Missile S-125 (SA-3 Goa)

The S-125 was developed in the Soviet Union during the 1950s to complement existing air defense systems. It entered service in 1961, specifically intended to engage targets at lower altitudes and with higher maneuverability than its predecessors. The system was first deployed to protect Moscow before being exported and adapted for naval use.

The system utilizes a two-stage missile design powered by solid-fuel rocket motors. Guidance is provided via radio command. The S-125 is resistant to electronic countermeasures and is capable of engaging low-flying targets. Missile variants include the V-600 and the upgraded V-601, which carry high-explosive fragmentation warheads equipped with proximity fuses. The V-601 warhead is designed to produce several thousand fragments upon detonation. Fire control is managed through the SNR-125 tracking and guidance radar, supported by target acquisition radars. Modernized variants, such as the Pechora-2M and Newa SC, have transitioned from fixed or semi-mobile turrets to truck or tank chassis for increased mobility. These upgrades also introduced digital components, laser/infrared tracking devices, and enhanced anti-jamming capabilities. Some versions are utilized to engage cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.

The S-125 has been widely exported and remains in service with numerous nations across Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. It has seen extensive combat use in multiple theaters. During the War of Attrition and the Yom Kippur War, it formed a primary component of the Egyptian air defense network, where it was credited with downing multiple Israeli aircraft. In the 1980s, Angolan forces utilized the system against South African aircraft during the Angolan Civil War.

During the Gulf War, an Iraqi S-125 shot down a U.S. F-16 south of Baghdad. The system achieved the first recorded downing of a stealth aircraft when a Yugoslav unit struck a U.S. F-117 Nighthawk in 1999; a U.S. F-16 was also lost to the system during the same conflict. In 2015, a Syrian S-125 shot down a U.S. MQ-1 Predator drone. The system has also been employed in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, where both modernized Polish and Ukrainian variants have been documented. It is currently operated by countries including Egypt, Vietnam, Poland, and Serbia, among others. In naval service, the system was utilized by India on its destroyers until the early 21st century.