S-200 missile system

Surface-to-air missile system

S-200 Angara/Vega/Dubna
SA-5 Gammon
S-200V missile on its launcher
TypeStrategic SAM system
Place of originSoviet Union
Service history
In service1967–present
Used bySee list of present and former operators
WarsFirst Libyan Civil War
Syrian civil war
Russo-Ukrainian War[1]
Production history
DesignerKB-1 design bureau (system), GSKB Spetsmash (launcher)[2]
Designed1964
VariantsS-200A, S-200V, S-200M, S-200VE, S-200D, S-200C
Specifications

Guidance
system
Semi-active radar homing

The NPO Almaz S-200 Angara/Vega/Dubna (Russian: С-200 Ангара/Вега/Дубна), NATO reporting name SA-5 Gammon (initially Tallinn),[3] is a long-range, high-altitude surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s to defend large areas from high-altitude bombers or other targets. In Soviet service, these systems were deployed primarily on the battalion level, with six launchers and a fire control radar.

The S-200 can be linked to other longer-range radar systems.

Background

Two-stage V-400 (5V11) Angara missile of the Dal SAM system in Saint-Petersburg Artillery museum.

After trials of the S-25 Berkut in 1955, the Soviet Union started development of the RS-25 Dal long-range missile system with the V-400/5V11 missile. It was initially assigned the "SA-5" designation in the West[4] and codenamed "Griffon", but the project was abandoned in 1964.[5] The SA-5 designation was then assigned to the S-200.

Description

The S-200 surface-to-air missile system was designed for the defense of the most important administrative, industrial and military installations from all types of air attack. The S-200 is an all-weather system that can be operated in various climatic conditions.[6]

The first S-200 operational regiments were deployed in 1966 with 18 sites and 342 launchers in service by the end of the year. By 1968 there were 40 sites, and by 1969 there were 60 sites. The growth in numbers then gradually increased throughout the 1970s (1,100 launchers)[7] and early 1980s until the peak of 130[2] sites and 2,030 launchers was reached in 1980–1990.[7]

Variants

  • S-200A "Angara" (Russian: С-200А, NATO reporting name SA-5a), with the V-860/5V21 or V-860P/5V21A missile, introduced in 1967, range 160 km (99 mi), ceiling 20.1 km (12.5 mi).[8]
  • S-200V "Vega"[a] (Russian: С-200В, NATO reporting name SA-5b), with the V-860PV/5V21P or 5V28V missiles,[citation needed] introduced in 1970, range 250 km (160 mi), ceiling 29.2 km (18.1 mi).[8] With the V-870 missile, range increased to 280 km (170 mi) and ceiling to 40 km (25 mi).[8]
  • S-200M "Vega-M"[a] (Russian: С-200М, NATO reporting name SA-5b), with the V-880/5V28 or V-880N/5V28N missiles, introduced 1970,[8] range 300 km (190 mi), ceiling 29 km (18 mi).[citation needed] The V-880N/5V28N was the first missile for the S-200 which could be equipped with a nuclear warhead, with the "N" in the designation standing for "nuclear".[8]
  • S-200VE "Vega-E"[a][b] (Russian: С-200ВЭ, NATO reporting name SA-5b), with the V-880E/5V28E missile, export version with high-explosive warhead only, introduced 1973, range 240 km (150 mi), ceiling 40.8 km (25.4 mi).[10]
  • S-200D "Dubna" (Russian: С-200Д, NATO reporting name SA-5c), with the 5V25V, V-880M/5V28M, and V-880MN/5V28MN missiles, introduced in 1976, range 300 km (190 mi),[10] ceiling 40 km (25 mi).[11] The V-880MN/5V28MN were equipped with a 5 kiloton nuclear warhead.[10]
  • S-200C "Vega",[a] a Polish evolution of the S-200VE, resulting from a refit undertaken between 1999 and 2002.[12]

The Iranian air defense force has implemented several improvements on their S-200 systems such as using solid state parts and removing restrictions on working time. They reportedly destroyed a UAV target beyond 100 km range in a military drill in recent years.[13] They use two new solid propellant missiles named Sayyad-2 and Sayyad-3, via interface systems Talash-2 and Talash-3 in cooperation with S-200 system. These missiles can cover medium and long ranges at high altitudes.[14][15] Iran claims to have developed a mobile launcher for the system.[16]

While the S-200 features vastly superior range than other air defense systems such as the S-400, it does not have the same mobility that those systems have. This means that while it still has the ability to switch off its radar to avoid detection and turn incoming ARMs dumb, it cannot move out of the way of incoming INS guided munitions such as JDAMs, a primary tactic of mobile air defense systems such as the S-400. The components of an S-200 system are transported by modified trucks during installation, but cannot easily move. This requires the site to be defended by AAA, SPAAA, MANPADS, other shorter range air defense systems, and other means of protection from adversary SEAD platforms.[17]

The command post of the S-300 system (SA-20/SA-20A/SA-20B) can manage the elements of the S-200 and S-300 in any combination.[18][19] The S-200 Dubna missile complex can be controlled by the S-300's command post,[19] and the S-300 missile complex can be controlled[20] by the S-400 command post[21] or through a higher-level command post (Organize Use PVO 73N6 "Baikal-1").[22]

Radar

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A 5N62 "Square Pair" fire control radar in a Hungarian museum

The fire control radar of the S-200 system is the 5N62 (NATO reporting name: Square Pair) H band[23] continuous wave radar, and is used for both the tracking of targets and their illumination. The 5N62V variant could track larger targets like strategic bombers at 450 km (280 mi), smaller aircraft like fighter-bombers at 300 km (190 mi), and cruise missiles at c. 170 km (110 mi).[24] The 5N62 had two main components, the K-1 and K-2 "cabins", with the former containing the antenna. The K-1 could rotate around its own axis at 15 degrees per second, completing a full turn in 24 seconds and would make elevation adjustments at 5.5 degrees per second.[25] A K-1 in assembled state weighed 30 tonnes (66,000 lb).[25] The K-2 cabin contained the command post and weighed about 25 tonnes (55,000 lb).[26]

Initial detection of targets was conducted by a P-14/5N84A (NATO: Tall King C) A band early warning radar, operating in the 150–170 MHz range at 3–6 RPM,[27] with a PRV-17 (NATO: Odd Group) height finding radar assisting in determining the target's altitude.[28]

The P-35 (NATO: Bar Lock) E/F band radar could also be associated with the S-200.[23]

Missiles

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