Search and identification of first-generation air defense missile systems on satellite images
Anti-aircraft missile First-generation systems are easily identified on satellite imagery due to a number of design features. This is primarily due to their significant size, large number of components, low mobility, and dependence on supporting infrastructure.
The first American MIM-3 Nike Ajax target air defense missile systems, with liquid-propellant rockets fueled by toxic aniline and concentrated nitric acid, were deployed at permanent positions with fixed launchers, reinforced concrete shelters, missile storage facilities, and other structures.
The MIM-14 Nike Hercules SAM systems with solid-fuel SAMs, which replaced the MIM-3 Nike Ajax in serial production and in firing positions, were initially also purely stationary, but in the 1960s, modifications appeared that could be relocated and used for short periods in field conditions.
For the Soviet multi-channel S-25 "Berkut" air defense missile systems, which were in use until the early 1980s, fundamental stationary structures were built, which were later partially used during the deployment of the S-300P air defense missile system.
The long-range, multi-channel Dal air defense missile system, developed at OKB-301 under the direction of S. A. Lavochkin, was also intended to be purely stationary. Even before testing for the system, which was never accepted into service, military construction crews had already constructed launch pads, missile storage facilities, command bunkers, and personnel shelters around Leningrad.
Google Earth satellite image of an abandoned Dal air defense missile system site near the Rzhev Test Site in the Leningrad Region. The image was taken in September 2024.
After the death of the general designer, development of the Dal anti-aircraft system ceased, and the already constructed launch sites were abandoned, and everything around them eventually became overgrown with forest and bushes.
Subsequently, all medium- and long-range air defense missile systems developed in the USSR, USA, and Great Britain had a certain degree of mobility and could be deployed in the field if necessary. However, in most cases, the systems Defense They carried out combat duty at well-equipped fixed positions, which had the appropriate infrastructure for the preparation and storage of anti-aircraft missiles, living quarters and shelters for crews, command bunkers and an autonomous power supply.
Search and identification of the MIM-23 Hawk air defense missile system on satellite images
Of the first-generation American target-based air defense systems, only the MIM-23 Hawk remains in service, or more precisely, its improved variants: the Improved Hawk, HAWK PIP IIIR, Hawk XXI, and Hawk Type III. Until recently, these air defense systems were in service in Greece, Egypt, Spain, Turkey, Romania, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and Ukraine.
The Hawk system's primary firing unit is a two-platoon anti-aircraft battery. Each platoon has a target illumination radar and three launchers, each with three surface-to-air missiles. The first platoon houses the target illumination and guidance radar, the data processing center, and the battery command post, while the second platoon houses the control post and the target illumination and guidance radar.
MIM-23 I-Hawk air defense missile launcher with anti-aircraft missiles
Hawk air defense missile systems of all modifications are easily identified by their launchers, each with three missiles resembling darts, and the distinctive arrangement of their firing positions. Typically, a firing position contains three to six separate towed launchers.
Google Earth satellite image showing the position of a Greek MIM-23 I-Hawk air defense system near the town of Kimi on the east coast of Euboea. The image was taken in May 2024.
In 2025, only Greek, Romanian and Japanese Hawks were on permanent combat duty in the same positions.
Google Earth satellite image of a Hawk Type III air defense system in a Tokyo suburb. The image was taken in February 2008.
Although the Japanese Hawk Type III air defense systems are superior to the Improved Hawk systems of the mid-1980s in terms of jamming immunity and the ability to combat low-altitude targets, they are currently being decommissioned and replaced by mobile multi-channel air defense systems of Japanese manufacture.
A Google Earth satellite image shows components of a Hawk Type III air defense system at a storage facility in a Tokyo suburb. The image was taken in November 2024.
Several Hawk Type III batteries remained on Hokkaido Island near Chitose City as of 2025.
Google Earth satellite image showing the position and components of a Hawk Type III air defense system near Chitose City. The image was taken in July 2025.
To protect the anti-aircraft missiles and launchers from adverse weather conditions, they are covered with waterproof spherical awnings that fold up quickly when the system is put into combat readiness.
Open sources state that the 7th Armored Division's air defense is provided, in addition to separate battalions equipped with Type 87 ZSUs and Type 81 Kai short-range SAMs, by an anti-aircraft missile regiment, which includes two battalions of Hawk Type III SAMs and a battalion of Patriot PAC-3 SAMs.
A Google Earth satellite image shows a Hawk Type III air defense missile launcher among other military equipment at the 7th Armored Division's training center in Chitose. The image was taken in July 2025.
Satellite images of a military base located in the suburb of Chitose revealed a Hawk Type III towed launcher with three missiles among other military equipment on a site near a training center.
According to reference data, the Romanian Air Force command has eight batteries of HAWK PIP IIIR air defense systems, purchased from the Netherlands in 2004.
Google Earth satellite image of a Romanian HAWK PIP IIIR air defense system at a former S-75M3 site northeast of Bucharest. The image was taken in October 2024.
Four HAWK PIP IIIR batteries are deployed at former S-75M3 sites and in the vicinity of airbases. The remainder are in reserve and are not on permanent alert. The launchers of the Romanian systems, like those in Japan, are covered by domed tents when on alert.
After the conclusion of the Camp David Accords and the peace treaty with Israel, American supplies began to flow into Egypt. weapon, and in addition to the Soviet-made S-75 and S-125 air defense systems available in the country, more than ten MIM-23B I-Hawk batteries were deployed.
Google Earth satellite image of an Egyptian MIM-23B I-Hawk air defense system in the desert west of Ismailia. The image was taken in May 2025.
Apparently, Egypt lacks quality missiles for the Advanced Hawk air defense system, which is why some launchers only have 1-2 missiles.
Iran, using the Improved Hawk missile systems acquired from the United States in the 1970s, developed its own air defense systems, both self-propelled on all-terrain truck chassis and with towed launchers. Approximately 15 years ago, production of the Qader (Mersad-16) air defense system began, all components of which are self-propelled. This system uses new, extended-range missiles that, unlike the MIM-23B, have folding wings, allowing them to be launched from sealed launchers.
A tarpaulin can be stretched over the transport and launch containers, making the self-propelled launcher difficult to distinguish from a regular truck.
Google Earth satellite image showing elements of the Qader air defense system on the southern outskirts of Tehran. The image was taken in June 2022.
Also, since the mid-1990s, Iranian copies of the I-Hawk air defense system, known under the general name Mersad, have been deployed around important Iranian defense and administrative-industrial facilities.
Initially, these systems used Shahin SAMs, copied from the MIM-23B. However, in the 21st century, the Shalamcheh missile was added to the arsenal, which, compared to the Shahin SAM, offers improved jamming resistance and a higher kill probability. Externally, the new missile is no different from the previous American and Iranian I-Hawk missiles.
Google Earth satellite image showing the position of a Mersad air defense system in the southern suburbs of Tehran. The image was taken in September 2024.
Iran had deployed approximately fifteen Mersad and Qader air defense systems, and, apparently, after the well-known events of June 2025, their number was significantly reduced.
Search and identification of S-75 anti-aircraft missile systems on satellite images
As mentioned above, Soviet-made S-75, S-125, and S-200 SAM systems had the ability to change firing positions. However, the mobility of SAM battalions armed with S-75 and S-125 systems was extremely limited, as the tractors and wheeled trailers with vans, antenna posts, and launchers, as well as the transporter-loader vehicles with SAMs, were unable to move over soft ground. Furthermore, the battalions were tied to technical positions where the missiles were loaded and serviced. Therefore, first-generation S-75 and S-125 SAM systems were, in most cases, constantly on combat alert at the same well-established positions, the coordinates of which were well known, and the systems themselves were easily identified by their distinctive external features.
S-75M3 air defense missile system launchers at a firing position
A standard "seventy-five" firing position typically carries six missiles on its launchers, ready for combat. Each missile is over 11 meters long and weighs approximately 2300 kg when loaded. Up to 18 more SAMs can be stored on transporter-loader vehicles, and approximately the same number of spare missiles are intended to be stored in storage. The launchers, partially protected by a berm or concrete, are located 50–75 meters from the missile guidance station. Roads for the transporter-loader vehicles are laid between the launchers.
Google Earth satellite image showing the position of an Egyptian S-75 air defense system on the northern outskirts of Suez. The image was taken in August 2025.
However, this arrangement isn't always followed, and various variations are possible. For example, on the coast, launchers were positioned to control a specific sector.
Google Earth satellite image: the position of a Romanian S-75M3 air defense system on the Black Sea coast near Constanta. There are no missiles on the launchers. The image was taken in March 2021.
The number of launchers could vary up or down depending on local conditions, and in field conditions could be located taking into account the landscape.
Google Earth satellite image: position of a Romanian S-75M3 air defense system south of Bucharest. No anti-aircraft missiles are present on the launchers. The image was taken in March 2025.
According to reference data, Romania still has several S-75M3 Volga air defense systems in service. However, satellite images show that they are not on combat alert and that the missiles are not mounted.
The "Seventy-Fives", originally designed to counter high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft and long-range bombers, were used in many military conflicts and successfully fought against tactical and carrier-based aircraft. aviation, operating at medium and low altitudes. At the same time, it must be acknowledged that the remaining S-75 air defense systems and their Chinese HQ-2 clones are hopelessly outdated and at the end of their life cycles. As of the first half of 2025, the S-75, as well as their Chinese clones, were in service abroad in Egypt, Vietnam, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Syria, and Ethiopia.
Following the flight of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 and the capture of Damascus by armed opposition forces, Syria's centralized air defense command system collapsed, and some SAM systems were destroyed during the rebel offensive. However, some S-75M3 SAM systems survived in Latakia province.
Google Earth satellite image: S-75M3 air defense missile system position north of Latakia. The image was taken in October 2025.
However, it is unlikely that the new Syrian authorities will be able to maintain the air defense systems, the newest of which is almost 40 years old, in working order for long.
In recent years, the Ethiopian government has placed increased emphasis on strengthening its defense capabilities, and with foreign support, existing Soviet-era defense facilities have been overhauled and modernized. As of 2025, Ethiopia operated two S-75M3 air defense systems.
Google Earth satellite image of an Ethiopian S-75 air defense system positioned south of Debre Zeit Air Base. The image was taken in April 2025.
Ethiopian S-75M3 systems cover the capital and the Debre Zeit airbase. However, they don't stay in one place for long and are regularly redeployed to new positions.
Another African country that formally operates the S-75M3 Volga air defense system is Angola. The country has received a total of seven of these systems. The last batch of four S-75M3 Volga systems was delivered in 1987.
Google Earth satellite image showing the position of an S-75M3 air defense system west of Menogwe Air Base in Cuando Cubango Province. The image was taken in April 2025.
Currently, there are two deployed S-75M3 systems remaining in Angola, but the launchers have not been loaded with missiles since 2018.
Among post-Soviet countries, only Kazakhstan still operates the S-75M3 "Volkhov" air defense system. Kazakh S-75M3s have regularly participated in CSTO joint air defense exercises in the past.
After the division of Soviet military property, Kazakhstan received more than three dozen deployed and stored air defense systems of this type, as well as a large number of missiles.
According to satellite images, in 2023, 15 km southwest of Serebryansk in the East Kazakhstan region, near the junction of the borders of Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia and China, an S-75M3 air defense system with seven launchers in a firing position was on combat duty.
Google Earth satellite image: position of Kazakhstan's S-75M3 air defense system 15 km southwest of Serebryansk. The image was taken in June 2023.
Another S-75M3 firing position of classic design and composition is located 18 kilometers east of Serebryansk. On the western outskirts of the city is a base where several more undeployed S-75M3s are stored. During Soviet times, the headquarters of the 374th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment was located here.
A Google Earth satellite image shows the S-75M3 air defense missile system storage base on the western outskirts of Serebryansk. The image was taken in September 2024.
After the last S-200VM Vega-M long-range air defense system was decommissioned several years ago, the only first-generation liquid-propellant SAM system remaining in Kazakhstan is the S-75M3 Volkhov. Furthermore, in 2023, a division of S-75M3s was deployed to the former "200" position on the Caspian coast, 10 km southeast of Aktau, where it remains to this day.
Google Earth satellite image: An S-75M3 air defense system deployed at a former S-200VM position 10 km southeast of Aktau. The image was taken in June 2023.
Apparently, this is due to the fact that the SAMs and the main components of the S-200VMs available in Kazakhstan have exhausted their service life, and the operation of the S-75M3 systems, which are not as bulky as the “two hundred,” is significantly cheaper.
Photographs taken on the grounds of the Military Engineering Institute of Radioelectronics and Communications of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan are being published on social media. They depict launchers and other components of various types of air defense systems. Based on these photographs, sites with various types of anti-aircraft systems used as training aids were identified on the grounds of the institute, located in Almaty.
Google Earth satellite image: S-75M3, S-125M1, and S-300PS air defense systems on the grounds of the Military Engineering Institute of Radioelectronics and Communications of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The image was taken in April 2025.
The photo shows that the S-75M3 training position has only four launchers, and only two “guns” are loaded with missiles.
Search and identification of S-125 anti-aircraft missile systems on satellite images
Today, the most widely used first-generation air defense systems are the S-125 family. The S-125, whose production ceased in the mid-1980s, is in service in Algeria, Angola, Vietnam, Egypt, Zambia, India, North Korea, Cuba, Peru, Poland, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. In neighboring countries, S-125 air defense systems are used by Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine. S-125M/M1/M1A systems have been modernized for foreign customers in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. Vietnam, Poland, India, and Ukraine have also modernized S-125s for their own needs.
As of today, early S-125 systems from the late 1960s, equipped with 5P71 (SM-78A-1) launchers for two V-600P (5V24) missiles, remain only in Egypt. These systems, like the Egyptian S-75s, are easy to spot on satellite imagery. They are primarily deployed along the Suez Canal, in the suburbs of major administrative and industrial centers, and near key airbases. The SAM sites, located in desert terrain and characterized by their distinctive shape, are easily visible from above and are easily detected when sweeping a 5-7 km wide strip along the western part of the canal. A site can contain four to six launchers, each with two SAMs.
Google Earth satellite image showing the position of an S-125 air defense missile system in the southern suburbs of Ismailia. The image was taken in May 2023.
At permanent fixed positions, the equipment cabins and diesel generators were housed in reinforced concrete bunkers, the launchers in double-sided semi-circular earthen bunkers, and the SAMs in fixed structures with 8-16 missiles each or in battalion positions. When deployed in the field, the main components of the systems are protected from shrapnel and blast waves by earthbags or bunkers. Equipment vans and diesel generators can also be located in bunkers.
As with the S-75, the longevity of the S-125 air defense systems acquired from the USSR nearly half a century ago was ensured by a program of restoration and minor modernization carried out with the assistance of Western companies. It is known that in the 1980s, the French company Thomson performed this work at a facility built by the USSR in a suburb of Cairo designed for the repair and maintenance of Soviet air defense systems. However, the number of S-125 systems with older towed twin-boom launchers has significantly decreased, and they are being replaced by modern air defense systems.
Google Earth satellite image: S-125 SAM site located near the Suez Canal Defense Memorial. To the left of the SAM site is an anti-aircraft gun artillery battery. Photo taken in June 2025.
Above is a very interesting photograph of S-125 SAM systems and towed anti-aircraft guns located near the Suez Canal Memorial during World War I. This majestic memorial, consisting of two 40-meter granite pylons and two 8-meter sculptures, was unveiled in 1930. The monument is located on the Jebel Mariam (Arabic for Mount Mary) hill, 300 meters from the canal and is clearly visible from passing ships.
In 2008, Egypt became the first recipient of the completely upgraded S-125-2M Pechora-2M air defense missile systems with 5P73-2M self-propelled launchers mounted on the MZKT-8021 6x6 chassis. The modernization work was carried out by the Russian-Belarusian consortium "Defense Systems."
Google Earth satellite image: S-125-2M air defense missile system position near Mashtul es-Souk. The image was taken in May 2024.
The conversion of the system's hardware to a new component base has increased reliability and reduced operating costs. The use of new equipment and different radar data processing principles has significantly increased its immunity to interference.
In the foreground is a self-propelled SAM system S-125-2M "Pechora-2M", behind it is an antenna post of the missile guidance station
This modification incorporates a 24-hour optoelectronic channel. The SAM system now carries longer-range 5V27DE missiles. Currently, the Egyptian air defense system operates approximately two dozen S-125-2M Pechora-2M SAM systems, which, compared to the original version, boast improved combat performance and increased mobility. S-125-2M Pechora-2M SAM systems were subsequently also supplied to Syria, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
In Syria, S-125-2M air defense systems were used to cover the port of Tartus and the Khmeimim airbase in Latakia province.
Google Earth satellite image showing the position of an S-125-2M air defense system near Latakia. The image was taken in October 2025.
In addition to the S-125-2M Pechora-2M air defense system, a number of foreign customers received other variants of the updated 125. These primarily involved modernization of the S-125M1/M1A systems, manufactured in the 1980s.
The "one hundred twenty-five" missiles, produced in the 1970s and 1980s together with the new V-601P missiles, used 5P73 (SM-106) launchers, designed for four SAMs.
Launcher 5P73 (SM-106)
The increase in the number of missiles on the 5P73 launchers while maintaining the same number of launchers (3-4) made it possible to double the ready-to-use ammunition supply.
Azerbaijan signed a contract with the Belarusian company Tetraedr to upgrade nine S-125M1 systems to the S-125-TM Pechora-2T standard. The first modernized air defense system was delivered to the customer in 2014.
A Google Earth satellite image shows the position of an S-125-TM air defense system on the northern outskirts of the village of Garajamirli in the Shamkir region of Azerbaijan. The image was taken in November 2022.
Compared to the original S-125M1, the mobility of the modernized S-125-TM system remains unchanged. However, in addition to extending its service life, it also boasts improved jamming resistance and the ability to engage stealthy targets.
Turkmenistan has ordered the Belarusian company Tetrahedr to upgrade several S-125M1/M1A to the S-125-2BM Halberd standard.
A characteristic feature of this modification is the placement of four-beam launchers on towed semi-trailers developed by Volat-Auto, and the control cabins and transport-loading vehicle on a MAZ-6317 type automobile chassis.
For Kazakhstan, Tetrahedr developed a modified S-125-1T air defense system. The customer accepted at least six of these air defense systems between 2004 and 2008. These systems retained the appearance and mobility of the unmodified version, but their jamming immunity was improved and their service life was significantly extended.
Google Earth satellite image: position of Kazakhstan's S-125-1T air defense system 12 km south of Aktau. The image was taken in June 2023.
In 2010, the Kiev-based Aerotekhnika-MLT Scientific and Production Enterprise created a modernized S-125-2D Pechora-2D system, initially intended for export deliveries.
Launcher and antenna post of the S-125-2D Pechora-2D air defense missile system
In 2015, the S-125-2D Pechora-2D air defense system entered service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which was a strictly necessary measure to at least partially compensate for the shortage of modern air defense systems.
Google Earth satellite image: S-125-2D Pechora-2D air defense missile system at a former S-300PS position in the southern suburbs of Odessa. The image was taken in October 2022.
India was one of the largest operators of the S-125M air defense system, receiving 60 systems of this type in the 1980s. In 2016, the Indian government announced a $272 million tender to modernize 16 S-125M air defense systems. According to the technical specifications, the Soviet-made systems were to be refurbished, fully digitalized, and integrated with the air defense region control system, with a service life extension of 15 years. Practical work on restoring the old S-125M air defense systems began in 2020, and it appears that most of the systems have already been modernized.
A Google Earth satellite image shows the position of an S-125M air defense system at the Bikaner airbase in Rajasthan. The image was taken in March 2025.
The modernized Indian 125s are deployed to cover airbases. However, the launchers are only armed with anti-aircraft missiles during periods of threat or during exercises.
By the early 1990s, the Vietnamese air defense system consisted of four dozen S-125M/M1/M1A systems. The most recent Vietnamese S-125M1/M1A air defense systems were upgraded in Belarus by the Tetrahedron company to the S-125-2TM Pechora-2TM standard. During the upgrade and refurbishment, the vacuum-tube electronics were converted to solid-state electronics. Thanks to the use of new missile guidance methods and radar signal processing principles, a modern optoelectronic system, and a number of other improvements, the target hit probability has been increased, dual-channel target acquisition has been implemented, jamming immunity has been improved, and the engagement zone has been expanded.
Google Earth satellite image showing the position of an S-125-2TM air defense system in southwest Ho Chi Minh City. The image was taken in January 2025.
In Vietnam, relying on a Soviet-supported facility designed to repair air defense missile systems and surface-to-air missiles, they independently upgraded their existing 125-mm SAM systems. In the second half of 2024, the Vietnamese company Viettel unveiled its own version of the S-125-VT air defense missile system. In addition to extending its service life and upgrading its electronic components to modern components, the upgraded SAM system is capable of simultaneously engaging two different targets. The UNV-VT guidance system, based on the SNR-125M1, is capable of operating effectively in environments where the enemy is actively jamming electronics. The guidance system also incorporates a new optoelectronic unit, enhancing the system's stealth, resistance to interference, and ability to engage low-altitude targets.
Perhaps the most original upgrade for the S-125M1 was the Polish Newa-SC air defense system. During repair and modernization work, the hardware of the least worn systems was converted from vacuum tube components to modern solid-state electronics. The introduction of digital technologies and new operating algorithms improved interference immunity and increased data processing speed. At the same time, the solid propellant of the 5V27 SAM was replaced, and preventative maintenance was performed on its key components. The antenna post with the missile guidance equipment was mounted on a common four-axle MAZ-543P wheeled chassis (previously used for R-17 OTR launchers). The 5P73 launchers, each armed with four anti-aircraft missiles, were mounted on the tracked chassis of the WZT-1 armored repair and recovery vehicle, which shares many similarities with the chassis. tank T-55.
To conserve the system's hardware and anti-aircraft missiles, the Polish Newa-SC systems were not deployed on permanent combat alert. Reinforced concrete positions were established for these systems in the north and east of the country, as well as near Warsaw.
Google Earth satellite image: Newa-SC air defense missile system position 3 km east of the Polish city of Puck. No missiles are present on the launchers. Image taken in April 2011.
However, unmodernized 125-mm SAMs are still in service in a number of countries. Such systems are found in Algeria, Angola, North Korea, Cuba, Zambia, and Peru. In these countries, SAM sites have typically been in the same positions for thirty years or more, and their coordinates are well known.
For example, two S-125M1A systems have been stationed near the Angolan port of Namib since the mid-1980s, and Western publications wrote about them in the 1990s. Another seven such SAMs protect the Angolan capital, Luanda, as well as the cities of Lubango and Cabinda.
Google Earth satellite image showing the position of an Angolan S-125M1A air defense system at Luanda Airport. The image was taken in May 2025.
In Angola, there are serious difficulties in maintaining the systems in working order, and the launchers of most of the S-125M1A air defense systems remaining in service are not equipped with missiles.
It is quite obvious that the non-modernized "one hundred twenty-five" missiles, due to critical wear of the main components and changes in the characteristics of the solid fuel in the anti-aircraft missiles caused by long-term storage, will lose their combat effectiveness in the foreseeable future and will be decommissioned.
Search and identification of S-200 long-range anti-aircraft missile systems on satellite images
Before the introduction of long-range missiles into the S-400 air defense system, the first-generation S-200 family of liquid-propellant SAMs remained unrivaled in terms of air-to-air target engagement range. However, due to the high cost of manufacturing and operating the S-200, significantly fewer S-200s were produced than the S-75. In the mid-1980s, approximately 60 S-200 target channels were deployed and stored in the Soviet Union.
The relative scarcity and fundamental launch sites make the S-200 systems easy to spot on satellite imagery. In most cases, a group of two or three battalions (target channels) was positioned nearby, making them even more visible.
Google Earth satellite image of abandoned S-200VM air defense missile systems near Severodvinsk. The image was taken in July 2003.
The last S-200VMs, deployed in the Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, and Kaliningrad regions, were removed from combat duty in the late 1990s.
Google Earth satellite image of a former S-200VM air defense missile system position near Khabarovsk. The image was taken in May 2015.
Some of the old, well-equipped "two-hundred" positions were used to deploy S-300P air defense systems, but in the north and beyond the Urals they are mostly abandoned and are now heavily overgrown.
After the collapse of the USSR, the S-200VM Vega-M air defense missile systems remained in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine. The export version of the S-200VE Vega-E was supplied to Bulgaria, Hungary, East Germany, Iran, North Korea, Libya, Poland, and Czechoslovakia.
Currently, the remaining operational S-200s can be counted on the fingers of one hand. It's highly likely that only Turkmenistan possesses operational S-200VM systems.
Google Earth satellite image: S-200VM air defense missile system position near the city of Mary. The image was taken in September 2023.
After the collapse of the USSR, this Central Asian republic received a large Soviet military force, including the 17th Air Defense Division with two anti-aircraft missile brigades, a radiotechnical brigade, and a radiotechnical regiment. A decade and a half after independence, the number of operational air defense systems had dwindled significantly, and in 2006, Turkmenistan's skies were defended by the Turkmenbashi Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade and two anti-aircraft missile regiments. In addition to the Krug, Kub, and Osa military air defense systems, the Turkmen air defense system formally had fifteen battalions armed with S-75M3, S-125M/M1, and S-200VM point-defense air defense systems, but their actual combat effectiveness left much to be desired.
As of September 2023, four S-200VM target systems were deployed in the vicinity of the cities of Turkmenbashi and Mary.
Google Earth satellite image of the Turkmen S-200VM air defense missile system launchers deployed 10 km west of Turkmenbashi. The image was taken in September 2023.
The satellite image shows that the launchers are equipped with single anti-aircraft missiles, and at best, this is only a third of the combat load. This is most likely due to the fact that Turkmenistan has very few operational B-880 missiles, manufactured in the 1980s.
The original layout of the S-200VE air defense missile system was used in Iran, which received five target channels and approximately 80 export-modified B-880E anti-aircraft missiles in the 1990s.
Google Earth satellite image: Iranian S-200VE air defense missile system launchers 50 km south of Tehran. The image was taken in August 2021.
In Iran, there are only two 5P72VE launchers for every 5N62VE target illumination radar, not six as was originally the case in the Soviet air defense system. Also, standby radars were located in close proximity to the SAM firing positions and the target illumination radar. It is likely that this firing position arrangement is due to the limited number of missiles delivered and the desire to reduce the cost of refueling and servicing the SAMs.
Google Earth satellite image: S-200VE air defense missile system position near Hamadan Air Base. A standby radar is located next to the launcher. The image was taken in September 2024.
The contract for the supply of S-200VE missiles to Iran was signed before the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Russia was ultimately responsible for fulfilling it. In the 21st century, Russia and the Republic of Belarus provided assistance in modernizing and repairing Iran's S-200s. In the past, Iranian officials claimed that Iran had successfully established domestic production of missiles for the S-200VE. However, apparently, "production" meant refurbishment of the existing V-880E SAMs.
Google Earth satellite image: S-200VE air defense missile system position at Bushehr Air Base. The image was taken in January 2025.
In January 2025, four locations of Iranian "two-hundreds" could be found in open sources: 50 km south of Tehran, in the vicinity of the Hamadan airbase and Isfahan International Airport, near the port of Bandar Abbas, and next to the runway of the Bushehr airbase.
Unfortunately, there are currently no recent, freely available satellite images of the locations where Iran's S-200VE air defense systems are deployed. However, given the design features of these systems and their associated infrastructure, it is highly likely that they were heavily damaged by Israeli airstrikes in June 2025 and are unlikely to be operational now.
To be continued ...
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