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SA-7 (Grail) / 9K32 Strela-2


Man-Portable SAM System


Soviet Union | 1968



"Like other Soviet-originated Cold War-era weapons, the man-portable, shoulder-fired SA-7 Grail proved popular with many Soviet-allied nations and states."

Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the SA-7 (Grail) / 9K32 Strela-2. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.
4,921 ft
1,499.9 m | 1,640.3 yds
Max.Eff.Range
Physical
The physical qualities of the SA-7 (Grail) / 9K32 Strela-2. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.
Heat Sensitive Anti-Aircraft Missile System
Action
Not Available
Caliber(s)
1
Feed
Included Optics.
Sights
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the SA-7 (Grail) / 9K32 Strela-2 Man-Portable SAM System family line.
9K32 Strela-2 (SA-7 Grail) - Initial production model.
9K32M Strela-2M (SA-7b Grail Mod 1) - Improved Strela-2; improved range and warhead lethality.
Sakr Eye - Locally-Produced Egyptian SAM
HN-5 - Locally-Produced Chinese SAM
CA-94 - Romanian Designation
CA-94M - Romanian Designation
Anza MKI - Pakistani Designation
Ayn al Saqr - Egyptian Designation
Hwasung-Chong - North Korean Designation


Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 03/15/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The SA-7 (NATO designation of "Grail" or Soviet designation of "Strela-2") is a MANPAD system - a portable shoulder launched anti-aircraft weapon system. The lethality of such a system lies in the mobility of the firer to seemingly 'pop up' at opportune times and strike at low-flying aircraft. The effect of such an element is two fold as it forces the targeted aircraft to fly above and beyond the range of the weapon, exposing it to the hazards of enemy radar or more potent surface-to-air defenses. Should the aircraft continue to fly within the range of a weapon like the Grail, it carries the greater calculated risk of being brought down from a smaller enemy below or behind the aircraft.

Similar in many respects to the American Redeye surface-to-air missile system, the SA-7 Grail has proven most accurate against low-flying aircraft and helicopters with the only major drawback being that the missile, once fired, must be trained in on a consistent heat source to score a kill. The weapon maintains a hit percentage of roughly 90%, though the HE (High Explosive) warhead is said to not accomplish much in the way of overall damage - as proven in some instances where damaged Israeli fighters were able to return to friendly airbases after receiving direct hits from Grail ground detachments during the Arab-Israeli War of 1973.

Nevertheless, the system can still be considered deadly in the event that critical systems are destroyed or damaged - in an aircraft that could be the cockpit, avionics or engine components and in rotary aircraft, that could be the cockpit, the tail rotor assembly or main rotor assembly. In any event, the use of the SA-7 Grail is even the most basically-trained of hands should still be regarded as a potential enemy threat to aircraft.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the SA-7 (Grail) / 9K32 Strela-2. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): State Factories - Soviet Union
National flag of Afghanistan National flag of Albania National flag of Algeria National flag of Angola National flag of Armenia National flag of Bulgaria National flag of China National flag of Croatia National flag of Cuba National flag of Cyprus National flag of Czechia National flag of Egypt National flag of Ethiopia National flag of Finland National flag of modern Germany National flag of East Germany National flag of Guinea National flag of Hungary National flag of India National flag of Indonesia National flag of Iraq National flag of Iran National flag of Kuwait National flag of Lebanon National flag of Libya National flag of Macedonia National flag of Morocco National flag of Mozambique National flag of Nicaragua National flag of North Korea National flag of Pakistan National flag of Peru National flag of Poland National flag of Romania National flag of Serbia National flag of Slovakia National flag of Slovenia National flag of the Soviet Union National flag of Sudan National flag of Syria National flag of Tanzania National flag of Ukraine National flag of Vietnam National flag of Yemen National flag of Yugoslavia National flag of Zambia National flag of Zimbabwe

[ Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Angola; Armenia; Botswana; Benin; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Cambodia; China; Croatia; Cuba; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Czechoslovakia; Egypt; Ethiopia; Finland; East Germany; Germany; Ghana; Guinea-Bissau; Hungary; Indonesia; India; Iraq; Iran; Kuwait; Laos; Lebanon; Libya; Macedonia; Mauritania; Morocco; Mozambique; Nicaragua; North Korea; Pakistan; Peru; Poland; Romania; Sierra Leone; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Somaliland; South Yemen; Soviet Union; Sudan; Syria; Tanzania; Ukraine; Vietnam; Yugoslavia; Zambia; Zimbabwe; Tamil Eelam ]
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Image of the SA-7 (Grail) / 9K32 Strela-2
Side profile view of a soldier holding an SA-7 Grail missile launcher; color
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Image of the SA-7 (Grail) / 9K32 Strela-2
An Iraqi officer casually holds a Soviet-made SA-7 Grail missile launcher; color
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Image of the SA-7 (Grail) / 9K32 Strela-2
An Egyptian ranger group scans the skies with their SA-7 Grail launchers; color
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Image of the SA-7 (Grail) / 9K32 Strela-2
Old Cold War-era propaganda brochure of a Soviet soldier manning an SA-7 Grail system; color

Going Further...
The SA-7 (Grail) / 9K32 Strela-2 Man-Portable SAM System appears in the following collections:
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