| 9K33 Osa | 9K33 Osa-AK | 9K33 Osa-AKM |
The 9K33 Osa is an anti-aircraft missile that is used by the Soviet Union in the Wargame series, it was first introduced in Wargame: European Escalation
History[]
The 9K33 Osa (NATO reporting name: “SA-8 GECKO”) was mobile, amphibious, surface-to-air missile system developed during the 1960's, and first deployed in 1971.
As with the Americans and Europeans, the Soviet planners came to the conclusion in the early 1960's that rapid moving armored formation would require a highly mobile air defense system to protect them from increasingly effective attack aircraft. Compared with the unsuccessful American MIM-46 Mauler, the French Crotale and the Franco-German Roland, the Osa was both the first system to go into service, and the most ambitious. This did not, however, prevent the development from being highly extended; while the project was started in 1960, the first systems were not delivered until 1971.
The Osa system deploys radar command guided missiles. Targets are detected and tracked by radar, and missiles are directed to intercept by automatic radio command uplink. Unlike prior systems, such as the stationary S-75 or S-125 systems, or the contemporary 2K12 Kub, the Osa integrated launcher, radar and control on one vehicle, allowing for previously unparalleled mobility. This was further enabled by the 9A33 chassis, which was fully amphibious and air-transportable.
9K33 Osa and its improved variants saw significant service in the last two decades of the Cold War, with employment by Syria against Israel in Lebanon, and by Cuba in the Angolan Civil War. Despite the system's impressive capabilities, it has produced relatively few confirmed kills – a record likely attributable to the low quality of operator training amongst user countries.
These were used in the Divisional Air defense batteries.
Overview[]
European Escalation[]
In Wargame: European Escalation, the 9K33 Osa is depicted (inaccurately) as an infrared guided SAM of appallingly low accuracy. Although boasting of a relatively long range, the Osa is likely to deplete its missiles in any given engagement without hitting anything at all. Generally, similarly priced gun systems, such as the ZSU-57-2 should be employed instead, as the guns will at least stun enemy helicopters.
AirLand Battle[]
The Osa is amongst the units that have undergone the most drastic change in Wargame: AirLand Battle. Compared with it's near-useless performance in the previous game, the new Osa is an inexpensive, but relatively competent air defense weapon. This being said, most players will likely prefer to use the improved Osa-AK and -AKM variants, as the baseline model's modest accuracy and small missile capacity are still inadequate to deal with most fixed-wing threats. On the other hand, the Osa's low cost and availability in Category C decks potentially allows for employment in large numbers, although the consequent burden on logistics would likely be severe.
Weapons[]
European Escalation[]
| Weapons | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | SAM | No Weapon | No Weapon |
| Name | 9M33 | ||
| Caliber | Radar | ||
| Ammo | x 4 | ||
| Range | Ground = N/A m Helicopters = 2451 m  Airplanes = N/A m
|
||
| Accuracy | 2 | ||
| Stabilizer | None | ||
| AP Power | 0 | ||
| HE Power | 5 | ||
| Rate of fire | 15 r/min |
Airland Battle[]
| Weapons | 
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | SAM | No Weapon | No Weapon |
| Name | 9M33 | ||
| Caliber | Radar AoE F&F RAD STAT | ||
| Ammo | x 4 | ||
| Range | Ground = N/A m Helicopters = 1925 m Airplanes = 2800 m
|
||
| Accuracy | 7 | ||
| AP Power | N/A | ||
| HE Power | 5 | ||
| Suppression | 200 | ||
| Rate of fire | 15 r/min |
Red Dragon[]
| Weapons | 
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | SAM | No Weapon | No Weapon |
| Name | 9M33 | ||
| Caliber | SACOS | ||
| Ammo | x 4 | ||
| Range | Ground = N/A m Helicopters = 2800 m Airplanes = 2275 m
|
||
| Accuracy | 25% | ||
| AP Power | N/A | ||
| HE Power | 7 | ||
| Suppression | 280 | ||
| Rate of fire | 20 s r/min |
Gallery[]
