The radar was built as part of the S-225 anti-ballistic missile system (codename of the R&D work: Azov; US name: ABM-X-3), a marginally mobile system designed to defend high status targets against attack by ballistic missiles. Work started on the system in the early 1960s and S-225 was one of three competing systems;
A-35 (the one chosen) and "Saturn" were the others. S-225 was designed by
A.A. Raspletin, who worked in special design bureau
OKB-31, of
KB-1 design bureau. The first design was done in 1964 and the first prototype of the system was installed in
Sary Shagan in 1971, at site 53 (). The radar was tested on the descent phase of missiles launched from the
Kapustin Yar military launch range. Because of this it was decided that the second prototype should be installed in Kamchatka, near the Kura Test Range, to pick up missiles landing there after being launched elsewhere in the Soviet Union. In 1975 this second prototype was installed and checked in Sary Shagan and then dismantled and shipped to Vladivostok to be installed in Kamchatka. S-225 consisted of a 5N65 radar, a device transmitting commands to the missiles which NATO called "Pawn Shop", and two types of missiles. One missile, 5Ya27 (developer's name V-825), was designed by
OKB Fakel for exoatmospheric intercepts (above the atmosphere). The other, high-acceleration 5Ya26 (aka PRS-1) was designed by
OKB Novator for endoatmospheric intercepts (within the atmosphere). ==Radar==