Editing SA-8 Gecko

[[File:Gecko.jpg|300px|right|thumb|How ... Russian]]
{{topquote|What's as big as a house, burns 20 liters of fuel every hour, puts out a shit-load of smoke and noise, and cuts an apple into three pieces? A Soviet machine made to cut apples into four pieces!|Chernobyl (2019)}}
Known as the "'''9K33 Osa'''" in Russia and the "'''SA-8 Gecko'''" in NATO, the Gecko is a low-altitude surface-to-air missile launcher, designed to take out low-flying aircraft, like helicopters or planes flying low. Larger than most, the Gecko sports a sophisticated radar system, not found in most mobile SAM launchers at the time, allowing it to track targets more effectively, than it's cousins.

The Gecko uses a turret-mounted launcher with 6 9M33 missiles loaded. It's ammunition is guided rather than homing, so the crew steers the missile to it's target, rather than completely relying on a computer for that role. This has the added benefit if being more resistant to popular countermeasures like flares, but can still be disabled by ECM (although the missile is also designed to be resistant to ECM). Like most SAMs, the Gecko is lightly armored, making it vulnerable to anything that can penetrate tank armor, and has no option for ground defense beyond the crew exposing themselves to fire their weapons at their aggressors.

==In Team Yankee==
[[File:Gecko Stat Card.jpg|300px|left|thumb|Da Stats]]

The latest anti-air platform of the Soviets serves as the option for a player fed up with enemy aircraft and wants the best missiles available. It may have the armour of a literal gecko (5+ tank save), but is one of the only Soviet units with thermal imaging: yes, the thing the Americans use. 5+ cross ensures that they will almost definitely breakdown when moving inside forests, so position them with care. The ideal position would be one that grants concealment without blocking LOS to aircraft (which gives them a +1 to hit): keeping them inside a forest the entire game is possible thanks to their 72" range if you prioritize safety over raw killing power. 

Unfortunately, this unit competes with far more efficient units like the Shilka and Gopher. In fact, you could take one unit of Gophers and one unit of Shilkas giving you 8 shots at 4+ FP and 24 shots at 5+ FP, compared to 12 shots at 3+ FP. A full unit of Geckos is undeniably strong, but the lack of armour can be a deal breaker for some: these things WILL die if hammered by artillery, machine guns or mean comments. 

The Gecko may not be the most ‘efficient’ Soviet AA unit, but it is guaranteed to mess up anything that flies for a premium price.

The Poles and Soviets may purchase Geckos at 2 points per vehicle in a platoon of 2 or 4 Geckos as divisional air defence. The Czech Gecko platoon costs 3 points for a pair or 7 points for four vehicles.

Now available in DDR flavor.

==IRL==
[[File:Gecko IRL.jpg|300px|right|thumb|When you want to go swimming and protect the Black Sea from Capitalists.]]
The Gecko was the first mobile, terrestrial SAM system in the world to combine its air defense missiles and its radar systems onto one vehicle.  Both the radar and missiles were previously deployed on the Slava class cruiser.  Yes, you read that right.  This thing was intended to be built into warships.  Evidently when the Russians learned about the proposed US Mauler system they were so concerned that rather than bothering to design an equivalent system, they just found a truck big enough to carry a stripped down NAVAL anti-air system. 

{{Soviet Forces in Team Yankee}}
{{East German Forces in Team Yankee}}
{{Polish Forces in Team Yankee}}
{{Czech Forces in Team Yankee}}
{{Iraqi Forces in Team Yankee}}
{{Iranian Forces in Team Yankee}}

[[Category:Vehicles]]