9K31 Strela-1 (RS-SA-9 Gaskin)

The 9K31 Strela-1 (NATO reporting name SA-9 Gaskin) is a highly mobile, short-range, low-altitude surface-to-air missile system. It is mounted on an amphibious BRDM-2 armored reconnaissance vehicle chassis, carrying four ready-to-fire missiles.

Developed in the 1960s by the OKB-16 design bureau, the Strela-1 was originally conceived as a man-portable system but was redesigned as a vehicle-mounted platform to provide regiment-level air defense against low-flying tactical aircraft. The system officially entered service with the Soviet Army in 1968, complementing the radar-guided ZSU-23-4 Shilka SPAAG. It saw extensive combat deployment during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the Angolan Civil War, and various conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, proving effective against low-altitude helicopters and ground-attack jets. While largely succeeded in Russian service by the more advanced 9K35 Strela-10, the Strela-1 remains in active service with numerous export operators worldwide.