The
SA-7 GRAIL or
Strela-2 is a man-portable, shoulder-fired, low-altitude
surface-to-air missile (SAM) system similar to the
US Army REDEYE[?], with a high explosive
warhead and passive
infrared homing guidance. The SA-7 was the first generation of
Soviet man portable SAMs, introduced in the
1960s. Although the SA-7 is limited in range, speed, and altitude, it forces enemy pilots to fly above minimum
radar limitations which results in detection and vulnerability to
air defence systems[?]. The SA-7 is a
tail-chase missile system[?] and its effectiveness depends on its ability to lock onto the heat source of low-flying fixed and rotary-wing aircraft.
See also: anti-aircraft, anti-aircraft missile, missile