S-200 Angara (RS-SA-5 Gammon)

The S-200 Angara (NATO reporting name SA-5 Gammon) is a very long-range, high-altitude surface-to-air missile system developed by the Soviet Union. It was designed to defend large areas from strategic bombers and other high-flying aircraft, capable of engaging targets at extended ranges.

Developed by the Almaz Design Bureau in the late 1950s to counter high-altitude American supersonic bombers and reconnaissance aircraft like the SR-71, the S-200 officially entered Soviet service in 1967. The system was widely exported to Soviet allies, seeing combat with Libyan forces against the US Navy in 1986 and Syrian forces against Israeli jets, though it also gained notoriety for the accidental downing of Siberia Airlines Flight 1812 by Ukraine in 2001. Although phased out of Russian service in favor of modern systems like the S-400, the S-200 remains active in several countries, including Iran and Syria. Recently, Ukraine has refurbished and adapted legacy S-200 missiles for long-range ground-attack roles in its ongoing conflict with Russia.