The first deliveries of Strela-10M to East Germany began in the early 1980s, when Soviet military specialists were actively involved in modernising the air defence systems of allied nations. The complex was integrated into the air defence units of the ground forces and provided greater effectiveness compared to previous models due to improved missile characteristics and increased guidance accuracy. This system was used to strengthen the defensive capabilities of the GDR and maintain military parity in the region. Following the reunification of Germany in 1990, the weapons and equipment of the former GDR, including the Strela-10M, were gradually decommissioned and disposed of.

Introduced in Update "Storm Warning", the Strela-10M is built on the MT-LBU armoured tractor chassis and is designed to eliminate enemy aircraft at short and medium range; it has eight IR-guided missiles for this purpose. Thanks to excellent flight characteristics, the missile can reliably engage manoeuvring targets, and the presence of a photo-contrast guidance mode allows it to acquire targets from greater distances than when using IR guidance.