NIEMI/Antey 9K81/9K81-1/9K81M
  Self Propelled Air Defence System / SA-12/SA-23 Giant/Gladiator
  НИЭМИ/Антей Cамоходный Зенитный Ракетный  Комплекс
9К81/9К81-1/9К81М  / Антей 2500

Technical Report APA-TR-2006-1202

The highly mobile Antey S-300V and S-300VM remain one of the most lethal area defence SAM systems ever developed, firing hypersonic missiles designed to engage aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.

Designed from the outset for high mobility and effectiveness against targets at all altitudes, the S-300V would have been a key player in any late Cold War conflict. This weapon was developed to provide not only long range area defence, but also to engage and destroy ISR assets like the E-3 AWACS, E-8 JSTARS and U-2, and tactical jammers like the EF-111A Raven and EA-6B Prowler.

There have been repeated reports since the beginning of the decade in the Indian media that a buy of this system was imminent, but to date none has materialised. Numerous reports have also surfaced that the PLA is operating either an S-300V or S-300VM variant under the designation of HQ-18, although no hard evidence to support this claim has emerged as yet.

From an Australian perspective the deployment of S-300V family of missiles in Asia is of major concern. Rapidly deployable, high survivable, and highly lethal, these weapons are especially difficult to counter and require significant capabilities to robustly defeat. The US Air Force currently envisages the F-22A Raptor as the primary weapon used to defeat these capable systems.

It is important to note that no F/A-18 variant, nor the Joint Strike Fighter, were designed to penetrate the coverage of the S-300V/VM systems. The survivability of these aircraft will not be significantly better than that of legacy combat aircraft.

Genesis of the Antey S-300V/SA-12A/B Gladiator/Giant

While Antey's impressive S-300V family of SAM systems shares its earliest conceptual origins with the Almaz S-300P family, the two product lines diverged dramatically very early in their development histories. As a result, they share the same technology base but are essentially unique designs, optimised respectively for the needs of the prime customers, the V-PVO and PVO-SV.

While the PVO-SV shared some static and semi-mobile radar systems with the V-PVO during the early 1960s, the PVO-SV deployed its own unique inventory of fully mobile SAM systems, reflecting its role of providing air defence cover for highly mobile Soviet tank and motorised infantry divisions. By the end of the 1960s the PVO-SV had deployed a three tier system, with the cumbersome ramjet powered command link guided 2K11/3M8 Krug / 1S12 Long Track / 1S32 Pat Hand / SA-4 Ganef system providing long range area defence, the quite effective 2K12/3M9 Kub / 1S91 Straight Flush / SA-6 Gainful system providing medium range area defence and the 9K33 Osa / 9K33 Romb / SA-8 Gecko, 9K31 Strela 1 / SA-9 Gaskin, and ubiquitous ZSU-23-4P SPAAG providing low altitude point defence.

With the exception of the large 3M8/SA-4 Ganef this package was widely exported in the Arab world and Africa and whilst achieving some initial success against the Israelis in 1973 generally suffered greviously when applied against Western air power and electronic combat forces. By the early 1970s it was clear that a new generation of systems would be needed to challenge growing Western SEAD and EW capabilities. The S-300V system was to provide the top tier in the new air defence umbrella, directly replacing the 2K11/3M8 Krug / 1S12 Long Track / 1S32 Pat Hand / SA-4 Ganef system.

Unlike first generation PVO-SV 3M8/SA-4 Ganef the S-300V would have a much broader role, encompassing both long range / high altitude air defence but also defence against US tactical ballistic missiles, specifically the Lance and high performance Pershing I/II, the FB-111A's supersonic AGM-69A SRAM standoff missile, and the new US Air Force MGM-109 Ground Launched Cruise Missile - a trailer launched nuclear armed Tomahawk variant based in the UK and Western Europe. As a result the S-300V would have to provide exceptionally good detection and tracking performance against low radar cross section targets, at very high and very low altitudes, while retaining the very high offroad mobility so typical of established PVO-SV tracked area defence SAM systems, and possessing exceptional resistance to the much feared USAF EF-111A Raven tactical jammer force.

The S-300V was the result of these pressures - an expensive, complex but highly capable dual role SAM/ABM system which remains without equivalent to this day. It was to be an “Army level”  or “Corp level”  asset, protecting the centre of gravity of the Red Army's mechanised land forces against attack by nuclear and conventionally armed systems.

The S-300V was supplanted by the enhanced S-300VM during the 1990s, using the 9S15M2/MT2E/MV2E, 9S19ME, 9S32ME and 9S457ME components, and improved 9M82M and 9M83M missiles. This system has been marketed as the “Antey 2500”, intended to highlight its capability to engage 2,500 km range IRBMs with re-entry velocities around 4.5 km/sec. The 9M82M has double the range of the 9M82 against aerial targets, at 108 nautical miles, and increased terminal phase agility - a single shot kill probability of 98% is claimed against ballistic targets. The S-300VMK is a proposed wheeled configuration of the design, using a BAZ 69096 10 x 10 all terrain truck chassis.

S-300V Battery components, above left to right, 9A83 TELAR, 9A84 TEL/TL with crane elevated, 9A82 TELAR, below left to right, 9S15 Bill Board acquisition radar, 9S457 CP and 9S32 Grill Pan engagement radar.

S-300V/VM/SA-12/23 Gladiator/Giant System Design, Composition and Integration

All principal components of the S-300V system are carried on the MT-TM Item 830 series tracked vehicle, with gross weights between 44 and 47 tonnes per vehicle - the S-300V is not a lightweight system - and has similar offroad mobility to a medium tank.

The S-300V system comprises no less than eight unique system vehicles, the 9S457 mobile command post, the 9S15 Bill Board acquisition radar, the 9S19 High Screen ABM early warning radar, the 9S32 Grill Pan engagement radar, the 9A82 and 9A83 TELARs (Transporter Erector Launcher and Radar), and the 9A84 and 9A85 TEL/Transloader vehicles.

The paired acquisition radars are each optimised for their specific roles, with a limited overlap in capabilities, as the 9S15 Bill Board has some ABM early warning capability, and the 9S19 High Screen can acquire and track airborne targets. The 9S32 Grill Pan is more narrowly optimised as an engagement radar for missile guidance.

The 9A82 and 9A83 TELARs each include high power CW illuminators for missile guidance and command uplinks, and also provide these guidance functions for the 9A84 and 9A85 TEL/Transloaders, which operate as slave TELs in the battery.

Typical battery integration involves datalink tie-ins with the divisional level 9S52/9S52M Polyana DM series command posts, and the use of the Pori P1 series radar data fusion centre. Often S-300V / SA-12 batteries are supplemented with a 1L13 Nebo SV VHF band 2D early warning and acquisition radar.

The S-300VM / SA-23 retains the basic battery structure of the earlier variant, replacing individual components with revised designs.

9S32 Grill Pan and 9S32M Engagement Radars

The 9S32 Grill Pan is an engagement radar similar in concept and function to the MPQ-53 and 30N6, but larger with the antenna turret capable of slewing through ±340º. It will automatically acquire and track targets provided by the 9S457 command post, control the operation of TELAR mounted illuminators and generate midcourse guidance commands for up to 12 missiles fired at 6 targets concurrently. The S-300V system uses continuous wave illumination of targets and semi-active radar terminal homing, not unlike the US Navy RIM-66/67 series SAMs - the illuminators are carried on the 9A82 and 9A83 TELARs.

Like the 9S19, the 9S32 is a high power-aperture, coherent, X-band phased array, but specialised for missile guidance producing a mainlobe of around of 1º in width. The TWT based transmitter is rated at 150 kW peak and 10-13 kW average power, with receiver sensitivity cited at 10^-17 Watts. Cited detection ranges are about 80 nautical miles for fighter sized targets, 40 nautical miles for SRAM class missiles and up to 80 nautical miles for larger IRBMs. The radar uses monopulse angle tracking techniques, frequency hopping in all modes to provide high jam resistance, and chirped waveforms providing a high compression ratio. Three auxiliary receiver channels are used for cancelling sidelobe jamming.

Two basic operating modes are used. In the first the 9S32 is controlled by the 9S457 command post and acquires targets within a narrow 5º x 6º field of view, alternately it can autonomously search and acquire targets within a 60º field of view. A telescoping mast datalink antenna is mounted aft of the array.

A more detailed discussion can be found under Engagement and Fire Control Radars, with a detailed technical analysis of the design under David Barton's 9S32/32M Grill Pan Fire Control Radar.


While the S-300VM sees incremental improvements in most components, the 9M32M/ME engagement radar underwent a significant redesign, especially in the antenna. Brochure material produced by the manufacturer shows a design which can be best described as a hybrid of components from the Grill Pan and the High Screen. The larger aperture High Screen array is employed, combined with revised IFF array and interferometer / sidelobe blanker antenna array below the primary aperture. The high and low angle circular polarised monopulse space feeds are retained but repositioned for the different array geometry. The new enlarged aperture will exhibit almost twice the gain of the Grill Pan, much better angular resolution especially for targets near the zenith, and improved heightfinding performance.

The 9S32M/ME will have a much higher peak power rating compared to the 9S32 Grill Pan since the additional range of the 9M82M cannot be accommodated by the ~3 dB power-aperture improvement produced by the larger antenna alone. A more detailed analysis will not be possible until good quality imagery of prototypes or production systems becomes available.

9A82 and 9A83 TELARs and 9A84 and 9A85 TEL/Transloaders

The 9A82 and 9A83 TELARs carry two Novator designed 9M82 / SA-12 Giant long range SAM/ABMs, and four 9M83 Gladiator SAM/ABMs respectively. Each TELAR is equipped with a steerable high gain antenna used to transmit midcourse guidance commands to the missiles and provide continuous wave illumination of the target for the missiles' semi-active radar seekers during the terminal guidance phase - one source cites 10-12 kW of CW power rating.

The TELARs are controlled by the 9S32 Grill Pan using either cables or a bidirectional radio datalink, permitting the TELARs to return status information to the guidance radar. The 9A82 TELAR is optimised for engaging targets at higher altitudes, and can slew its antenna through 180º in azimuth, and 110º in elevation, while the 9A83 TELAR has an elevating and telescoping mast providing antenna coverage of the full upper hemisphere - this arrangement is intended to extend the engagement footprint against low altitude targets.

The TELARs are supplemented by the 9A84 and 9A85 TEL/Transloaders, essentially dumb launchers which can be used only with guidance/illumination from a nearby TELAR, and equipped with hydraulic loading cranes instead of antenna booms.

A more detailed technical analysis of the antenna design can be found under David Barton's 9A82 Giant and 9A83 Gladiator TELARs.

All 9M82 and 9M83 images © Miroslav Gyűrösi.

The two stage 9M83 / SA-12A Gladiator and 9M82 / SA-12B Giant are the guided missiles used by the S-300V / SA-12 system. The missiles are largely common in design, the principal distinctions being different first stage boosters, and different control surface arrangements.

The Soviets were terrified of TAC's EF-111A force and equipped the S-300V system with a facility for passive targeting of support jammers. The 9S15, 9S19 and 9S32 have receiver channels for sidelobe jamming cancellation and these are used to produce very accurate bearings to the airborne jammer, this bearing information is then used to develop angular tracks. The angular tracks are then processed by the 9S457 command post to estimate range, and the 9S32 then develops an estimated track for the target jammer. A Giant missile is then launched and steered by command link until it acquires the target.

9M82 Giant round and 9Ya238 transport container.



9M83 Gladiator round and 9Ya240 transport container.

9M82 Giant round nozzle detail.

9M83 Gladiator round nozzle detail.

The baseline S-300V / SA-12 entered production during the very early 1980s, and was accepted into service by the PVO-SV in 1983 under the designation S-300V-1, but was limited in capabilities. Difficulties with the complex technology delayed service entry of the fully developed package with ABM capability until 1988, under the designation S-300V. The only serious export prospect to date has been India who have since acquired a pair of Israeli Green Pine ABM early warning radars, as a counter to Pakistan's nuclear armed ballistic missile force. The cited order for six S-300VM systems remained in negotiation, while the Israeli Arrow and S-300PMU-2/S-400 are evaluated. There is no evidence this has since progressed. A marketing drive in the Persian Gulf some years ago fell foul of US influence in the region - Patriots being bought instead, amid Russian allegations of dishonest marketing tactics by the US.

The Soviet Union unravelled in 1991, leaving the service inventory of S-300V / SA-12 systems scattered across a number of former Soviet Republics. Russian sources cited current operators to be Russia and the Ukraine, with some claims that Belarus operates some units.

Commercially the S-300V/VM has been much less successful than the PVO optimsied S-300P series, in part due to its higher cost and capability - the often discussed Indian sale has yet to materialise, compared to the large number of S-300PMU/PMU1/PMU2 systems sold to the PRC. In 2003 the Russian government authorised a merger between Almaz, Altair and Antey to produce what is likely to be world's largest SAM system manufacturer.

In the longer term the S-300V is likely to acquire similar evolutionary enhancements to the S-300P series, increasing its range and already superb lethality. It is also likely that GPS aided navigation hardware will be added at some stage to both the S-300P/S-300V to increase the accuracy of the inertial/compass navigation systems on the radars and TELAR/TELs.

9K81 Launch Footage

SAM System Mobility - Air Defence System Vehicles [Click for more ...]
SAM System Integration - Air Defence Command Posts [Click for more ...]
SAM System Passive Targeting - Emitter Locating Systems [Click for more ...]
SAM System Counter VLO Capabilities [Click for more ...]
SAM System Multimedia - Rosoboronexport Footage [Click for more ...]

A pair of 9A82 TELARs deployed. The illuminator does not elevate in this design (via Smotr). Additional image [Click for more ...]

9A83 TELAR Stowed.

9A83 TELAR Deployment.

9A84 TEL/TL in operation (NIEMI images).

9A85 Transporter Erector Launcher/Transloader

9A85 TEL/TL in operation (NIEMI image).

9S32 Grill Pan deployed (via Smotr).

9S15MT Obzor III / Bill Board Acquisition Radar

9S19 Imbir / High Screen ABM Acquisition Radar

9S19 Imbir / High Screen acquisition radar (via Smotr).

The 9S457 series is a dedicated and fully integrated self propelled command post for the S-300V/SA-12 battery (NIEMI image).

9T31M1 Self Propelled Crane

The 9T32M1 self-propelled crane is a late model of the standard loading crane used with 2K12 / SA-6 Gainful and 9K37M1 / SA-11 Gadfly batteries. The URAL-375 chassis is used. (Russian internet).

3K81M/S-300VM/SA-23

3K81MK/S-300VMK/SA-23

A proposal which emerged some years ago is the S-300VMK (K - Колесные), a variant of the S-300VM in which the MT-T series tracked chassis is replaced by the BAZ 69096 10 x 10 all terrain truck chassis, a vehicle design more frequently associated with heavy cranes and drilling rigs. This vehicle family is also used for the new S-400 Triumf 5P85TE2 TEL.

The intent behind a wheeled chassis is likely to be compliance with a recent Russian MoD policy change to wheeled SAM system chassis over tracked. A wheeled variant is less costly to procure and operate, and provides much higher road speed at the expense of cross country performance. Another consideration may well be that the MT-T series were manufactured in the Ukraine, and recent Russian policy is to avoid the use of Ukrainian made components, replacing them with Russian made components.

Very little material has emerged to date on the S-300VMK and the design may have been shelved with the failure to secure export orders for the S-300V/VM product family. However, this does not preclude a future transplant of the extant S-300V radar/TELAR inventory to the BAZ 69096 chassis on operating cost and supportability grounds, as is occurring now with legacy ZRK Romb/SA-8B Gecko systems, which are being transplanted to new MZKT-6922 vehicles.

S-300VMK in stowed configuration. The 9A82MK TELAR and 9A84MK, 9A85MK TELs are not depicted. Note the large elevating mast on the 9S457MK CP (Russian Internet - unknown author).