result of modernization, the on-board equipment was replenished with the 1TM optical system, new navigation equipment and an improved digital computing chip.
It is worth noting that over the years, missiles have also undergone modifications. The latest version of the rocket, suitable for the Strela-10 complex, was 9M333. The main difference from previous models was the 3-mode guidance system with enhanced anti-jamming.
Combat use
The air defense system was repeatedly used to suppress local conflicts in Angola during the internecine war. According to preliminary data, the African armed forces had about a dozen combat vehicles at their disposal.
Also, "Arrow-10" was one of the main weapons in the war for the Persian Gulf in 1991. SAMs took an active part in Operation Desert Storm. The use of anti-aircraft complex gave Iraq a slight advantage in the airspace.
Recently, the complexes were involved only in the civil conflict in Ukraine near the LPR and the DPR.
Export performance
The Russian Federation is armed with about 500 original and modified versions of Strela-10.
With regard to exports, here in the first place is Belarus. At its disposal is about 350 9K35. In second place is India with 250 complexes. The third position is taken by Ukraine with 150 air defense systems.
Also among the countries that regularly purchase 9K35 from Russia are Azerbaijan, Jordan, Angola, Yemen, Cuba, Macedonia, Slovakia, Syria, Libya, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, the Czech Republic, Serbia, etc.