SA-9 Gaskin
SA-9 Gaskin is a short range, low altitude self-propelled SAM carrying system based on the BRDM-2 amphibious chassis. The vehicle carries four SA-9 SAM launchers on a revolving mount in place of the machine gun turret. The missiles are usually fired in pairs to increase the kill probability. The driver and commander both have infra-red vision systems and the vehicle has standard NBC (nuclear, biological chemical) protection, including overpressure.
Weighing in at 7000 kg and with a crew of 3 (commander, gunner and driver) it first entered service in 1968 and was manufactured in Russia by the Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod
ARMAMENT
Each SA-9 carries four ready-to fire 32 kilogram Mach 1.5 ‘Strela-1’ solid fuel Surface to air missiles, at 1.8meters long and 0.12 meter in diameter with a wing span of 0.375 meter it carries a 2.6 kilogram HE fragmentation warhead and proximity fuse and has a lethal radius of 5 meters and a damage radius of 7.6 meters it has a range of 900 to 4200 metres but typically carries no missiles for reloading which is performed manually and usually takes approximately 5 minutes.
ENGINE
The SA-9 is fitted with a GAZ 41 V8 water cooled petrol engine producing 140bhp at 3,400 rpm and is coupled to a gearbox with four forward and one reverse gears, giving the vehicle a top speed of 100 km/h on the road and 10 km/h in water.
ROLE
The SA-9 Gaskin was designed as a Close Support Vehicle for troops and tanks against an airstrike. It fired a short-range, low altitude, infrared guided surface-to-air missile.