S-125
Encyclopedia
The Isayev
S-125 Neva/Pechora ' onMouseout='HidePop("84629")' href="/topics/NATO_reporting_name">NATO reporting name
SA-3 Goa) Soviet surface-to-air missile
system was designed to complement the S-25 and S-75
. It has a shorter effective range and lower engagement altitude
than either of its predecessors and also flies slower, but due to its two-stage design it is more effective against more maneuverable targets. It is also able to engage lower flying targets than the previous systems, and being more modern it is much more resistant to ECM
than the S-75. The 5V24 (V-600) missiles reach around Mach
3 to 3.5 in flight, both stages powered by solid fuel
rocket motors. The S-125, like the S-75
, uses radio command guidance. The naval version of this system has the NATO reporting name SA-N-1 Goa and original designation M-1 Volna (Russian Волна – wave).
The S-125 was first deployed between 1961 and 1964 around Moscow
, augmenting the S-25 and S-75
sites already ringing the city, as well as in other parts of the USSR
. In 1964, an upgraded version of the system, the S-125M "Neva-M" and later S-125M1 "Neva-M1" was developed. The original version was designated SA-3A by the US DoD
and the new Neva-M named SA-3B and (naval) SA-N-1B. The Neva-M introduced a redesigned booster and an improved guidance system. The SA-3 was not used against U.S. forces in Vietnam
, because the Soviets feared that China (after the souring of Sino-Soviet relations in 1960), through which most, if not all of the equipment meant for the NVA had to travel, would try to copy the missile.
On 7 June 1980
, while attacking SWAPO's Tobias Haneko Training Camp during Operation Sceptic (Smokeshell)
, SAAF Major Frans Pretorius and Captain IC du Plessis, both flying Mirage F.1s, were hit by SA-3s. Pretorius's aircraft was hit in a fuel line and he had to perform a deadstick landing
at AFB Ondangwa. DU Plessis's aircraft sustained heavier damage and had to divert to Ruacana forward airstrip, were he landed with only the main undercarriage extended. Both aircraft were repaired and returned to service.
and the Yom Kippur War
. During the latter, the SA-3, along with the SA-2 and SA-6, formed the backbone of the Egyptian air defence network.
Syria deployed it for the first time during the 1973 Yom Kippur War and also during the 1982 Lebanon war
. In fighting over the Beqaa Valley
, however, the IAF managed to neutralize the SAM threat by launching Operation Mole Cricket 19
, in which several SA-3 batteries, along with SA-2s and SA-6s, were destroyed in a single day.
Two days before, a B-52G was damaged by a SAM which could have been an SA-3 or an SA-6.
3rd battery equipped with S-125 system managed to shoot down an F-117 Nighthawk
stealth bomber on March 27, 1999 during the Kosovo War
(the only recorded downing of a stealth aircraft). The S-125 used had been modified by colonel Zoltán Dani
in order to detect stealth aircraft. It was also used to shoot down a NATO F-16 fighter on May 2 (its pilot; Lt. Col David Goldfein, the commander of 555th Fighter Squadron
, managed to eject and was later rescued by a combat search-and-rescue
(CSAR) mission.
During the war, different Yugoslav SAM sites and possibly the SA-3 also shot down some NATO UAV
s.
However, apart from the two isolated successes achieved on two USAF strike aircraft, the Kosovo war demonstrated the obsolescence of these fixed SAM sites and its unreliability as part of an integrated air defence system: dozens of missiles were fired with only two aircraft downed, Despite the fact that the air defense systems are relocated on the newly created
firing positions by the Engineer Units, up to 80 percent of Yugoslav Fixed SA-3 sites were destroyed during the war and NATO strikers demolished most of the strategic infrastructure in Yugoslavia with limited challenge.
system. The missiles are typically deployed on fixed turrets containing two or four but can be carried ready-to-fire on ZIL
trucks in pairs. Reloading the fixed launchers takes a few minutes.
The later version is named V-601 (or 5V27). It has a length of 6.09 m, a wing span of 2.2 m and a body diameter of 0.375 m. This missile weighs 953 kg at launch, and has a 70 kg warhead containing 33 kg of HE and 4,500 fragments. The minimum range is 3.5 km, and the maximum is 35 km (with the Pechora 2A). The intercept altitudes are between 100 m and 18 km.
systems:
"Flat Face"/"Squat Eye" is mounted on a van ("Squat Eye" on a taller mast for better performance against low-altitude targets also an IFF [Identifies Friend or Foe]), "Low Blow" on a trailer and "Side Net" on a box-bodied trailer.
Work on a naval version M-1 Volna (SA-N-1) started in 1956, along with work on a land version. It was first mounted on a rebuilt Kotlin class destroyer (Project 56K) Bravyi and tested in 1962. In the same year, the system was accepted. The basic missile was a V-600 (or 4K90) (range: from 4 to 15 km, altitude: from 0.1 to 10 km). Fire control and guidance is carried out by 4R90 Yatagan radar, with five parabolic antenna
s on a common head. Only one target can be engaged at a time (or two, for ships fitted with two Volna systems). In case of emergency, Volna could be also used against naval targets, due to short response time.
The first launcher type was the two-missile ZIF-101, with a magazine for 16 missiles. In 1963 an improved two-missile launcher, ZIF-102, with a magazine for 32 missiles, was introduced to new ship classes. In 1967 Volna systems were upgraded to Volna-M (SA-N-1B) with V-601 (4K91) missiles (range: 4–22 km, altitude: 0.1–14 km).
In 1974 - 1976 some systems were modernized to Volna-P standard, with an additional TV target tracking channel and better resistance to jamming. Later, improved V-601M missiles were introduced, with lower minimal attack altitude against aerial targets (system Volna-N).
Some Indian
frigates also carry the M-1 Volna system.
Since Russia
replaced most of its S-125 sites with SA-10 and SA-12 systems, they decided to upgrade the S-125 systems being removed from service to make them more attractive to export customers. Released in 2000, the Pechora-2 version features better range, multiple target engagement ability and a higher probability of kill
(PK). The launcher is moved onto a truck allowing much shorter relocation times. It is also possible to fire the Pechora-2M system against cruise missiles.
In 1999, a Russian-Belarusian financial-industrial consortium called Oboronitelnye Sistemy (Defense Systems
) was awarded a contract to overhaul Egypt
's S-125 SAM system. These refurbished weapons have been reintroduced as the S-125 Pechora 2M.http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Unique_Surface_To_Air_Missile_Baffles_Foreign_Military_Diplomats_In_Egypt_999.html
In 2001, Poland began offering an upgrade to the S-125 known as the Newa SC. This replaced many analogue components with digital
ones for improved reliability and accuracy. This upgrade also involves mounting the missile launcher on a T-55
tank chassis (a TEL
), greatly improving mobility and also adds IFF
capability and data links. Radar is mounted on an 8-wheeled heavy truck chassis (formerly used for Scud
launchers).
Serbia
n modifications include terminal/camera homing from radar base.
Later the same year, the Russian version was upgraded again to the Pechora-M which upgraded almost all aspects of the system - the rocket motor, radar, guidance, warhead
, fuse
and electronics. There is an added laser
/infra-red tracking device to allow launching of missiles without the use of the radar.
There is also a version of the S-125 available from Russia
with the warhead replaced with telemetry
instrumentation, for use as target drones.
In October, 2010, Ukrainian Aerotechnica announced a modernized version of S-125 named S-125-2D Pechora.
- - - to be phased out in use by Air Defence Brigade Dimitrie Cantemir 32 batteries 8 surface-to-air missile system, with 32 rocket launchers (being modernized) Venezuela
Aleksei Mihailovich Isaev
Aleksei Mikhailovich Isaev was a Russian rocket engineer.Aleksei Isaev began work under Leonid Dushkin during World War II, on an experimental rocket-powered interceptor plane. In 1944 he formed his own design bureau to engineer liquid-propellant engines...
S-125 Neva/Pechora ' onMouseout='HidePop("84629")' href="/topics/NATO_reporting_name">NATO reporting name
NATO reporting name
NATO reporting names are classified code names for military equipment of the Eastern Bloc...
SA-3 Goa) Soviet surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
system was designed to complement the S-25 and S-75
S-75 Dvina
The S-75 Dvina is a Soviet-designed, high-altitude, command guided, surface-to-air missile system...
. It has a shorter effective range and lower engagement altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
than either of its predecessors and also flies slower, but due to its two-stage design it is more effective against more maneuverable targets. It is also able to engage lower flying targets than the previous systems, and being more modern it is much more resistant to ECM
Electronic countermeasures
An electronic countermeasure is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar or other detection systems, like infrared or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting information to an enemy...
than the S-75. The 5V24 (V-600) missiles reach around Mach
Mach number
Mach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any other fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance for its particular physical conditions, including those of temperature and pressure...
3 to 3.5 in flight, both stages powered by solid fuel
Solid fuel
Solid fuel refers to various types of solid material that are used as fuel to produce energy and provide heating, usually released through combustion....
rocket motors. The S-125, like the S-75
S-75 Dvina
The S-75 Dvina is a Soviet-designed, high-altitude, command guided, surface-to-air missile system...
, uses radio command guidance. The naval version of this system has the NATO reporting name SA-N-1 Goa and original designation M-1 Volna (Russian Волна – wave).
Soviet Union
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, augmenting the S-25 and S-75
S-75 Dvina
The S-75 Dvina is a Soviet-designed, high-altitude, command guided, surface-to-air missile system...
sites already ringing the city, as well as in other parts of the USSR
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. In 1964, an upgraded version of the system, the S-125M "Neva-M" and later S-125M1 "Neva-M1" was developed. The original version was designated SA-3A by the US DoD
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
and the new Neva-M named SA-3B and (naval) SA-N-1B. The Neva-M introduced a redesigned booster and an improved guidance system. The SA-3 was not used against U.S. forces in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, because the Soviets feared that China (after the souring of Sino-Soviet relations in 1960), through which most, if not all of the equipment meant for the NVA had to travel, would try to copy the missile.
Angola
The FAPA-DAA acquired a significant number of SA-3s, and these were encountered during the first strike flown by SAAF Mirage F.1s against targets in Angola ever - in June 1980. While two aircraft were damaged by SAMs during this action, the Angolans claimed to have shot down four.On 7 June 1980
1980 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1980:-Events:* Summer 1980 – The British Aerospace Sea Harrier enters operational service with the Fleet Air Arm, providing the British Royal Navy with its first high-performance fixed-wing aircraft capability since the retirement of the aircraft...
, while attacking SWAPO's Tobias Haneko Training Camp during Operation Sceptic (Smokeshell)
Operation Sceptic
Operation Sceptic was the largest anti-SWAPO sweep during the South African Border War up to that point. This operation followed Operation Safraan and preceded Operation Klipklop.-External links:*...
, SAAF Major Frans Pretorius and Captain IC du Plessis, both flying Mirage F.1s, were hit by SA-3s. Pretorius's aircraft was hit in a fuel line and he had to perform a deadstick landing
Deadstick landing
A deadstick landing, also called a dead-stick landing is a type of forced landing when an aircraft loses all of its propulsive power and is forced to land. The term is often misunderstood, as the flight controls in the majority of aircraft are either fully or partially functional, even with no...
at AFB Ondangwa. DU Plessis's aircraft sustained heavier damage and had to divert to Ruacana forward airstrip, were he landed with only the main undercarriage extended. Both aircraft were repaired and returned to service.
Middle East
The Soviets supplied several SA-3s to the Arab states in the late 1960s and 70s, most notably Egypt and Syria. The SA-3 saw extensive action during the War of AttritionWar of Attrition
The international community and both countries attempted to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict. The Jarring Mission of the United Nations was supposed to ensure that the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 242 would be observed, but by late 1970 it was clear that this mission had been...
and the Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
. During the latter, the SA-3, along with the SA-2 and SA-6, formed the backbone of the Egyptian air defence network.
Syria deployed it for the first time during the 1973 Yom Kippur War and also during the 1982 Lebanon war
1982 Lebanon War
The 1982 Lebanon War , , called Operation Peace for Galilee by Israel, and later known in Israel as the Lebanon War and First Lebanon War, began on 6 June 1982, when the Israel Defense Forces invaded southern Lebanon...
. In fighting over the Beqaa Valley
Beqaa Valley
The Beqaa Valley is a fertile valley in east Lebanon. For the Romans, the Beqaa Valley was a major agricultural source, and today it remains Lebanon’s most important farming region...
, however, the IAF managed to neutralize the SAM threat by launching Operation Mole Cricket 19
Operation Mole Cricket 19
Operation Mole Cricket 19 was a suppression of enemy air defenses campaign launched by the Israeli Air Force against Syrian targets on June 9, 1982, at the outset of the 1982 Lebanon War. The operation was the first time in history that a Western air force successfully destroyed a Soviet-built...
, in which several SA-3 batteries, along with SA-2s and SA-6s, were destroyed in a single day.
Iraq
A USAF F-16 (serial 87-257) was shot down on January 19, 1991, during Operation Desert Storm. The aircraft was struck by an SA-3 just south of Baghdad. The pilot, Major Jeffrey Scott Tice, ejected safely but became a POW as the ejection took place over Iraq. It was the 8th combat loss and the first daylight raid over Baghdad.Two days before, a B-52G was damaged by a SAM which could have been an SA-3 or an SA-6.
FR Yugoslavia
A Yugoslav Army 250th Air Defense Missile Brigade250th Air Defense Missile Brigade
The 250th Air Defense Missile Brigade is a joint tactical unit of Serbian Air Force and Air Defense. It consists of three rocket missile air defense battalions, three self-propelled rocket missile air defense battalions and a command company....
3rd battery equipped with S-125 system managed to shoot down an F-117 Nighthawk
F-117 Nighthawk
The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was a single-seat, twin-engine stealth ground-attack aircraft formerly operated by the United States Air Force . The F-117A's first flight was in 1981, and it achieved initial operating capability status in October 1983...
stealth bomber on March 27, 1999 during the Kosovo War
Kosovo War
The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...
(the only recorded downing of a stealth aircraft). The S-125 used had been modified by colonel Zoltán Dani
Zoltán Dani
Zoltán Dani is a former colonel of the Yugoslav Army and former commander of the 3rd battery of the 250th Missile Brigade, which shot down an F-117 Nighthawk near the village of Buđanovci on 27 March 1999, during the Kosovo War. The hit was achieved with a SA-3 Goa SAM system...
in order to detect stealth aircraft. It was also used to shoot down a NATO F-16 fighter on May 2 (its pilot; Lt. Col David Goldfein, the commander of 555th Fighter Squadron
555th Fighter Squadron
The 555th Fighter Squadron is part of the 31st Operations Group at Aviano Air Base, Italy. It operates F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting an air superiority mission.-Mission:...
, managed to eject and was later rescued by a combat search-and-rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
(CSAR) mission.
During the war, different Yugoslav SAM sites and possibly the SA-3 also shot down some NATO UAV
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
s.
However, apart from the two isolated successes achieved on two USAF strike aircraft, the Kosovo war demonstrated the obsolescence of these fixed SAM sites and its unreliability as part of an integrated air defence system: dozens of missiles were fired with only two aircraft downed, Despite the fact that the air defense systems are relocated on the newly created
firing positions by the Engineer Units, up to 80 percent of Yugoslav Fixed SA-3 sites were destroyed during the war and NATO strikers demolished most of the strategic infrastructure in Yugoslavia with limited challenge.
Description
The S-125 is somewhat mobile, an improvement over the S-75S-75 Dvina
The S-75 Dvina is a Soviet-designed, high-altitude, command guided, surface-to-air missile system...
system. The missiles are typically deployed on fixed turrets containing two or four but can be carried ready-to-fire on ZIL
Zavod Imeni Likhacheva
Zavod imeni Likhachova, more commonly called ZIL is a major Russian truck and heavy equipment manufacturer, which also produced armored cars for most Soviet leaders, as well as buses, armored fighting vehicles, and aerosani...
trucks in pairs. Reloading the fixed launchers takes a few minutes.
Missile
The S-125 system uses 2 different missiles versions. The V-600 (or 5V24) had the smallest warhead with only 60 kg of High-Explosive. It had a range of about 15 km.The later version is named V-601 (or 5V27). It has a length of 6.09 m, a wing span of 2.2 m and a body diameter of 0.375 m. This missile weighs 953 kg at launch, and has a 70 kg warhead containing 33 kg of HE and 4,500 fragments. The minimum range is 3.5 km, and the maximum is 35 km (with the Pechora 2A). The intercept altitudes are between 100 m and 18 km.
Radars
The launchers are accompanied by a command building or truck and three primary radarRadar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
systems:
- P-15 "Flat Face" or P-15M(2) "Squat Eye" 380 kW C-band target acquisition radar (also used by the SA-6SA-6 GainfulThe 2K12 "Kub" mobile surface-to-air missile system is a Soviet low to medium-level air defence system designed to protect ground forces from air attack. "2К12" is the GRAU designation of the system...
and SA-8, range 250 km/155 miles) - SNR-125 "Low Blow" 250 kW I/D-band tracking, fire controlFire-control radarA fire-control radar is a radar which is designed specifically to provide information to a fire-control system in order to calculate a firing solution...
and guidance radar (range 40 km/25 miles, second mode 80 km/50 miles) - PRV-11 "Side Net" E-band height finder (also used by SA-2, SA-4 and SA-5, range 28 km/17 miles, max height 32 km/105,000 ft)
"Flat Face"/"Squat Eye" is mounted on a van ("Squat Eye" on a taller mast for better performance against low-altitude targets also an IFF [Identifies Friend or Foe]), "Low Blow" on a trailer and "Side Net" on a box-bodied trailer.
Naval version
Parabolic antenna
A parabolic antenna is an antenna that uses a parabolic reflector, a curved surface with the cross-sectional shape of a parabola, to direct the radio waves. The most common form is shaped like a dish and is popularly called a dish antenna or parabolic dish...
s on a common head. Only one target can be engaged at a time (or two, for ships fitted with two Volna systems). In case of emergency, Volna could be also used against naval targets, due to short response time.
The first launcher type was the two-missile ZIF-101, with a magazine for 16 missiles. In 1963 an improved two-missile launcher, ZIF-102, with a magazine for 32 missiles, was introduced to new ship classes. In 1967 Volna systems were upgraded to Volna-M (SA-N-1B) with V-601 (4K91) missiles (range: 4–22 km, altitude: 0.1–14 km).
In 1974 - 1976 some systems were modernized to Volna-P standard, with an additional TV target tracking channel and better resistance to jamming. Later, improved V-601M missiles were introduced, with lower minimal attack altitude against aerial targets (system Volna-N).
Some Indian
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
frigates also carry the M-1 Volna system.
Modern upgrades
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
replaced most of its S-125 sites with SA-10 and SA-12 systems, they decided to upgrade the S-125 systems being removed from service to make them more attractive to export customers. Released in 2000, the Pechora-2 version features better range, multiple target engagement ability and a higher probability of kill
Probability of kill
Computer games, simulations, models, and operations research programs often require a mechanism to determine statistically whether the engagement between a weapon and a target resulted in a kill, or the probability of kill...
(PK). The launcher is moved onto a truck allowing much shorter relocation times. It is also possible to fire the Pechora-2M system against cruise missiles.
In 1999, a Russian-Belarusian financial-industrial consortium called Oboronitelnye Sistemy (Defense Systems
Defense Systems
-Overview:The company was formed on January 23, 1996 as a joint venture under a Russia-Belarus intergovernmental agreement. It consists of 38 subsidiaries in both countries...
) was awarded a contract to overhaul Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
's S-125 SAM system. These refurbished weapons have been reintroduced as the S-125 Pechora 2M.http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Unique_Surface_To_Air_Missile_Baffles_Foreign_Military_Diplomats_In_Egypt_999.html
In 2001, Poland began offering an upgrade to the S-125 known as the Newa SC. This replaced many analogue components with digital
Digital
A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
ones for improved reliability and accuracy. This upgrade also involves mounting the missile launcher on a T-55
T-55
The T-54 and T-55 tanks were a series of main battle tanks designed in the Soviet Union. The first T-54 prototype appeared in March 1945, just before the end of the Second World War. The T-54 entered full production in 1947 and became the main tank for armored units of the Soviet Army, armies of...
tank chassis (a TEL
Transporter erector launcher
A transporter erector launcher is a vehicle with an integrated prime mover that can carry, elevate to firing position and launch one or more missiles. Such vehicles exist for both surface-to-air missiles and surface-to-surface missiles...
), greatly improving mobility and also adds IFF
Identification friend or foe
In telecommunications, identification, friend or foe is an identification system designed for command and control. It is a system that enables military and national interrogation systems to identify aircraft, vehicles, or forces as friendly and to determine their bearing and range from the...
capability and data links. Radar is mounted on an 8-wheeled heavy truck chassis (formerly used for Scud
Scud
Scud is a series of tactical ballistic missiles developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and exported widely to other countries. The term comes from the NATO reporting name SS-1 Scud which was attached to the missile by Western intelligence agencies...
launchers).
Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n modifications include terminal/camera homing from radar base.
Later the same year, the Russian version was upgraded again to the Pechora-M which upgraded almost all aspects of the system - the rocket motor, radar, guidance, warhead
Warhead
The term warhead refers to the explosive material and detonator that is delivered by a missile, rocket, or torpedo.- Etymology :During the early development of naval torpedoes, they could be equipped with an inert payload that was intended for use during training, test firing and exercises. This...
, fuse
Fuse (explosives)
In an explosive, pyrotechnic device or military munition, a fuse is the part of the device that initiates function. In common usage, the word fuse is used indiscriminately...
and electronics. There is an added laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
/infra-red tracking device to allow launching of missiles without the use of the radar.
There is also a version of the S-125 available from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
with the warhead replaced with telemetry
Telemetry
Telemetry is a technology that allows measurements to be made at a distance, usually via radio wave transmission and reception of the information. The word is derived from Greek roots: tele = remote, and metron = measure...
instrumentation, for use as target drones.
In October, 2010, Ukrainian Aerotechnica announced a modernized version of S-125 named S-125-2D Pechora.
Operators