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SA-3 (Goa) / S-125 Neva / Pechora

1961 COLD WAR MODERN

SA-3 (Goa) / S-125 Neva / History of Pechora

During the decades of the Cold War, as more agile and advanced aircraft emerged from the West, it was the responsibility of Soviet engineers to develop counters to protect the vast airspace on the Soviet border. Developments of these types always start with more powerful missiles and associated tracking and attack suites.

The finished unit could then be mounted on any tracked or wheeled chassis capable of supporting the weight of the weapon, or fixed as a static turret to defend key Soviet installations or areas.

In 1961, the S-125 "Neva" (also known as "Pehora") was adopted by the Soviet Army. Its design is attributed to Almaz Central Design Bureau engineer Aleksei Mihailovich Isaev and was intended to provide a bridge to the early 1955 S-25 "Berkut" missile series and the 1957 S-75 "Dvina" high-altitude system 125. Yom Kippur War (1973), deployed in the Angolan Civil War (1975-2002), Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), Gulf War (1991) and Kosovo War (1998-1999).

It was widely accepted in the inventories of many Soviet-backed countries and allies, making it a viable air defense system even today (2014). In addition, modernization programs have expanded battlefield use to some host nations.

The base vehicle for the S-125 launcher is a 6x6 wheeled Soviet military truck in standard car configuration with a front diesel engine and a three-person cab. With this arrangement, two large rockets are usually located at the rear of the vehicle. Emitters have inherent height range and traversal. Service was first observed in the capital Moscow in 1961, and over time a special surface version was deployed by the Soviet Navy.

Advances have resulted in a quadruple rocket launcher designed to increase the chances of a starter.

A slightly modified 1964 form with improved guidance and an improved rocket booster, designated "S-125M". The upcoming "S-125M1" is an improvement on itself. The naval version became SA-N-1 (M-1 "Volna").

The original missile was named "V-600" and carried a 132-pound warhead with a range of up to 9.3 miles. Improvements to its design led to the introduction of the "V-601" series, which had an additional 22 pounds of warheads and a vastly increased deployment range of over 20 miles.

Both types of warheads are high-explosive fragmentation (HI-FRAG) designs with command-based detonation. The rocket is powered by a solid rocket motor and is capable of reaching altitudes in excess of 55,000 feet.

Behind the missile section of the SA-3 array is its directional radar. This is actually a collection of supporting systems that includes a C-band target acquisition element, a fire control and guidance section, and an E-band altimeter/rangefinder.

Together, the agreement ensures great success, even with fast-paced, agile goals.

For the emerging Russian military, the S-125 series was eventually replaced by the SA-10 "Grumble" (S-300) and SA-12 "Giant" series. Other operators either stopped using the line or developed local modernization programs (as in Serbia and Ukraine). Former operators include Afghanistan, Cambodia, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Finland, Hungary, Iraq, Romania, Russia, Somalia, Slovakia, South Yemen and Yugoslavia.

Russia withdrew its collection in the 1990s, while the Iraqi collection was destroyed in the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. During the 1991 Gulf War campaign, the Iraqi SA-3s had limited success with coalition aircraftthough they claimed to have at least one General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon multirole fighter.

Current notable operators (as of 2014) include Angola, Cuba, Egypt, Georgia, India, Libya, North Korea, Poland, Syria, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Yemen (see list of operators, etc.).