Azov illustrates how the Soviet Navy used an operational ship to test a major new air-defense system. The 1977 conversion replaced an SA-N-3 installation with S-300F equipment even though the hull had not been designed around the new silos. The exact early missile version remains uncertain, and a working installation may have preceded the system's announced service date. An early range reported between 47 and 75 kilometers was modest beside later S-300 and S-400 descendants, but the installation demonstrated the promise of a family that would become central to Soviet and Russian air defense.
Notable Point · 28:07-34:45
Azov tested the naval S-300F before the system matured
Azov's 1977 conversion made an existing Kara-class hull an early testbed for the S-300F naval air-defense family, despite integration and missile-version uncertainties.