3M9 surface-to-air missile

The 3M9 surface-to-air missile is the Soviet semi-active radar-homing missile family used by the 2K12 Kub / SA-6 air-defense system. Czech Ministry of Defence data identifies the missile type as 3M9 KUB, while Weaponsystems.net describes the 3M9 as one of the first operational ramjet missiles and notes that each 2P25 launcher carries three ready missiles.

3M9 surface-to-air missile, Ramjet-powered surface-to-air missile carried and launched by the 2K12 Kub / SA-6 system, Munitions

Image source: 2P25 TEL with 3 3M9 missiles museum image

Profile

Origin: Soviet Union
Built by: VympelTikhomirov NIIP
Type: Ramjet-powered surface-to-air missile carried and launched by the 2K12 Kub / SA-6 system
Service note: Cold War missile family that entered service with the 2K12 Kub in 1967
Produced: 1967-1983
Variants: 3M9, 3M9M, 3M9M1, 3M9M3, 3M9M3E, 3M9M3K

SAM air defense munitions NATO

Specifications

Length: 5.8 metres
Launch weight: 600 kg
Diameter: 0.34 metre
Guidance: Semi-active radar homing
Propulsion: Double-stage pulse solid-fuel engine with ramjet sustainer
Warhead: 59 kg high-explosive fragmentation

Service And Conflict Use

Service History

In service: Fielded with the 2K12 Kub from 1967 and used on exported Kvadrat/Kub variants.
Used by: Soviet and former Warsaw Pact operators, Export customers

Launcher Compatibility

The 3M9 is documented as the missile carried and launched by the 2K12 Kub / SA-6 system.

Launcher	Missile type	Evidence
2K12 Kub / Kvadrat / SA-6 Gainful	Soviet medium-range surface-to-air missile system	Czech Ministry of Defence data lists the missile type as 3M9 KUB, and Weaponsystems.net describes the 2P25 launcher as carrying three 3M9 missiles.

3M9 surface-to-air missile Images

3M9 surface-to-air missile, Ramjet-powered surface-to-air missile carried and launched by the 2K12 Kub / SA-6 system, Munitions - view 1 — Source: 2P25 TEL with 3 3M9 missiles museum image

3M9 surface-to-air missile, Ramjet-powered surface-to-air missile carried and launched by the 2K12 Kub / SA-6 system, Munitions - view 2 — Source: ZiL-157V with two 3M9 missiles image

3M9 surface-to-air missile, Ramjet-powered surface-to-air missile carried and launched by the 2K12 Kub / SA-6 system, Munitions - view 3 — Source: 2P25 TEL with 3 3M9 missiles museum image

Related Weapon Systems

9M311 surface-to-air missile, Two-stage command-guided surface-to-air missile, Munitions

Munitions9M311 surface-to-air missileTwo-stage command-guided surface-to-air missileThe 9M311 is a Soviet two-stage surface-to-air missile family developed for the Tunguska short-range air-defense system. Sources describe it as a radio-command guided missile carried in a launch tube, with a booster stage that accelerates the missile to high speed before the sustaining section continues toward the target. The family is associated with the 2K22 Tunguska and related naval systems.

9M31M Strela-1M, Improved infrared-guided surface-to-air missile for the Strela-1M variant, Munitions

Munitions9M31M Strela-1MImproved infrared-guided surface-to-air missile for the Strela-1M variantThe 9M31M Strela-1M is the improved missile variant associated with the Soviet 9K31 Strela-1 family. Reference sources describe it as the Strela-1M / SA-9B Gaskin-Mod1 version, entering service in 1970 with improved seeker performance and extended range over the original 9M31.

9M33 Osa, Surface-to-air missile family, Munitions

Munitions9M33 OsaSurface-to-air missile familyThe 9M33 Osa is a Soviet short-range surface-to-air missile family developed for both the land-based 9K33 Osa and the naval Osa-M system. It is a command-guided missile family with early land-based and naval variants, later canistered and improved versions, and a compact design sized for self-propelled and shipborne point-defense launchers.

Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile, Ship self-defense missile, Munitions

MunitionsEvolved Sea Sparrow MissileShip self-defense missileThe Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile is a NATO-cooperative ship self-defense missile family built by Raytheon Missile Systems for surface combatants. U.S. Navy and RTX sources describe it as a medium-range radar-guided weapon for anti-ship cruise missiles, helicopters, and maneuvering surface threats, with Block 1 and Block 2 variants designed for VLS-equipped ships.

2K11 Krug / SA-4 Ganef, Tracked medium-range surface-to-air missile system, Air Defense

Air Defense2K11 Krug / SA-4 GanefTracked medium-range surface-to-air missile systemThe 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. In the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war it appeared on the Armenian and Artsakh side as legacy area air defense, but reporting from CSIS and Oryx shows it was vulnerable in a battlespace dominated by Azerbaijani UAVs and loitering munitions.

2K12 Kub / Kvadrat / SA-6 Gainful, Tracked medium-range surface-to-air missile system, Air Defense

Air Defense2K12 Kub / Kvadrat / SA-6 GainfulTracked medium-range surface-to-air missile systemThe 2K12 Kub, exported as Kvadrat and known to NATO as SA-6 Gainful, is a Soviet tracked medium-range surface-to-air missile system built around 3M9 missiles, 2P25 launch vehicles, and the 1S91 Straight Flush radar. In recent conflict archives it appears as a legacy medium-range air-defense system, including Syrian use during the 2018 missile strikes, Armenian use in Nagorno-Karabakh, and a Houthi SA-6/Kub-family engagement that downed a U.S. MQ-9 over Yemen in 2019.

Sources

2K12 M2 KUB - NATO code: SA-6 GAINFULPublisher: Ministry of Defence & Armed Forces of the Czech Republic | Note: Supports the 3M9 KUB missile designation and basic technical data including range, guidance, warhead, length, diameter, and weight. | Accessed: 2026-06-23 2K12 KubPublisher: Weaponsystems.net | Note: Supports background on the 3M9 missile family, ramjet propulsion, semi-active radar homing, system composition, and manufacturer/design context. | Accessed: 2026-06-23 2P25 TEL with 3 3M9 missiles museum imagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a public-domain photograph showing a 2P25 launcher with three 3M9 missiles. | Accessed: 2026-06-23 ZiL-157V with two 3M9 missiles imagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a public-domain photograph showing 3M9 missiles on a Kub transporter vehicle. | Accessed: 2026-06-23