Arab Air Defense-Part 3 / Egyptian Sam-6 Gainful in 1973 "Yom Kippur War"

The SA-6 GAINFUL is a two stage, solid-fuel, low-altitude SAM. It has radio command guidance with semi-active radar terminal homing. The 3M9 KUB self-propelled surface-to-air tactical low-altitude anti-aircraft missile system is intended for destruction of aircraft, missiles, cruise missiles and assault helicopters at low to medium altitudes. The system was developed by the Russian TOROPOV OKB-134 company and produced by Vympel MKB and NIIP. It first entered operational service in 1970. The system is characterised by very good mobility even in demanding cross-country conditions, and the high speed of its anti-aircraft missiles achieving up to Mach 2.8, which permits the system to destroy even highly maneuvering targets. Each battery has its own STRAIGHT FLUSH (IS-91) fire control radar, four launchers on an armoured carrier chassis, and four transport and support vehicles. The system can carry out combat activities in a totally independent manner - it can search, automatically track and recognise air targets, illuminate them and provide anti-aircraft missiles homing. The system can guide three missiles to one target at any given time. It can automatically track up to 6 air targets and control 2 missiles at the same time. Reloading of the missiles from transport vehicle to launcher takes about 10 minutes. A built-in TV camera with the range of 25 km range increases the resistance of the system against EW. The last SA-6B Gainful Mod 1 version with increased EW resistance was produced till 1992.

The most famous use of the SA-6 in a conflict was during the 1973 Yom Kippur War when a number of Israeli aircraft were shot down early in the conflict. The radar warning receivers on the Israeli aircraft did not alert the pilot to the fact that he was being illuminated by the radar. Once the RWRs were reprogrammed and tactics changed the SA-6 was no longer such a grave threat. In fact, it is estimated that four times as many Arab aircraft were shot down by the SA-6 batteries than Israeli aircraft.

The model: Trumpeter 1/35th scale SAM-6/ Replacement missiles by: HAD Models of Hungary
This model replicates an Egyptan SAM-6 mobile missile battery used during the Yom Kippur war. The camouflage is quite close to how they appeared during that conflict. The Trumpeter missiles are undersize and appear to be based on a training missile. The war-shot is quite abit thicker in circumference and "HAD" models (Hungarian company) replicated these in resin which appear here. Well worth the expense for an accurate appearance. The decals included with them make a tremendous difference as well. Here is my model.