SA-7 Grail (SAM)
The SA-7 code name Grail also known as Strela or arrow in Russian Service is a simple man portable surface to air missile. It is a very simple weapon with a tube fired from the shoulder of a single solider with a simple sight. The operator follows the target and then activates the IR seeker head, when it has acquired the target a buzzer sounds and a green light comes on allowing the operator to fire the weapon. The first stage fires in the tube punching out the second stage of the missile which deploys tail fins and canard control surfaces once clear of the launch blast. The motor then acclerates the missile to twice the speed of sound and the guidance system tries to resolve the differences between the heat source and direction of the missiles flight. The missile has 15 seconds to hit the target then it self destructs to avoid friendly fire. The early SA-7s had a simple lead sulphide seeker which meant that if fired within 20 degrees of the sun it would just fly straight up ! It also could pick up ground heat so was not effective against very low flying aircraft either. Simple flares as counter measures proved effective decoys but later improvements overcame most of these problems.
Length 1.3meters, weight 9.2Kg, effective ceiling 1500m, effective range 3.2km.
How to cite this article:
Dugdale-Pointon, TDP. (22 January 2001 ), SA-7 Grail (SAM), http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_sa7.html