Air Defense

S-300

Also known as
  • Favorit
  • S-300PMU
  • S-300 PMU
  • S-300PMU-1
  • S-300PMU-2 Favorit
  • SA-10 Grumble
  • SA-10C Grumble C
  • SA-20 Gargoyle
  • SA-20B Gargoyle B
  • SA-12 Gladiator/Giant

The S-300 is a Soviet-designed long-range surface-to-air missile family spanning early P-series air-defense systems, export S-300PMU upgrades, and the tracked S-300V branch. Ukraine has relied on legacy S-300 batteries for area air defense, received Slovakia's S-300PMU in 2022, Russia has fired S-300 missiles at Ukrainian ground targets, and Iran fields S-300PMU-2 batteries around strategic sites.

S-300, Long-range surface-to-air missile system, Air Defense
Image source: UA S-300 firing.jpg

Role in Conflicts

2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
Role in conflict
Long-range air defense of Nagorno-Karabakh

Fielded by Armenian/Artsakh forces as long-range air defense during the 2020 war; IRSEM identifies an S-300PS battery in Nagorno-Karabakh, and CSIS reported Azerbaijani UAV and loitering-munition strikes against Armenian S-300 launchers, guidance stations, and radar.

2020 United States-Iran Conflict
Side
Iran
Role in conflict
Long-range air defense of strategic sites

Fielded by Iran as part of its layered air-defense network during Operation Epic Fury; reporting identifies Iranian S-300/S-300PMU-2 batteries protecting Tehran and major nuclear facilities against U.S. and partner air operations.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Soviet Union / Russia; Slovak S-300PMU donor transfer to Ukraine
Type
Long-range surface-to-air missile system
Service note
Cold War design still in wartime service
Designer
Almaz Central Design Bureau
Designed
Development began in 1967 for the S-300P family
Produced
S-300P family production began in the 1970s; later variants and refurbished export systems followed

Specifications

Role
Mobile, ground-based long-range SAM family for area air defense and selected missile-defense tasks
Missiles
5V55K, 5V55R, 48N6, 48N6E2 and other family missiles depending on variant
Range
S-300P sources cite up to 150 km with 48N6; S-300PMU-2 references cite up to 200 km with 48N6E2
S-300PMU configuration
Mobile export P-series branch using four-round launcher vehicles and Flap Lid-family engagement radar support
S-300PMU-2 components
Favorit references list 83M6E2 command-and-control elements, 30N6E2 illumination and guidance radar, 5P85SE/5P85TE launchers, and 48N6E2/48N6E missile options
Warhead
High-explosive fragmentation warheads, about 133-143 kg on S-300P missile types cited by CSIS
Launcher
9P85-series TELs typically carry four ready-to-fire missile canisters
Mobility
Mobile ground system using truck, trailer, or tracked launch vehicles depending on branch
System components
Launcher vehicles operate with command posts and acquisition/engagement radars rather than as standalone launchers
Family Architecture

S-300 is best treated as a family name: conflict reporting often uses the umbrella designation while technical sources separate launcher, missile, and radar configurations by branch.

BranchTypical identityConflict relevance
S-300P / S-300PSRoad-mobile long-range SAM line using 5V55 and later missile optionsLegacy P-series systems appear in Ukraine and Nagorno-Karabakh conflict-use reporting.
S-300PMU / PMU-1 / PMU-2Export and upgraded P-series configurations, including the PMU-2 Favorit and 48N6E2 missile fitSlovakia's transferred Ukrainian system is identified as S-300PMU, while Iranian service reporting identifies S-300PMU-2 batteries around strategic sites.
S-300VTracked army air-defense branch with stronger anti-ballistic-missile emphasisBranch identification should be kept separate unless a source names S-300V directly.

Sources: S-300; FAS S-300PMU SA-10 Grumble; Rosoboronexport Favorit Brochure; Slovakia's Donated S-300 Surface-To-Air Missile System Is On Its Way; RETEX - 44 Days over Nagorno-Karabakh; Operation Epic Fury -- Air Campaign.

Variants

S-300 is a family designation rather than one fixed launcher. Open sources commonly separate the original P-series air-defense line, the export PMU upgrades, and the tracked S-300V branch with different missiles, launchers, and tactical roles.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
S-300POriginal PVO long-range SAM line

Baseline S-300P family member associated with 5V55 and later 48N6 missile options in open missile references.

Sources: S-300

S-300PSMobile P-series system

A road-mobile P-series configuration; IRSEM identifies an S-300PS battery in Nagorno-Karabakh before the 2020 war.

Sources: S-300, RETEX - 44 Days over Nagorno-Karabakh

S-300PMUExport P-series configuration

Export-oriented P-series designation associated with a mobile battery architecture, four-round TEL vehicles, 30N6/Flap Lid engagement radar, Clam Shell low-altitude radar support, and 5V55 missile options in open references.

Sources: S-300, FAS S-300PMU SA-10 Grumble, Slovakia's Donated S-300 Surface-To-Air Missile System Is On Its Way

S-300PMU-1Improved export configuration

Intermediate export upgrade in the PMU line; FAS describes it as an extended-range S-300PMU development with limited anti-ballistic-missile capability and 48N6-family missile options.

Sources: S-300, FAS S-300PMU SA-10 Grumble

S-300PMU-2 FavoritLonger-range export configuration

PMU-2 references cite 48N6E2 missiles, 30N6E2 illumination-and-guidance radar, 83M6E2 command-and-control elements, and engagement ranges up to 200 km; Iranian conflict-context sources identify S-300PMU-2 batteries around strategic sites.

Sources: FAS S-300PMU SA-10 Grumble, Rosoboronexport Favorit Brochure, S-300 PMU2 SA-20B Gargoyle B, Operation Epic Fury -- Air Campaign

S-300VTracked army air-defense branch

Tracked S-300 branch developed for army air defense with a stronger anti-ballistic-missile emphasis than the P-series air-defense systems.

Sources: S-300

System Components

S-300-family batteries combine launchers, engagement radars, command vehicles, and missile canisters; these cataloged component pages cover parts of that architecture.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
30N6 engagement radar, S-300-family engagement and missile-guidance radar, Air Defense30N6 engagement radarEngagement radar

30N6-family radars provide target tracking, illumination, and missile-guidance functions across S-300P, PMU, PMU-1, and PMU-2 references.

Sources: FAS S-300PMU SA-10 Grumble, Rosoboronexport Favorit Brochure

5P85S TEL, S-300PS master transporter-erector-launcher, Air Defense5P85S TELS-300PS master TEL

The 5P85S is the command-capable launcher in the S-300PS and early PMU launcher group, controlling dependent launchers inside the battery architecture.

Sources: Air Power Australia S-300P TEL Vehicles

5P85D TEL, S-300PS slave transporter-erector-launcher, Air Defense5P85D TELS-300PS dependent TEL

The 5P85D adds ready missiles to the S-300PS launcher group while relying on the 5P85S master launcher and battery radar/control assets.

Sources: Air Power Australia S-300P TEL Vehicles

5P85SM TEL, S-300PM-series self-propelled transporter-erector-launcher, Air Defense5P85SM TELS-300PM-family TEL

The 5P85SM belongs to the later S-300PM/PMU-1 launcher generation using 48N6-family missiles and PM-series radar/control architecture.

Sources: Air Power Australia S-300P TEL Vehicles, Rosoboronexport Favorit Brochure

Timeline

S-300 Key Events

  1. S-300P development begins

    Almaz began work on the S-300P family during the Cold War, creating the basis for the later road-mobile P-series and export PMU systems.

    Sources: S-300

  2. S-300P enters Soviet service

    Open missile references place S-300P service entry in the late 1970s, before later mobile and export configurations expanded the family.

    Sources: S-300

  3. S-300PMU export branch takes shape

    Open technical references describe the mobile S-300PMU as a mid-1980s export-oriented P-series branch using four-round launcher vehicles and Flap Lid-family engagement radar support.

    Sources: FAS S-300PMU SA-10 Grumble

  4. S-300PS appears in Nagorno-Karabakh war reporting

    During the 2020 war, Armenian/Artsakh S-300 air-defense equipment became a high-value target for Azerbaijani UAV and loitering-munition attacks.

    Sources: The Air and Missile War in Nagorno-Karabakh, RETEX - 44 Days over Nagorno-Karabakh

  5. Slovakia transfers S-300PMU to Ukraine

    Slovakia announced that it supplied its S-300 air-defense system to Ukraine; SIPRI transfer data and specialist reporting identify the donated system as one S-300PMU with associated 5V55U missiles.

    Sources: Slovakia to Supply S-300 Air Defense System to Ukraine, SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, Slovakia's Donated S-300 Surface-To-Air Missile System Is On Its Way

  6. Russian forces fire S-300 missiles over Syria

    Israel's defense minister confirmed that Russian forces fired S-300 missiles at Israeli aircraft after a strike near Masyaf, a rare public confirmation of S-300 launch activity in Syria.

    Sources: Russia Fired S-300 at Israeli Jets over Syria

  7. Russia uses S-300 missiles against Ukrainian ground targets

    Ukrainian officials and defense reporting documented Russian S-300 missiles being fired in a land-attack role, outside the system's normal surface-to-air mission.

    Sources: Russia Now Firing S-300 Surface-To-Air Missiles At Land Targets In Ukraine

Media

S-300 Videos

S-300 Images

S-300, Long-range surface-to-air missile system, Air Defense - view 1
Source: Russian surface-to-air missile system S-300 PMU2 Favorit.jpg
S-300, Long-range surface-to-air missile system, Air Defense - view 2
Source: Iran S-300PMU-2 launcher.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
30N6 engagement radar, S-300-family engagement and missile-guidance radar, Air DefenseAir Defense30N6 engagement radarS-300-family engagement and missile-guidance radarThe 30N6 is the S-300P-family engagement radar lineage known by NATO as Flap Lid and, on later export configurations, Tomb Stone. The 5N63S Flap Lid B branch is the self-propelled S-300PS-era configuration, giving S-300P, S-300PS, S-300PMU, and S-300PMU-2 batteries target tracking, illumination, and missile-guidance functions rather than serving as a standalone weapon. Direct conflict records place Flap Lid-family radars in Ukraine and Nagorno-Karabakh losses, and satellite-based analysis identified a 30N6/30N6E radar as the probable S-300 component hit near Isfahan in April 2024.
9S32M1 missile guidance radar, Tracked missile guidance radar, Air DefenseAir Defense9S32M1 missile guidance radarTracked missile guidance radarThe 9S32M1 is a tracked multi-channel missile guidance radar in the S-300V air-defense family, descended from the 9S32 engagement-radar line used at battery level. It tracks assigned targets, coordinates with S-300V launch vehicles and command elements, and provides the radar channel needed to guide missiles against aircraft, cruise missiles, drones, and selected ballistic threats. Ukrainian reporting in January 2026 documented a Russian 9S32M1 being struck in Donetsk region during the Russia-Ukraine War.
Iranian integrated air-defense system, Integrated air-defense network, Air DefenseAir DefenseIranian integrated air-defense systemIntegrated air-defense networkThe Iranian integrated air-defense system is the national command, radar, and surface-to-air missile network used to defend Iranian airspace and strategic sites. It combines the Khatam al-Anbiya command structure, domestic systems such as Bavar-373 and Khordad-family SAMs, imported Russian S-300 batteries, and older Soviet or Russian equipment. Recent Israel-Iran and United States-Iran conflict reporting treats the network as a fielded but heavily pressured air-defense layer whose radars, command sites, and long-range batteries became major suppression targets.
76N6 Clam Shell, S-300-family low-altitude acquisition radar, Air DefenseAir Defense76N6 Clam ShellS-300-family low-altitude acquisition radarThe 76N6 Clam Shell is a Soviet/Russian S-300-family low-altitude acquisition radar built to find small, low-flying targets such as cruise missiles and terrain-following aircraft. It supplements the S-300 battery's wider search and fire-control radars by improving coverage near the radar horizon, often from a 40V6M or 40V6MD mast. Direct Ukraine-war evidence identifies Clam Shell-family equipment in Slovakia's S-300PMU transfer to Ukraine and a 76N6 radar destroyed with Russian S-300 equipment at Voronezh in August 2025.
S-125 Neva/Pechora / SA-3 Goa, Short- to medium-range surface-to-air missile system, Air DefenseAir DefenseS-125 Neva/Pechora / SA-3 GoaShort- to medium-range surface-to-air missile systemThe S-125 Neva/Pechora, known to NATO as SA-3 Goa, is a Soviet command-guided surface-to-air missile system built to cover lower-altitude targets than earlier S-75 batteries. The family combines 5V24/V-600 or 5V27/V-601 missiles, SNR-125 Low Blow engagement radar, and twin- or four-rail launchers, with later Pechora upgrades adding mobile chassis, digital electronics, and optical tracking. Cataloged use spans Egyptian and Iraqi air-defense service, Yugoslav S-125 combat in Operation Allied Force, Syrian and Houthi-aligned legacy sites, Azerbaijani Pechora-2TM use, Ukrainian Newa-SC service, and Indian Pechora employment during Operation Sindoor.

Sources

S-300Publisher: CSIS Missile Threat | Note: Supports S-300 family background, origin, service status, role, missile types, launchers, variants, development timeline, and core S-300P specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-30S-300 PMU2 SA-20B Gargoyle BPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports additional open-source S-300PMU2 variant specifications, including range, launcher, missile, radar, and guidance details. | Accessed: 2026-06-30FAS S-300PMU SA-10 GrumblePublisher: Federation of American Scientists | Note: Supports S-300PMU and S-300PMU-1/2 family background, mobile battery architecture, Flap Lid / Clam Shell / Big Bird radar context, four-canister launcher details, missile options, and PMU-2 range and missile distinctions. | Accessed: 2026-07-07Rosoboronexport Favorit BrochurePublisher: Rosoboronexport | Note: Supports S-300PMU-2 Favorit component and performance context, including 83M6E2 command-and-control, 30N6E2 illumination-and-guidance radar, 5P85SE/5P85TE launcher options, 48N6E2 missile options, and advertised engagement ranges. | Accessed: 2026-07-07Air Power Australia S-300P TEL VehiclesPublisher: Air Power Australia | Note: Supports S-300P/PMU-family TEL distinctions, including 5P85S and 5P85D master/dependent launcher roles, later 5P85SM/5P85SE-family context, and launcher architecture relationships. | Accessed: 2026-07-07SIPRI Arms Transfers DatabasePublisher: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct transferred to Ukraine context through the repository's SIPRI-derived Ukraine transfer export, which lists Slovakia delivering one S-300PMU surface-to-air missile system and 45 5V55U missiles for the S-300PMU system in 2022. | Accessed: 2026-07-07Slovakia to Supply S-300 Air Defense System to UkrainePublisher: U.S. Department of Defense | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct supplied to Ukraine context for Slovakia supplying an S-300 air defense system in April 2022. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Slovakia's Donated S-300 Surface-To-Air Missile System Is On Its WayPublisher: The War Zone | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct supplied to Ukraine context by identifying Slovakia's April 2022 donated system as its Soviet-era S-300PMU and connecting the transfer to Ukrainian air-defense needs. | Accessed: 2026-07-07Russia Now Firing S-300 Surface-To-Air Missiles At Land Targets In UkrainePublisher: The War Zone | Note: Supports 2014 Russia-Ukraine War direct used by Russia and Ukraine context, including Russian S-300 missiles fired at Ukrainian ground targets. | Accessed: 2026-06-30The Air and Missile War in Nagorno-KarabakhPublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: Supports 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict direct fielded by Armenia / Artsakh context for S-300 air defenses targeted by Azerbaijani UAVs and loitering munitions. | Accessed: 2026-06-30RETEX - 44 Days over Nagorno-KarabakhPublisher: Institut de recherche strategique de l'Ecole militaire | Note: Supports 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict direct fielded by Armenia / Artsakh context for an S-300PS surface-to-air battery installed in Nagorno-Karabakh before the 2020 war. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Russia Fired S-300 at Israeli Jets over SyriaPublisher: The Times of Israel | Note: Supports 2011 Syrian Civil War direct used by Syrian government and allies context for Russian forces firing S-300 missiles over Syria after a May 2022 strike near Masyaf. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Epic Fury Reveals Vulnerabilities in the Axis Behind IranPublisher: Jewish Institute for National Security of America | Note: Supports 2020 United States-Iran Conflict direct fielded by Iran context for S-300 air defenses employed by Iran against U.S. and partner air operations during Operation Epic Fury. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Operation Epic Fury -- Air CampaignPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports 2020 United States-Iran Conflict direct fielded by Iran context for Iranian S-300PMU-2 battalions deployed around Tehran and major nuclear facilities during the Operation Epic Fury air campaign. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Iran Deploys S-300 Air Defense Around Nuclear SitePublisher: Voice of America | Note: Supports background on Iran deploying a Russian-made S-300 air-defense system around the Fordow nuclear facility after Russian deliveries resumed. | Accessed: 2026-06-30UA S-300 firing.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a Ukrainian S-300 launch image attributed to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and listed under CC BY 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Russian surface-to-air missile system S-300 PMU2 Favorit.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for an S-300PMU2 Favorit image from MAKS 2011, credited to Andrey Korchagin and listed under CC BY-SA 2.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-30Iran S-300PMU-2 launcher.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for an Iranian S-300PMU-2 launcher image from Tasnim News Agency, listed under CC BY 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-30