The SA-14 Gremlin is now equipped with a new infra-red homing seeker head. The new seeker worked on the FM modulation (con-scan) principle, which is less vulnerable to jamming and decoy flares than the earlier AM (spin-scan) seekers, which were easily fooled by flares and even the most primitive infrared jammers. Most importantly, the new seeker also introduced detector element cooling in the form of a pressurized nitrogen bottle attached to the launcher. The system consists of the 9P59 gripstock, 9P51 thermal battery/gas reservoir, and 9M36-1 missile. The external appearance of the SA-14 is very similar to the SA-7, and the gripstock, launch canister and aft missile body are almost identical. The most significant differences are the new seeker system and the substitution of a ball-shaped 9P51 thermal battery and gas reservoir for the SA-7's canister-shaped battery.

The 9M36-1 is a supersonic missile with an average maximum speed of about 410 m/s. It can engage near-supersonic targets out to 4.1 km or to altitudes of 3 km. The blast fragmentation warhead features a secondary charge to set off any remaining fuel. The new infrared seeker has an increased performance against low altitude targets over land and water and is less easily fooled by flares.