There are two variants of launcher unit, the 9A83 (SA-12a Gladiator) with four missiles container-launcher tubes and the 9A82 (SA-12b Giant) with two missiles container-launcher tubes. These tubes are raised to a  vertical position for missile launch and are carried horizontally for travel.
On the 9A83-1 launcher unit, the engagement radar is mounted at the front of the launcher on a scissors-type mount which gives it a full 360º coverage in azimuth as well as full hemispheric coverage in elevation.
On the 9A82 launcher unit, the radar is mounted in a semi-fixed position over the cab, giving 90º coverage to either side in azimuth or 110º coverage in elevation. The difference in the radar locations is because the 9A83-1 TELAR has a secondary anti-aircraft role and therefore needs a mast-mounted antenna to engage low-flying targets in any direction.
There are two variants of loader launcher unit, the 9A84 with four missiles 9M83 container-launcher tubes and the 9A85 with two missiles 9M82 container-launcher tubes. For these vehicles, the radar installation is replaced by a hydraulically-operated crane assembly for loading/unloading the missile containers. The loader-launcher has the primary role of replenishing the missile on the launcher/radar unit when necessary, but it can erect the missile tubes for its own launch sequence if the primary launcher load has been exhausted and there is insufficient time for reloading. However, it requires a launcher/radar unit to provide radar assistance for the engagement.

The two-stage 9M83 “Type I Missile” / SA-12A Gladiator and 9M82 “Type II Missile” / SA-12B Giant are the guided missiles used by the S-300V / SA-12 system. The missiles are largely common in design, the principal distinctions being different first-stage boosters, different control surface arrangements, and numerous detail differences. The 9M82 and 9M83 were developed by the Novator NPO design bureau and are designed for maximum commonality. The missiles are carried in recyclable container-launcher tubes that have to be raised to the vertical before a launch can occur. The missile is then ejected from the container to a height of about 50 m and, once clear, ignites its propulsion system.
The 9M83 missile is designed to counter weapons employed to deliver dense attacks. It is highly effective against any type of existing and prospective aircraft at ranges of up to 75 km, against SRAM-type aero-ballistic missiles, tactical ballistic missiles of the Lance type at ranges of up to 40 km, and against nap-of-the-earth cruise missiles. And neither an anti-missile evasive maneuver performed by the target nor electronic countermeasures can prevent the 9M83 AD missile from performing its mission.
The 9M82 missile is the most powerful weapon, featuring much higher speed characteristics and capable of defeating all of the above-mentioned targets. However, it is designed primarily for the engagement of theater missiles at ranges of up to 35 to 40 km and flying at a speed of up to 3,000 m/s, as well as other high-speed small targets, high-flying (up to 30 km) targets, jammers, and AWACS and HAWKEYE early warning aircraft at ranges of up to 100 km.