Three fingers of death

The 2K12 "Kub" (NATO reporting name: SA-6 "Gainful") mobile surface-to-air missile system is a Soviet low to medium-level air defense system designed to protect ground forces from air attack. It was one of the most effect early mobile SAM systems and was combat proven in the Yom Kippur war, earning the nickname "three fingers of death". The system is able to acquire and begin tracking targets using the 1S91 Radar (NATO: "Straight Flush" radar) which is mounted on the same mobile chassis as the missile system.

The 2K12 surprised the Israelis in the 1973 Yom Kippur War on both the Sinai and Golan fronts. They were used to having air superiority over the battlefield. The highly mobile 2K12 took a heavy toll on the slower A-4 Skyhawk and even the F-4 Phantom, forming a protective umbrella until they could be removed. 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 2K12 was no longer such a grave threat, but still caused heavy losses to Israeli aircraft.The superior low altitude performance of the weapon, and its new CW semi-active missile seeker resulted in a much higher success rate compared to the earlier SA-2 and SA-3 systems. The 2K12 / SA-6 proved most effective of the three weapons, but later its performance declined as captured examples resulted in effective counter-measures being developed.