S - 25 Berkut The S - 25 " Berkut ( ; " Berkut " means golden eagle in English ) is a surface - to - air guided missile , the first operational SAM system in the Soviet Union . Its NATO reporting name is SA - 1 " Guild . It was used only to defend Moscow , while the more mobile S - 75 ( SA - 2 Guideline ) would be used in almost all other roles . Other names include the R - 113 ( target acquisition radar ) , B - 200 ( target engagement radar ) , A - 11 / A - 12 ( antennas for B - 200 ) , and V - 300 ( a SAM ) ; S - 25 is for " Systema 25 " , referring to the system as a whole . History . Development of the S - 25 was authorized on 9 August 1950 by a decision of USSR and was appended by Stalin : ( " We have to get the missile for air defense in a year " ) . The system was assigned to design to SB - 1 ( Special Bureau No . 1 ) . The initial design included : The implementation was assigned to the Third Main Agency , which was specially created , by the Soviet of Ministers of the USSR . SB - 1 was converted to KB - 1 ( Design Bureau №1 ) headed by P . N . Kuksenko and S . L . Beria . Some captured German specialists were concentrated in department №38 of KB - 1 . Test range trials of the first experimental system were conducted in January 1952 . These tests led to the removal of the air based components of the Berkut system ( G - 400 / G - 300 and G - 500 ) . The construction of ground infrastructure ( designed by the Moscow division of Lengiprostroy , V . I . Rechkin ) was done from 1953 through 1955 at 50 km and 90 km ranges from Moscow . There were about 2000 km of roads built by prisoners . After the death of Stalin and arrest of L . P . Beria ( the head of Soviet police and security , and the father of S . L . Beria ) in June 1953 , the KB - 1 was reorganized and headed by Raspletin . The Third Main Agency was converted to Glavspetsmash and included into the Ministry of Medium Machine Building . The name Berkut was changed to Systema 25 . The first combat elements of S - 25 were delivered to the military in 1954 . In March 1954 most sites were being prepared for the installation of the missiles and launchers . The final tests were completed in the beginning of 1955 . The first batteries entered service on 7 May 1955 . The system entered combat duty in June 1956 . The launchers were located at a distance of 75 – 85 km from Moscow , a dense ring ( at a distance of 10 – 15 km from each other ) . The locations were masked by forests . After the system have entered service some parts of Glavspetsmash ( Glavspetsmontazh and Glavspetsmash ) were disbanded , the KB - 1 was transferred to the Ministry of Defense Industries . In order to operate the S - 25 system , the " Separate Army for Special Purposes " was established under the command of general - colonel K . Kazakov in the spring of 1955 , being part of Soviet Air Defense Forces ( " PVO Strany " ) . A number of improvements was made to the initial S - 25 design during the service . The latest modernized S - 25M was retired and replaced with S - 300P air defense complexes in 1982 . Most sites of the original S - 25 complex were dismantled in the 1990s and are now summer cottage developments for Moscow residents . Surface - to - air Missile Complex S - 25 . The parts of the S - 25 were designed in parallel . Some " grounds " were created at the Kapustin Yar test range to support the development of S - 25 : The first tests of S - 25 in full control mode were started 2 November 1952 ( using radar - simulated target ) . The tests against parachute targets were done in the beginning of 1953 . Tu - 4 drones were used for moving target tests from 26 April to 18 May 1953 . There were 81 launches during trials from 18 September 1952 to 18 May 1953 . Additional tests were done in September – October 1953 against Il - 28 and Tu - 4 drones . The decision of the government to build a full scale S - 25 complex at the Kapustin Yar was made in January 1954 . The complex was sampled for the state trials 25 June 1954 . The trials were conducted from 1 October 1954 to 1 April 1955 and included 69 launches at Il - 28 and Tu - 4 drones ( including simultaneous launch of 20 missiles at 20 targets ) . The complex was capable to fire at 20 targets with 1 or 2 missiles simultaneously having up to 60 missiles ready to launch . The startup time was 5 minutes ( for 18 target channels ) . There were 56 S - 25 series - built complexes manufactured and deployed around the Moscow area , plus one series - built and one experimental deployed at the Kapustin Yar test range . B - 200 Missile Targeting Radar . Each site was equipped with a B - 200 guidance system , including a track - while - scan radar ( designated " Yo - Yo " by US intelligence ) . The system also incorporated fire control equipment which enabled each site to engage as many as 10 targets simultaneously , each with two missiles . The B - 200 radar prototype was tested in the middle of 1950 . Surface - to - air Missile V - 300 . The first V - 300 missile was fired 25 July 1951 at the Kapustin Yar test range . The missile , which went by a variety of names depending on the version , used a single liquid - fueled rocket motor . Although its maximum speed was on the order of Mach 2 . 5 , it had a low initial velocity which limited its engagement capability against supersonic targets . Its maximum intercept range varied depending upon the approach and type of target ; against a directly incoming , high - flying B - 52 its range was on the order of 30 km . The missile carried a large warhead of 200 – 320 kg ( 450 - 700 pounds ) , and its lethal radius was estimated to be 20 – 35 m ( 65 – 120 feet ) . It was believed to be capable of interceptions from a minimum altitude of 900 m ( 3 , 000 feet ) up to 18 , 000 m ( 60 , 000 feet ) , with some additional capability up to about 24 , 000 m ( 80 , 000 feet ) , particularly if equipped with a nuclear warhead .