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| General
information |
| The
SA-8 Gecko NATO code name (Russian name 9K33 OSA)
is a russian made highly mobile, low-altitude, short-range
tactical surface-to-air missile system. "9K33"
is its GRAU designation. The development programme
was protracted with major redesigns of both the
missile and launch platform required. Extensive
range testing of the Osa for the Land Forces was
conducted at a test range in Kazakhstan in 1965
where many of the faults of the original system
were discovered. The modified system was named Osa-M
with most of the individual systems having to be
redesigned and also many of the developing agencies
changed. The Russian Army accepted the OSA-M for
service in 1972. Series production of the system
began in 1971. The SA-8 Gecko is intended for defence
on troops on the march and in mobile combat, as
well as of strategic ground facilities against air
strikes delivered by manned or unmanned air vehicles
flying at low and medium altitudes. All versions
of the SA-8 Gecko feature all-in-one 9A33 transporter
erector launcher and radar(TELAR) vehicles which
can detect, track and engage aircraft independently
or with the aid of regimental surveillance radars.
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| Variants
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SA-8
Gecko: 9K33 "OSA" began development
in 1960 and was introduced in 1971-1972 with four
exposed 9M33 missiles per TELAR and a maximum range
of 12 km.
SA-N-4 Gecko: 9K33M "OSA-M"
was introduced in 1972 and is the naval version
of the system with two 9M33M missiles on a Zif-122
retractable rotating launcher and improved performance.
It has been installed on Kara class guided missile
cruisers, Kiev class VTOL cruisers and also the
Kirov, Slava and Krivak classes.
SA-8B Gecko Mod-0: 9K33M2 "OSA-AK"
was introduced in 1975 with the new six-missile
box launcher, each missile being a sealed round.
SA-8B Gecko Mod-1: 9K33M3 "OSA-AKM"
was introduced in 1980 with the maximum range extended
to 15 km and maximum altitude to 12 km as explained
above. Most OSA-AKM systems also feature an IFF
antenna.
Osa-AKM: upgraded version of the
SA-8B Gecko Mod-1
Poland and Czech Republic made local modification
of SA-8 Gecko. |
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 Back
to top |
| Armament
and radar |
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SA-8 Gecko is armed with 6 missiles ready
to fire, mounted on the roff of the vehicle.
Missile is tracked by radio-command guiding
system. Loading platform can carry from
2 to 6 guided missiles. The main fire-control
radar consists of an elliptical rotating
surveillance antenna mounted on top of the
array, operates in H band (6 to 8 GHz) and
has a 30 km acquisition range against most
targets. The large pulsed J band (14.5 GHz)
engagement antenna is mounted below it in
the centre of the array and has a maximum
tracking range of about 20 km. Mounted on
either side of the tracking radar antenna
is a small J band parabolic dish antenna
to track the missile. Below this is a small
circular antenna which emits an I band uplink
capture beam to gather the missile shortly
after launch. The final antennas in the
array are two small white rectangular ones,
one on either side of the array mounted
alongside the I band. These are used for
command uplink to the missile.
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| Protection |
| The
driver's compartment at the front of the
vehicle has accommodation for two, the driver
and commander, with access to it via a hatch
in the roof. There are no other entrance/exit
hatches apparent on the vehicle. |
| Propulsion |
The
SA-8 Gecko is a six-wheeled design designated
BAZ-5937. It is based on a number of earlier
six-wheeled all-terrain vehicles developed
by V A Grachev's design team at the Likhachev
Automobile Plant in Moscow. The SA-8 Gecko
is motorized with an 5D20 B-300 diesel engine
developing 300 hp at 2,000 rpm and one gas
turbine which is used as an auxiliary power
unit. The road range is about 500 km.
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| Accessories |
| The
SA-8 Gecko vehicle is fully amphibious,
being propelled in the water by two water-jets
at the rear of the hull. Before entering
the water, a trim vane, which is folded
back onto the glacis plate when not in use,
is erected at the front of the hull. The
vehicle is fitted with an air filtration
and overpressure NBC system together with
IR systems for the commander and driver.
SA-8 Gecko is air-portable in the Il-76
transport aircraft.
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| Combat
use |
Each
battery has four SA-8 SPU launcher vehicles
and two 9T217BM2 TZM reload vehicles each
with 12 reload rounds. The TZMs are supported
by 24 ZIL-131 (6 × 6) cargo trucks
used as missile transporter by the regimental
Transport Company. The maintenance and repair
unit uses the 9V242-1 automated mobile test
station, the 9V914-adjustment tower, the
9V210M3-maintenance vehicle, the 9F372M3
SPTA-2 vehicle and the 9F632M electronic
simulator for crew training.
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| Specifications |
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Armament |
Six
9A33 missiles ready to fire |
Country
users |
| Algeria,
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria,
Cuba, CVzech Republic, Ecuador, Georgia,
Greece, India, Jordan, Libya, Poland,
Romania, Russia, Syria, Turkmenistan,
Ukraine |
Launching
weight |
128
kg |
Missile
speed |
| 540m/sec
a |
Crew |
| 5
soldiers
a |
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Engagement
altitude |
25
to 5,000 m |
Engagement
range |
1,500
to 10,000 m
a
a
a |
Reload
time |
5
min. |
Radar |
Fire
control and tracking radar mounted to
the top of the vehicle. |
Dimensions |
Length,
9,14 m; Width, 2,8 m;
Height, 4,2 surveillance radar lowered |
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