The missile of the SA-5 Gammon is mounted to a single ground station. The S-200 is normally transported from battalion storage areas on modified (8 x 8) trucks and loaded onto the launchers.

The SA-5 Gammon missile is launched by 4 solid-fueled strap-on rocket boosters. The maximum range is between 150 and 300 km, depending on the model. The maximum target speed is around Mach 4. Effective altitude is 300 to 20,000 m for early models and up to 35,000 m for later models. The warhead is either 217 kg high explosive fragmentation triggered by radar proximity fuse or command signal, or a 25 kt nuclear warhead triggered by command signal only. Each missile weighs around 7018 kg at takeoff. The initial version, the S-200 (US designation SA-5a) fielded in 1963, used the 150-km range 5V21 command-guided missile with a conventional warhead. The second version, the S-200V Angara (US designation SA-5b) fielded in 1971, used the longer-range 250 km 5V28 missile. This was a dual-capable weapon using either a command detonated or proximity fused conventional 217 kg HE-fragmentation warhead or a command detonated 25 kT yield nuclear warhead with a semi-active radar terminal homing seeker. The only export version of the conventional warhead was designated S-200VE (Vega). The final version was the S-200D Angara (US designation SA-5c), with an IOC date of 1975 and which used the 5V28V missile with enhanced maneuverability, an improved radar guidance system using upgraded ECCM capabilities and a maximum range of 300 km. The conventional warhead only export version was designated S-200DE Vega. There is also a possibility of an anti-radar homing, passive seeker missile version having been developed in the 1970s for use against standoff jammers and early variants of AWACS type aircraft.