SA-5 Griffon / V-1000

Russian missile designation: V-1000
Russian system designation: RZ-25
DIA code: SA-5 (later reused for the SA-5 Gammon)
NATO reporting name: Griffon
Designer: Grushin OKB (OKB-2, now MKB Fakel)
Manufacturer: Kisunko SKB (SKB-30, now NIIRP)
Development year: 1956
Deployment year: 1961/62
First seen in public: 1963
Retirement year: 1964
Type: Ballistic missile interceptor
Guidance: Radar command
Propulsion: Two liquid-fueled stages
Range: 250 km.
Warhead: Nuclear (yield unknown)

The SA-5 Griffon is the first Russian ABM missile. Its development started in the late 1950s, while the first launch sites were activated in the early 1960s near the
Estonian capital Tallinn and Leningrad. After a short time these were replaced by the improved Gammon.

It was the first Russian ABM which was tested at the Sary Shagan test range in Kazahstan. Although this was just an experimental model it was deployed in a
number of launch sites until the development of the ABM-1. The SA-5 Griffon was also the precursor of the SA-5 Gammon SAM which was developed later.

Although it was developed as an experimental system, it was soon decided to deploy the system operationally until the more sophisticated A-35 system is developed and the construction of the launch sites in the vicinity of the Estonian capital Tallinn started very soon, and later in 1962, the construction of additional 30 sites started near Leningrad. These sites are known as the "Tallinn Line" and the "Leningrad ABM System". Later, in 1964, these sites were all dismantled, probably because of the success of the A-35 system (the A-350 missile from the A-35 system was paraded at the Red Square in Moscow that year) or maybe because of some technical difficulties.

The locations of the ABM launch sites built near Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) in 1962 are the following: the western site (marked with No.1 on the map) is at Lat. 59°45'N - Long. 29°20'E, the eastern site (marked with No.2 on the map) is at Lat. 60°06'N - Long. 30°47'E and the northern site (marked with No.3 on the map) is at Lat. 60°28'N - Long. 29°44'E.

The V-1000, also referred to as "Obiekt A" (Object A), was an ABM with two liquid-fueled stages. It was first detected by the west when the construction started on the ABM sites around Tallinn and Leningrad. Because it was considered to be a SAM, it received the DIA code SA-5 (this was later reused for the S-200 "Volga" SAM system, NATO reporting name Gammon), along with the NATO reporting name "Griffon".

The V-1000 ABM was first seen in the public in 1963 when it was paraded on the Red Square and was retired from active service in the following year from yet undefined reasons, but It should be noted that the 5V28 "Volga" missile from the S-200 (SA-5 Gammon) SAM system, which was also developed by Grushin's OKB, is considered to be a highly modified version of it.