History

 The 9K32 “Strela-2” (Russian 9К32 “Cтрела-2” — arrow; NATO reporting name SA-7 Grail) is a man-portable, shoulder-fired, low-altitude surface-to-air missile system with a high explosive warhead and passive infrared homing guidance. Broadly comparable to the US Army FIM-43 Redeye, it was the first generation of Soviet man portable SAMs, entering service in 1968, with series production starting in 1970.

Described by one expert as being "the premier Russian export line", the Strela and its variants have seen widespread use in nearly every regional conflict since 1968.

The end of World War II saw a major shift in Soviet defense policy. The advent of long range, high altitude, nuclear-armed American bombers, capable of penetrating Soviet airspace at heights and speeds unreachable and unmatchable by all existing anti-aircraft guns and most interceptors, at a stroke appeared to render every conventional weapon obsolete. To counter this large vulnerability, numerous long-range, high-altitude SAM systems, such as the SA-1 "Guild" and SA-2 "Guideline", were rapidly developed and fielded, but due to the apparent 'obsolescence' of conventional arms, relatively little development took place to field mobile battlefield air defenses.

This direction was soon to change, however, with the beginning of the Korean war. An entirely conventional conflict, it proved that nuclear weapons were not the be-all and end-all of warfare. In the face of a powerful and modern American air force, carrying non-nuclear payloads, the Soviet Union invested heavily in a multi-tier air defense system, consisting of several new mobile SAMs, to cover all altitude ranges and protect ground forces. The new doctrine listed five requirements:

Front-level medium to high altitude area defense system 9K8 Krug (NATO designation SA-4 “Ganef”)
Army-level low to medium-range area defense system 3K9 Kub (NATO designation SA-6 “Gainful”)
Division-level low altitude short-range system 9K33 Osa (NATO designation SA-8 “Gecko”)
Regiment-level all-weather radar-guided gun system ZSU-23-4 “Shilka” and very short range missile systems Strela-1 (NATO designation SA-9 "Gaskin")
Battalion-level man-portable Strela-2 (NATO SA-7 “Grail”)
 
A soviet soldier posing with a Strela launcher.Both Strela-1 and Strela-2 were initially intended to be man-portable systems. However, as the Strela-2 proved to be a considerably smaller and lighter package, the role of the Strela-1 was changed, becoming a heavier, vehicle-mounted system with increased range and performance, to better support the ZSU-23-4 in the regimental air defense role.

As development began in the Turopov OKB (later changed to Kolomna), detailed information on the design of the US FIM-43 Redeye became available. The Soviets purportedly acquired the Redeye when one impacted a Mig in-flight during combat operations in Vietnam. The missile failed to detonate and became lodged in the fuselage. While it was by no means a simple reverse-engineered copy, in many ways the Strela design borrowed heavily from the Redeye, which had started development a few years earlier. Due to the comparatively primitive Soviet technical base, development was protracted, and many problems arose, especially in designing a sufficiently small seeker head and rocket. Eventually the designers settled for a simpler seeker head than that of the Redeye, allowing the initial version, the 9K32 “Strela-2” (US DoD designation SA-7A, missile round 9M32) to finally enter service in 1968, five years behind schedule.

They are used with other MANPAD systems in the ongoing Iraqi and Afghan wars, however has only remained effective against rotary aircraft : The spate of helicopter shoot downs during 2006 and 2007 in Iraq has been partly attributed to the prevalence of the Strela amongst Sunni insurgent groups of that time ; while al Qaeda is said to have produced an hour-long training video on how to use SA-7s.

In 2006, an Apache helicopter was reportedly downed by an SA-7; the helicopters were designed to be able to counter such weapons.

Singleplayer/Co-Op

 The Strela-3 is used by Hudson while on Rebirth Island to shoot down Mi-8 helicopters that are attacking his squad. It is also used on the mission Redemption in the Wii version by Mason to shoot down enemy helicopters above the deck of the boat. This use is exclusive to the Wii version, as all other versions use a Valkyrie Rocket Launcher instead. This change is due to RAM limitations on the Wii.

Multiplayer

 Magazine Size 1
 
Cost (Black Ops) 2000
 
Starting Ammunition 2
 
Fire Mode Single-Shot

The Strela-3 is unlocked at level 30. It is vehicle lock-on only, and comes stocked with one spare missile. It serves essentially the same function as the Stinger missile from Modern Warfare 2. It pairs well with Ghost Pro, as the player using the Strela-3 can take out a single Attack Helicopter, Chopper Gunner, or Gunship alone, by firing the first missile to force the helicopter to evade with flares, then using the second to take it down entirely.

The Strela-3 missile has a long range, capable of tracking targets even after the vehicle has evaded the projectile, unlike the M72 LAW, which is unlocked earlier.

When coupled with Scavenger Pro, the Strela-3 gains a third missile, giving the player great anti-air capabilities. However, picking up Scavenger bags will not provide the player with more ammo.

Challenges