Air Defense

2K11 Krug / SA-4 Ganef

The 2K11 Krug, NATO reporting name SA-4 Ganef, is a Soviet tracked medium-range surface-to-air missile system built around 2P24 launchers, 3M8-series missiles, and separate acquisition and guidance radars. Successive Krug-A, Krug-M, and Krug-M1 updates reduced the system's dead zone and improved parts of its engagement envelope. In the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict record, public evidence documents Armenian and Artsakh Krug equipment as legacy air defense and later as damaged, captured, or seized materiel rather than confirmed missile firings.

2K11 Krug / SA-4 Ganef, Tracked medium-range surface-to-air missile system, Air Defense
Image source: 2P24 Krug spb.jpg

Role in Conflicts

2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
Air DefenseCaptured, Seized & Recovered

Armenian and Artsakh forces had Soviet-era 2K11 Krug air-defense equipment in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war; CSIS identified Krug among Armenia's obsolete air-defense systems, Oryx documented damaged or captured Krug launcher and radar equipment, and Azerbaijani reporting later documented additional Krug equipment seized near Khojaly after the September 2023 offensive.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Soviet Union
Type
Tracked medium-range surface-to-air missile system
Service note
Cold War design retained in limited post-Soviet service
Designer
Lyulev OKB / NPO Novator
Designed
Development authorized in 1958; state testing 1963-1964; accepted into service in 1965
Produced
1960s-1970s

Specifications

Launcher
2P24 tracked transporter-erector-launcher with two ready missiles
Missile
3M8-series ramjet-powered surface-to-air missile
Maximum range
Baseline about 45 km; later Krug-A, Krug-M, and Krug-M1 envelopes are commonly listed around 50 km, with some Western summaries citing up to 55 km for later missiles
Engagement altitude
Baseline about 3-23.5 km; Krug-A lowered the minimum altitude to about 250 m, and Krug-M1 lowered it to about 150 m
Warhead
About 135-150 kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead depending on source and missile reference
Guidance
Radio-command guidance through the 1S32 Pat Hand guidance radar; public sources differ on planned or variant terminal-homing details
Battery components
Typically includes 2P24 launchers, 1S32 guidance radar, 1S12/P-40 acquisition radar, height-finder radar, and missile reload vehicles
Deployment time
Missilery lists about five minutes for deployment or closure
Combat vehicle missile load
Two 3M8-series missiles on each 2P24 launcher
Variants

Krug variant names describe successive Soviet system modernization packages, mainly reducing the engagement dead zone and later improving range, altitude, and tail-chase capability.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
2K11A Krug-AReduced dead-zone variant

Krug-A, adopted in 1967, reduced the close engagement boundary to about 9 km and the minimum target altitude to about 250 m.

Sources: 2K11 anti-aircraft missile system Krug, The Saving Circle: how the world's first self-propelled anti-aircraft missile system was created

2K11M Krug-MRange and altitude improvement

Krug-M, adopted in 1971, is listed with the far boundary increased to about 50 km and the upper engagement boundary to about 24.5 km.

Sources: 2K11 anti-aircraft missile system Krug

2K11M1 Krug-M1Close-range and low-altitude improvement

Krug-M1, adopted in 1974, reduced the close engagement boundary to roughly 6-7 km, lowered the minimum altitude to about 150 m, and added tail-chase engagement to about 20 km.

Sources: 2K11 anti-aircraft missile system Krug, The Saving Circle: how the world's first self-propelled anti-aircraft missile system was created

Carried Munitions

The 2K11 Krug launcher carried 3M8 missiles as part of the tracked surface-to-air missile system.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
3M8 anti-aircraft guided missile, Soviet ramjet-powered surface-to-air missile carried and launched by the 2K11 Krug system, Munitions3M8 anti-aircraft guided missileAnti-aircraft guided missile

The Krug 2P24 launcher was described as carrying two 3M8 anti-aircraft missiles, and the system documentation identifies 3M8 as the missile launched by the complex.

Sources: 2K11 Krug (SA-4 Ganef), 2K11 anti-aircraft missile system Krug, Legacy Air Defence System Vehicles

Timeline

2K11 Krug / SA-4 Ganef Key Events

  1. Mobile Krug work begins

    Soviet work began on a mobile, self-propelled army air-defense complex that became the 2K11 Krug.

    Sources: 2K11 anti-aircraft missile system Krug, The Saving Circle: how the world's first self-propelled anti-aircraft missile system was created

  2. Krug accepted into service

    TASS/VPK reporting says the 2K11 Krug was put into Soviet service by order of the USSR minister of defense.

    Sources: The Saving Circle: how the world's first self-propelled anti-aircraft missile system was created

  3. Krug-A reduces the dead zone

    The Krug-A modernization reduced the minimum range and minimum target altitude compared with the original Krug envelope.

    Sources: 2K11 anti-aircraft missile system Krug, The Saving Circle: how the world's first self-propelled anti-aircraft missile system was created

  4. Krug-M improves range and altitude

    Krug-M raised the listed far and upper boundaries of the system's engagement zone.

    Sources: 2K11 anti-aircraft missile system Krug

  5. Krug-M1 improves close engagements

    Krug-M1 lowered the close-range and low-altitude boundaries and added a limited tail-chase engagement capability.

    Sources: 2K11 anti-aircraft missile system Krug, The Saving Circle: how the world's first self-propelled anti-aircraft missile system was created

  6. Krug equipment reported seized near Khojaly

    APA, citing Azerbaijan's defense ministry, reported seizure of 1S32 radar equipment and several 2P24 launchers with 3M8 missiles from an abandoned Armenian position in the Khojaly region.

    Sources: Azerbaijani MoD: Air defense system was found in abandoned combat position in Karabakh region

Media

2K11 Krug / SA-4 Ganef Videos

2K11 Krug / SA-4 Ganef Images

2K11 Krug / SA-4 Ganef, Tracked medium-range surface-to-air missile system, Air Defense - view 1
Source: Krug surface-to-air missile complex.jpg
2K11 Krug / SA-4 Ganef, Tracked medium-range surface-to-air missile system, Air Defense - view 2
Source: 1S32 Pat Hand.JPG
2K11 Krug / SA-4 Ganef, Tracked medium-range surface-to-air missile system, Air Defense - view 3
Source: 2K11 Krug missiles, National Museum of Military History, Bulgaria.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
3M8 anti-aircraft guided missile, Soviet ramjet-powered surface-to-air missile carried and launched by the 2K11 Krug system, MunitionsMunitions3M8 anti-aircraft guided missileSoviet ramjet-powered surface-to-air missile carried and launched by the 2K11 Krug systemThe 3M8 is the large Soviet surface-to-air missile built for the 2K11 Krug / SA-4 Ganef tracked air-defense system. It combined four solid-fuel launch boosters with a kerosene ramjet sustainer, a heavy fragmentation warhead, and command-guidance integration with Krug radars and launchers. In the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict record, direct public evidence is limited to captured 3M8 missiles documented with abandoned Armenian Krug equipment after the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive.
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Tor-M2, Short-range surface-to-air missile system, Air DefenseAir DefenseTor-M2Short-range surface-to-air missile systemThe Tor-M2 is a Russian short-range, self-propelled surface-to-air missile system built to protect maneuver forces and fixed sites from aircraft, helicopters, drones, guided missiles, and other precision weapons. The 9A331M designation identifies the tracked Tor-M2 launcher/radar vehicle in the 9K332 family, while 9A332 appears in Tor-M2 reference material for launcher/radar vehicle configurations and the 9A331MU/9K331MU Tor-M1-2U or Tor-M2U branch is a closely related Russian-service upgrade usually handled inside the same Tor-M2 family boundary. In conflict records it appears as Russian mobile front-line air defense in Ukraine and as Armenian Tor-M2KM coverage during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.

Sources

2K11 Krug (SA-4 Ganef)Publisher: U.S. Army ODIN Worldwide Equipment Guide | Note: Supports system background, Soviet origin, role, launcher arrangement, radar dependence, and technical specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-04SA-4 Ganef 2K11 KrugPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports development chronology, manufacturer background, Armenian acquisition context, and specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-042K11 anti-aircraft missile system KrugPublisher: Missilery.info | Note: Supports Krug development history, system composition, variant chronology, engagement-envelope changes, launcher load, deployment time, and production responsibilities. | Accessed: 2026-07-04The Saving Circle: how the world's first self-propelled anti-aircraft missile system was createdPublisher: VPK.name / TASS | Note: Supports Krug development chronology, 1965 service acceptance, system architecture, 3M8 missile architecture, variant improvements, and manufacturer background. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Legacy Air Defence System VehiclesPublisher: Air Power Australia | Note: Supports legacy SAM-system context and the 2K11 / 3M8 / 9M8 / ZRK Krug / SA-4 Ganef relationship. | Accessed: 2026-07-04The Air and Missile War in Nagorno-KarabakhPublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: Supports 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict direct use: CSIS identified 2K11 Krug among Armenia's obsolete Soviet-era air-defense systems during the 2020 war. | Accessed: 2026-07-04The MRL From Hell: Armenia's Land MattressPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict direct use and sourcing limits: Oryx described several Krug systems as present in the 2020 war while noting no observed attempt to use them. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Documenting Equipment Losses During The 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh WarPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict direct use: Oryx documented Armenian / Artsakh 2K11 Krug launcher equipment and associated 1S32 Pat Hand radar equipment as damaged, destroyed, or captured. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Azerbaijani MoD: Air defense system was found in abandoned combat position in Karabakh regionPublisher: APA | Note: Supports 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict direct use: APA, citing Azerbaijan's defense ministry, reported seizure of 1S32 radar equipment and several 2P24 launchers with 3M8 missiles from an abandoned Armenian position near Khojaly after the September 2023 offensive. | Accessed: 2026-07-042P24 Krug spb.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the 2P24 launcher with two 3M8 missiles at the Saint Petersburg Artillery Museum. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Krug surface-to-air missile complex.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a 2P24 launcher with missiles on the territory of the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade. | Accessed: 2026-07-041S32 Pat Hand.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the 1S32 Pat Hand guidance radar associated with the SA-4 system. | Accessed: 2026-07-042K11 Krug missiles, National Museum of Military History, Bulgaria.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for 2K11 Krug missiles displayed at the National Museum of Military History, Bulgaria. | Accessed: 2026-07-04