Adopted by the Red Army in 1974, the Strela-3 (SA-14 Gremlin) introduced a nitrogen-cooled IR seeker, a significant step over Strela-2 that reduced flare vulnerability and enabled all-aspect engagements.

Heavily exported across the Warsaw Pact, the Middle East and Africa, it was used by the mujahideen in Afghanistan and across numerous African conflicts; it remains in second-line service in many countries.