OVERVIEW: The SA-N-4a (9M33) GECKO is a single stage, solid-fuel, command guidance, point defense missile.
DETAILS: The SA-N-4a is a point defense missile, with a secondary anti-surface capability. It does not have a seeker, but is command guided via an uplink. It uses a 14.5 kg HE blast/fragmentation warhead with a proximity fuse. Associated radars are the POP GROUP. This radar system uses a search radar (NATO H-Band), separate missile and target tracking radars (NATO J-Band), a capture radar and an uplink to control the missile. After initial detection and cueing by surveillance radars, the POP GROUP target tracking radar is used to illuminate the target, while the missile tracking radar tracks the missile, which is guided to the target via the uplink.
Specifications:
Range (minimum/maximum): 2.0 / 9.0 km
Range (suface): 7.4 km
Altitude (minimum/maximum): 65 / 5,000 m
NOTES: IOC 1972 (approx). The GECKO is a navalized version of the land-based SA-8. Designed primarily for uses in ASW ships to provide a point defense capability, it was also used to as a secondary anti-air armament in larger ships.
SOURCES: Friedman, N., & Friedman, N. (1997). The Naval Institute guide to world naval weapon systems. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, pg. 403 ; Jane's Weapon Systems 2001-02, "SA-N-4 'Gecko' (4K33 Osa-M)"; 9K33 Osa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved April 6, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9K33_Osa ; http://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/missile/row/sa-8.htm; Polmar, Norman, and Siegfried Breyer. Guide to the Soviet Navy. Annapolis, Md: Naval Institute Press, 1983, 384 ;