Missile S-300PMU (SA-10 Grumble)

The S-300PMU is a modernized export variant of the Soviet-designed S-300 long-range surface-to-air missile system. Development of the PMU variant was completed in 1985. The system was derived from the S-300P series, which entered service in 1978 to defend against air raids and cruise missiles.

The system is fully automated, though manual observation and operation are possible. It utilizes a central command post that integrates data from targeting radars to filter false targets using both active and passive detection modes. The S-300PMU complex employs 5V55K and 5V55R missiles. Guidance is achieved through command guidance or terminal semi-active radar homing. The radar suite includes the 30N6 engagement radar, 76N6 low-altitude detection radar, and ST-68U 3D search radar. A 64N6 search radar is utilized at the regimental command level to coordinate multiple batteries.

The system can engage targets with a low radar cross-section and possesses a secondary capability to strike surface targets. Missiles are vertically launched using a cold-launch method, where the projectile is catapulted from the launch tube before the rocket motor ignites. Steering is controlled through a combination of fins and thrust vectoring vanes. Warheads are equipped with proximity and contact fuses, expelling metal fragments upon detonation. While the S-300PS and S-300PM variants are the only versions associated with potential nuclear warhead fitment, the PMU variant typically carries conventional high-explosive fragmentation warheads.

The system is widely deployed across Eastern Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Current and former operators include Russia, Ukraine, China, Iran, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Greece, Bulgaria, and Vietnam.

Combat use has been documented in several regional conflicts. During the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, both Armenia and Azerbaijan operated S-300 variants; Azerbaijan claimed the destruction of Armenian radar elements via unmanned combat aerial vehicles, while Armenia claimed the downing of several drones. In the Syrian Civil War, Russia deployed the system to protect naval and air bases. Syrian military officials later criticized the system's radar detection capabilities following regional air strikes. In 2022, a Russian-operated battery in Syria fired a missile at Israeli aircraft.

In the Russo-Ukrainian war, the S-300 forms a component of both nations' air defenses. Ukraine received an additional battery from Slovakia in 2022 to replace units lost in combat. Russian forces have also utilized the system in a ground-attack role, employing GPS guidance to strike stationary surface targets. A notable incident occurred in November 2022, when a stray missile fell in Poland. In 2024, Israeli airstrikes reportedly disabled Iranian S-300 batteries.

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