SA-1 Guild
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The SA-1 Guild is the NATO reporting name for the S-25 Berkut (Russian С-25 "Беркут" - golden eagle) surface-to-air guided missile, the first operational SAM . It was used only to defend Moscow, while the more mobile SA-2 Guideline would be used in almost all other roles. Other names include the R-113 (?), B-200 (SAM targeting radar), A-11/A-12 (antennas for B-200), and V-300 (a SAM); S-25 is for Systema 25, referring to the system as a whole.
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History
Development of the S-25 was authorized on 9 August 1950 by a Decision of Ministry Soviet of the USSR and was appended by Stalin: We have to get the missile for air defense in a year. The system was assigned to design to SB-1 (Special Bureau №1).
The initial design included:
- "Kama" radar based rings (near ring - 25..30km from Moscow, far ring - 200..250km from Moscow) of early target detection. The 10cm A-100 "Kama" radar was desgined in NII-244 under the supervision of L.V.Leonov.
- Two rings of missile targeting radars B-200. B-200 was designed in SB-1 under the supervision of V.E.Magdesiev.
- SAMs V-300 deployed around B-200 radars. The V-300 was designed in OKB-301 of S.A.Lavochkin. The launchers were designed in GSKB MMP of V.P.Barmin.
- Interceptor aircraft G-400. These were Tu-4 with G-300 (izdelie 210, downsized version of V-300 with aerial launch) missiles.
- Probably, Tu-4 based AWACS aircraft D-500.
The implementation was assinged to the Third Main Agency (specially created) of the Ministry Soviet of the USSR. SB-1 was converted to KB-1 (Design Bureau №1) headed by P.N.Kuksenko and S.L.Beria. Some captured german specialists were concentrated in department №38 of KB-1.
Test range trials of the first experimental system were conducted in January 1952. These tests have lead to removal of air based components of the Berkut system (G-400/G-300 and G-500).
The construction of ground ifrastructure (design by Moscow division of Lengiprostroy, V.I.Rechkin) was done in 1953..1955 at 50km and 90km ranges from Moscow. There were about 2000km of roads built by prisoners of GULAG.
After the death of I.V.Stalin and arrest of L.P.Beria (the father of S.L.Beria) in June 1953, the KB-1 was reorganized and headed by Raspletin. The Third Main Agency was converted to Glavspetsmash and included into the Ministry of Medium Machine Building. The name Berkut was changed to Systema 25.
The first combat elements of S-25 were delivered to the forces in 1954. In March 1954 most sites were under setup and tuning. The final tests were completed in the beginning of 1955. The first body of troops have entered service by the Decision of the Ministry Soviet of the USSR of 7 May 1955. The system entered combat duty in June 1956. The system was capable to shoot at 1000 target with 3 missiles at each.
After the system have entered service some parts of Glavspetsmash (Glavspetsmontazh and Glavspetsmash) were disbanded, the KB-1 was transferred to the Ministry of Defense Industries.
In order to utilize the S-25 system, there was Separate Army of Special Purposes of Air Defense Forces of the Land created in Moscow district of Air Defense under the command of general-colonel K.Kazakov in the spring of 1955.
There were a number of improvements to the initial design during the exploitation of S-25. The latest modernized S-25M was retired in 1982 and replaced with S-300P air defense complexes.
- Strange (western?) story:
- Development of the S-25 was started at the Lavochkin OKB in 1951, expressly indended to defend Moscow from bomber attack. The system developed quickly, and was ready for initial operation in 1954. By the late 1950s 56 sites had been deployed in two rings around Moscow, the inner ring of 22 some 40 km from the city center, and the other 34 sites 90 km out. Each site contained about 60 launch platforms, for a total deployment of over 3000 missiles.
Surface-to-air Missile Complex S-25
The parts of the S-25 were designed in parallel. Some grounds were created at the Kapustin Yar test range to support the development of S-25:
- №30 - technical position to prepare missiles
- №31 - living rooms of servicemen
- №32 - V-300 launcher
- №33 - B-200 radar
The first tests of S-25 in full control mode were started 2 November 1952 (using radar-simulated target). The tests against parachute targets were done in the beginning of 1953. Tu-4 drones were under fire since 26 Aipril to 18 May 1953. There were 81 launch during trials since 18 September 1952 to 18 May 1953. Additional tests were done in Spetember-October of 1953 against Il-28 and Tu-4 drones.
The decision of the government to build a full scale S-25 complex at the Kapustin Yar was taken in January 1954. The complex was sampled for the State Trials 25 June 1954. The State Trials were conducted since 1 October 1954 to 1 April 1955 and included 69 launches at unmanned Il-28 and Tu-4 (including simultaneous launch of 20 missiles at 20 targets).
The comples was capable to fire at 20 targets with 1 or 2 missiles simultaneously having up to 60 missiles ready to launch. The startup time was 5 minutes (for 18 target channels).
There were manufactured and deployed 56 serial complexes S-25 around the Moscow, plus one serial and one experimental were deployed at Kapustin Yar test range.
Missile Targeting Radar B-200
Each site was equipped with a B-200 guidance system, including a track-while-scan radar (designated Yo-Yo by US intelligence). The system also incorporated fire control equipment which enabled each site to engage as many as 10 targets simultaneously, each with two missiles.
The B-200 radar prototype was tested in the middle of 1950.
Surface-to-air Missile V-300
The first V-300 missile was fired 25 July 1951 at the Kapustin Yar test range.
The missile, which went by a variety of names depending on the version, used a single liquid-fueled rocket motor. Although its maximum speed was on the order of Mach 2.5, it had a low initial velocity which limited its engagement capability against supersonic targets. Its maximum intercept range varied depending upon the approach and type of target; against a directly incoming, high-flying B-52 its range was on the order of 30 km. The missile carried a huge warhead of 200-320 kg (450-700 pounds), and its lethal radius was estimated to be 20-35 m (65-120 feet). It was believed to be capable of interceptions from a minimum altitude of 900 m (3,000 feet) up to 18,000 m (60,000 feet), with some additional capability up to about 24,000 m (80,000 feet), particularly if equipped with a nuclear warhead.