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Aviation History
1985
1985 - 0354.PDF
WORLD MISSILE DIRECTORY Talos SAM). RAM is planned as a point-defence armament for selected vessels of the US, Danish, and West German navies, and the first systems will be delivered to Germany in 1987. To allow RAM to be retrofitted in selected Sea Sparrow installations, the USN plans to spend $34-6 million in FY86, buying 235 rounds. An insert rack holding five RAM rounds may be fitted within a Seasparrow launcher in place of the normal round. Current plan is that RAM should replace Seasparrow in the two bottom-centre cells of the launcher. Alter native launchers for ships not fitted with Seasparrow are the 21-round EX-31 (based on the mount of the Phalanx CIWS), and a lightweight eight-round mounting. Ford Aerospace Saber Development flight tests of this shoulder-fired SAM were completed in 1983. Saber uses a laser-based guidance system, and offers a degree of anti-armour capability. Soviet Union SA-2 Guideline This first-generation system is being slowly phased out by the Soviet Union, but remains in widespread service around the world. No improvements or modifications have been reported in recent years. Operators Soviet Union, Afghanistan, Algeria, Bulgaria, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Egypt, E. Germany, Ethiopia, Hungary, India, Iraq, Jugoslavia, N. Korea, Libya, Poland, Romania, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Vietnam, N. Yemen, S. Yemen. SA-3 Goa Despite its age, the SA-3 still plays a major role in the Soviet air defences. The quad launcher first seen in 1973 now equips more than half of the Soviet sites. Operators: Soviet Union, Afghanistan, Algeria, Bulgaria, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, E. Germany, Iraq, Hungary, India, Jugoslavia, Libya, Mali, Mozambique, Peru, Poland, Somalia, Syria, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, S. Yemen, Zambia. SA-4 Ganef Deployment with the Warsaw Pact continues, with Bulgaria the latest recipient. Four different models have been fielded over the years, the current versions having the reported Soviet designa tions 3M8M1 and 3M8M2. The former is the "long- nose" version with improved range and ceiling. Some sources report a secondary surface-to-surface role for Ganef, but this is unconfirmed. Operators Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, E. Germany, Hungary, Poland. SA-5 Gammon The SA-5 is the "high" component of the SA-5/-3 "mix" which currently forms the major part of Soviet SAM strength. This designation is normally associated with the 16-5m-long Nike-Zeus- style weapon regularly seen in Moscow parades, but this is now in doubt. Drawings released by the US DoD show the SA-5 as a 10m long weapon with Bloodhound-style wrap-around boosters. Since this is the approximate length of the publicly-displayed weapon without its tandem booster, it is possible that the weapon was improved before large-scale deployment, and given wrap around boosters plus the wider-chord wings suggested by^the DoD drawing. A similar course of develop ment in the USA saw the Nike Hercules developed from the Nike Ajax (but in this case the four boost motors were clustered to create a large tandem booster). Further evidence for this hypothesis is the fact that the weapon shown in Moscow parades was originally reported as the SA-5 Griffon, the designation Gammon appearing later, and intelligence reports that the "SA-5s" recently deployed in Syria and other locations are not the same weapon as that now widely fielded by the Soviet Union. The exported weapons could be obsolete ex-Soviet "Griffons" Operators Soviet Union, East Germany, Mongolia, Syria (two sites near Damascus and Horns). SA-6 Gainful Widely deployed with the Soviet forces, the Warsaw Pact and the Third World, this mobile system would not be effective against modern ECM. Used against a less sophisticated adversary, it could repeat its successes of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. There have been no reports of recent modifications or improvements. Operators: Algeria, Angola, Bulgaria, Cuba, Czech oslovakia, Egypt, Ethiopia, E. Germany, Guinea, Hungary, India, Iraq, Jugoslavia, Kuwait, Libya, Mali, Mozambique, Peru, Poland, Romania, Somalia, Syria, Tanzania, Vietnam, S. Yemen, Zambia. SA-7 Grail A four-round trainable launcher has been seen in East German service, but it is not clear whether this is a locally devised expedient or an "official" variant. Cossor Electronics sees the SA-7 as a potential application for its IFF 880/1 system, and displayed this lightweight IFF sensor mated to an SA-7 at last year's British Army Equipment Exhibition. Operators: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Botswana, Bulgaria, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, E. Germany, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Hungary, Iraq, Iran, Jugoslavia, N. Korea, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Peru, Poland, Romania, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Uganda, Upper Volta, Vietnam, N. Yemen, S. Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, plus various guerrilla and terrorist organisations. SA-B Gecko The original Gecko vehicle carried four ready-to-fire rounds on launch rails located two on either side of the centrally-mounted Land Roll H & J band radar. On the newer SA-BB version, a modified missile—almost certainly with folding tail surfaces—is carried within triple launcher/containers on either side of the radar. The revised missile was probably designed for the naval SA-N-4 system (see separate entry). Operators Soviet Union, Angola, Guinea, Jordan, Libya, Mozambique, Poland, Syria. SA-9 Gaskin Originally thought to be a vehicle- mounted version of the SA-7, Gaskin is now known to use a new missile of canard configuration. The weapon is deployed on a version of the BRDM-2 four-wheeled vehicle. Four ready-to-fire rounds are carried in trainable launcher/containers, the aimer's position being in the base of the mount. Four reload rounds are carried within the hull. Operators: Algeria, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Egypt, E. Germany, Hungary, India, Iraq, Jugoslavia, Libya, Poland, Syria, Vietnam, N. Yemen. SA-10 Deployment of the SA-10 started in 1980, and some 40 sites were operational by early last year. This version of the weapon is probably installed at fixed sites. According to early reports these use tower- mounted surveillance radar to detect low-flying targets, the original (and presumably semi permanent) pattern of radar tower being superceded by a lower and more easily transported version to make the system easier to move from one location to another. A mobile version has now been developed, and is expected to enter service this year. This version is based on eight-wheeled transporter/erector vehicles, each carrying a cluster of four launcher/containers, and similar vehicles which carry a planar-array radar. The missile is vertically launched. In the autumn of 1982 SA-10 was tested against Soviet re-entry vehicles, suggesting that the weapon may have a limited ABM role. Recent US Government speculation on potential tactical ABMs has focussed attention on the newer SA-X-12, so the SA-10 was presumably less than a total success in this role. SA-11 Few details of this mobile short- to medium- range SAM are available, although field trials started in 1978/79. Some sources claim that it is not yet in service, but the US DoD designation SA-11 suggests an operational weapon. A four-rail trainable launcher is carried on the tracked chassis used by the ZSU-23-4 self-propelled gun. A second tracked chassis of the same pattern carries the Clam Shell three-dimensional acquisition radar and Flap Lid tracking radar. Targets may be engaged from 3km out to 28km and at altitudes from 14,000m down to 3m. The missile has a speed of Mach 3. Semi-active ladar guidance is used, perhaps with an electro-optical backup mode. SA-X-12 Field trials of this vertically-launched missile ended last summer, and deployment could be imminent. Probably intended as a replacement for the SA-4 Ganef, this weapon uses a phased-array radar capable of handling several targets simultaneously. Maximum range is 100km, and the missile can handle targets at altitudes from 30,000m down to 30m. In addition to its anti-aircraft role, this system might be able to intercept tactical ballistic missiles. Given data from suitable radars, the missile could act as an ABM, the US Government has claimed. SA-13 Gopher Intended for the point defence of Soviet ground forces, the SA-13 was developed to replace the current SA-9. The weapon entered Soviet Army service in 1975, and two versions have been identified. Like the SA-9, Gopher is of canard configuration and uses passive infrared guidance. An AT-P tracked chassis carries a trainable mounting with four containerised rounds, two on either side of a small ranging radar. Maximum missile range in clear weather is 10km. The effective ceiling is around 5,000m, and targets may be engaged at heights down to 50m. The missile seeker is thought to be a cooled unit operating in two frequency bands, a technique which should give it better discrimination against flares and similar infrared countermeasures. Operators Soviet Union, Libya. SA-14 Reported designation for an SA-7 replace ment. SA-N-3 Goblet Originally thought to have been a shipboard version of the SA-6 Gainful, Goblet was the first custom-designed Soviet shipboard SAM. Similar in configuration to the much smaller UK Seawolf, it is about 6m long and weighs approximately 540kg. Operators Soviet Navy (two Kiev-class carriers—one launcher on the foredeck; two Moskva-class helicopter carriers—two twin launchers on the foredeck, 180 reload rounds; five Kara and ten Kresta II cruisers—one twin launcher forward and another aft). SA-N-4 This short-range system uses the same missile as the land-based SA-8, probably the SA-8B version whose slimmer profile would allow the maximum number of rounds to be packed within the limited volume of the magazine. It is possible that the -8B missile was a modified version of the original Gecko round developed specifically for the naval application, and which was later used to increase the firepower of the land-based weapon. The associated Pop Group radar is almost identical to Gecko's Land Roll set, but has only a single command-link antenna. Operators Soviet Union (three Kiev-class carriers, two Kirov-class battlecruisers, two Slava-class cruisers, five Kara-class cruisers, two Sverdlov-class cruisers converted to command ships, Slava/ Krashina-class cruisers, 40 Krivak-class destroyers, Nanuchka I and Ill-class corvettes, Grisha I corvettes, Koni-class corvettes, Ropucha-class assault ships, Wan Rogov-class amphibious-warfare ships, replen ishment ship Berezina), Algeria (2 Koni-class frigates, 3 Nanuchka-class corvettes), E. Germany (2 Koni-class frigates), India (6 Godavari-class frigates, 3 Nanuchka Il-class corvettes), Libya (3 Nanuchka Il-class corvettes), Jugoslavia (1 Koni-class frigate), Syria (3 Nanuchka II corvettes on order). 62 FLIGHT International, 2 February 1985
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