Munitions

9M33 Osa

The 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.

Profile

Origin
Soviet Union
Built by
Kirov Machine-Building Plant
Type
Surface-to-air missile family
Service note
Developed in the 1960s; adopted for land and naval use in 1972
Produced
Early 1970s-present?
Variants
9M33, 9M33M, 9M33M1, 9M33M2, 9M33M3

Specifications

Length
3.158 m
Weight
128 kg
Guidance
Command guidance using radio-frequency interface
Warhead
19 kg HE-fragmentation warhead with contact and radio proximity fuze
Propulsion
Single-stage solid propellant rocket motor
Range
2 km minimum; 9 km maximum
Altitude
50 m minimum over land; 25 m minimum over calm water; 60 m minimum over choppy water

Service And Conflict Use

Service History

In service
1972-present

Launch Platforms

The 9M33 family was built for the land-based 9K33 Osa and the naval Osa-M system.

PlatformTypeDocumented relationship
9K33 OsaSelf-propelled SAM systemWeaponSystems.net says the 9M33 missile was introduced on the land-based 9K33 Osa in 1972.

Launch Platforms

The 9M33 missile family was developed for the land-based 9K33 Osa and later naval Osa-M use.

LauncherLauncher typeLaunch evidence
9K33 OsaSelf-propelled SAM system

WeaponSystems.net says the 9M33 missile was introduced on the land-based 9K33 Osa in 1972, and the same family later received improved land and naval variants.

Sources: 9M33 Osa

9M33 Osa Images

Related Weapon Systems

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