Ukraine War
Such Irony! Germany Sends Strela Missiles to Ukraine
And Ukraine fires them at Russians — the supreme irony of Russian designed missiles being used against Russian targets in the Ukraine is delightful
Reuters have reported that
A shipment of 1,500 Strela anti-aircraft missiles and 100 MG3 machine guns have arrived in Ukraine from Germany, the German Press Agency cited Ukrainian government officials as saying.
Further supplies are en-route to Ukraine.
Germany inherited the missiles when the Berlin Wall fell and the inventory of the East German Armed Forces was acquired.
What are the Strelas?
The 9K32 Strela-2 (NATO reporting name SA-7 Grail, aka SA-7a) is a man-portable, shoulder-fired, low altitude surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. It is used for short range air defense, typically against helicopters and other aircraft. Its export versions are known as the Sa-14 Gremlin and the SA-16 Gimlet.
The system was widely adopted by Warsaw Pact countries and is still in the arsenals of over 40 countries today.
The Strela-2 was developed by the Soviet Union in 1963 to provide air defense against aircraft and helicopters. The first missiles were delivered to the Soviet Army in 1967. The missile has a maximum range of 4.5 km (2.8 mi) with a ceiling of about 1500 m (5000 feet). The two-man operating team can carry up to four missiles at a time.
The Strela-2 has been used in combat in a number of conflicts, most notably the Yom Kippur War, the Iran-Iraq War, the Soviet war in Afghanistan, and various African civil wars. It was also used extensively by both sides in the Balkan Wars.
Since its introduction, the Strela-2 has been continuously upgraded and improved. It was introduced into service in 1968, but soon replaced by the SA-7b (9K32M Strela-2M) which became the most common production model. The SA-7b, diffuses a boosted propellant charge to increase range and speed.
It’s not precisely clear whether the SA-7a or SA-7b is the variant that is being supplied to the Ukraine. That may be for sound military reasons.
Later versions of the missile are more effective against aircraft, and can also be used to engage ground targets such as vehicles and buildings. The latest version, the 9K38 Igla (SA-18 Grouse), is one of the most advanced MANPADS (man-portable air defence system) in existence.
![http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/Assets/Still/1983/Air_Force/DF-ST-83-04944.JPEG Information](http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/Assets/Still/1983/Air_Force/DF-ST-83-04944.JPEG"Information){kind=link}
Jamming
The missile is launched from a portable launcher that uses an infrared homing guidance system to track and intercept incoming aircraft or helicopters. The operator tracks the target with the launcher’s sight and keeps the crosshairs trained on the target until impact. This makes it less easy to be confused by flares (there are optical flare filters too) but susceptible to jamming.
The Strela-2 can be jammed by electronic countermeasures (ECM), but is still considered a deadly and effective short range weapon with a slant range (SA-7a) of about 3600 metres and speed of 430 m/s.
IFF
A friend-or-foe system can be fitted to the operator’s helmet, but we’re unlikely to see that in uses in the Ukraine War.
Live deployment
In recent years, the missile has been used by insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan to down helicopters and other aircraft. In 2010, a U.S. Army helicopter was shot down by a Strela-2 missile in Afghanistan, killing all four crew members on board.
Despite its age, the Strela-2 is still in widespread use around the world, and will likely remain a potent threat to aircraft for many years to come, perhaps even for Russian aircraft in Ukraine.
At time of writing, the Ukrainian defence forces are claiming 127 helicopters and 117 planes downed. If those numbers are anywhere near accurate then it’s possible that the Strelas will not be used as the Russians will be concerned about the attrition rate of their pilots. Just the numbers, not the individuals, I’m sure.
Sources: reuters.com; armedforces.co.uk; migflug.com; telegram.com
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…delicious airborne irony in a war zone
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