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This article is about the weapon. For the mission in Grand Theft Auto III, see S.A.M.

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The Surface-to-Air Missile (S.A.M.) is an unmanned guided weapon system in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto Online.

Description[]

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]

The surface-to-air missiles encountered in GTA San Andreas are mounted on pods. Each pod supports four missiles, and they use a radar-targeting system to fire heat-seeking missiles towards aircraft or helicopters. Four sites are located around Area 69 and two in the Easter Basin Naval Station on the LHD-069 amphibious assault ship, both of which are no-fly zones, as mean of defense against aerial intrusions.

If the player flies any aircraft, or the Jetpack, near or over these zones, several heat-seeking missiles that track the movement of the player's vehicle will be launched, even when the remove wanted level cheat is enabled. The player can hear a warning sound and a small red blip on the radar when a missile has been launched. These missiles can severely damage the airplane's wings or engine (or the player, when using a jetpack), making it harder to fly. Depending on the durability and health of the player's vehicle, a few to some direct hits will destroy the vehicle and kill the player if they do not eject.

The launchers can be temporarily destroyed and will respawn once the player is far enough away from them. During the mission Black Project, the sites around Area 69 can be disabled temporarily from within the underground labs for the rest of the mission. Excluding the first part of the mission Vertical Bird, the SAM Sites on the amphibious assault ship in Easter Basin are permanently disabled and will not shoot when the player flies over or near the Naval Station (this is probably a bug or intentional as the ship is docked, unlike those at Area 69, that function normally).

These sites can be destroyed by simply shooting, using explosive weapons or rockets and even melee attacks. When destroyed, they will explode but it won't harm the player.

Like other heat-seeking missiles, the SAMs can be deterred by using the Hydra's secondary fire, which launches flares.

Grand Theft Auto Online[]

SAM-GTAO

A S.A.M. site in GTA Online.

Surface-to-air Missile launchers return in Grand Theft Auto Online, in the Doomsday Heist update, S.A.M. sites are largely similar to the GTA San Andreas rendition, but they have a simplistic design. They behave the same way as before, detecting a nearby aircraft and shooting a homing missile.

They appear during the setup mission "Air Defenses", where the players have to destroy several S.A.M. sites around Mount Chiliad using the Volatol bomber plane.

S.A.M. launchers based on the RIM-116 system can be found on the USS Luxington introduced in the Heists update, however, these are part of the scenery and are never seen in use.

S.A.M. launchers reappear in The Cayo Perico Heist update. They are located throughout the island of Cayo Perico, having been installed by Juan Strickler, in order to protect his compound. During The Cayo Perico Heist Finale, the player has the option to disable the island's main air defenses, allowing air support from hired crew members and the option to escape the island using an air vehicle. The compound's air defenses, being independent from the main ones, cannot be disabled.

Navigation[]

Navigation
[ ve ]Weapons
ListsAll Weapons | Category | Beta Weapons | Cutscene Weapons
TypesMelee weapons | Handguns | Machine pistols | Submachine guns | Shotguns | Assault rifles | Sniper rifles | Throwables | Vehicle Mounted Weapons
Weapons inGTA VI | GTA Online | GTA V | Chinatown Wars | GTA IV (The Lost and Damned, The Ballad of Gay Tony) | Vice City Stories | Liberty City Stories | Advance | GTA San Andreas | GTA Vice City | GTA III | GTA 2 | GTA and London Packs
CategoriesGTA VI | GTA Online | GTA V | Chinatown Wars | GTA IV (The Lost and Damned, The Ballad of Gay Tony) | Vice City Stories | Liberty City Stories | Advance | GTA San Andreas | GTA Vice City | GTA III | GTA 2 | GTA and London Packs
Related topicsPickups | Ammu-Nation | Phil's Army Surplus | Phil's Place | Phil Cassidy's Fully Cocked Gun Shop | Stonewall J's | Weapon Vehicles | Shooting Ranges | Drive-By Shooting | Cover System
[ ve ]Weapons in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
UnarmedFist | Brass Knuckles
MeleeBaseball Bat | Chainsaw | Golf Club | Katana | Knife | Nightstick | Pool Cue | Shovel
HandgunDesert Eagle | Pistol/9mm | Silenced Pistol/9mm
ShotgunCombat Shotgun | Shotgun | Sawn-Off Shotgun
SMGMicro SMG | SMG | Tec9
AssaultAK-47 | M4
SniperRifle/Country Rifle | Sniper Rifle
HeavyFlamethrower | Rocket Launcher | Heat-Seeking Rocket Launcher | Minigun
ThrownGrenade | Molotov | Satchel Charges/Remote Explosives | Tear Gas
Consumable ItemsFire Extinguisher | Spray Can | Camera
GiftsCane | Dildo | Flowers | Vibrator
SpecialCar Bomb | Detonator | Night Vision | Parachute | Thermal Vision
OtherCrates | Surface-to-Air Missile | Flares | Vibrator 1 | Dildo 2
BetaGlock | Python | Mac-10 | MP5K | PSG1 | M60 | Nail Bat | Meat Cleaver | Machete | Screwdriver | Sledgehammer | Hammer | Skateboard | Stubby Shotgun | Land Mine
[ ve ]Weapons in Grand Theft Auto Online
MeleeAntique Cavalry Dagger | Baseball Bat | Battle Axe | Bottle | Candy Cane | Crowbar | Fist | Flashlight | Golf Club | Hammer | Hatchet | Knife | Knuckle Dusters | Machete | Nightstick | Pipe Wrench | Pool Cue | Switchblade | Stone Hatchet
HandgunsAP Pistol | Ceramic Pistol | Combat Pistol | Double-Action Revolver | Flare Gun | Heavy Pistol | Heavy Revolver (Mk II) | Marksman Pistol | Navy Revolver | Pistol (Mk II) | Pistol .50 | Perico Pistol | SNS Pistol (Mk II) | Stun Gun | Up-n-Atomizer | Vintage Pistol | WM 29 Pistol
ShotgunsAssault Shotgun | Bullpup Shotgun | Combat Shotgun | Double Barrel Shotgun | Heavy Shotgun | Musket | Pump Shotgun (Mk II) | Sawed-Off Shotgun | Sweeper Shotgun
Machine GunsAssault SMG | Combat MG (Mk II) | Combat PDW | Gusenberg Sweeper | Machine Pistol | MG | Micro SMG | Mini SMG | SMG (Mk II) | Tactical SMG | Unholy Hellbringer
AssaultAdvanced Rifle | Assault Rifle (Mk II) | Battle Rifle | Bullpup Rifle (Mk II) | Carbine Rifle (Mk II) | Compact Rifle | Heavy Rifle | Military Rifle | Service Carbine | Special Carbine (Mk II)
Sniper RiflesHeavy Sniper (Mk II) | Marksman Rifle (Mk II) | Precision Rifle | Sniper Rifle
HeavyCompact Grenade Launcher (EMP | Snowball) | Firework Launcher | Grenade Launcher | Homing Launcher | Minigun | Railgun | RPG | Widowmaker
ThrownAcid Package | Flare | Grenade | Jerry Can (Hazardous | Fertilizer) | Molotov | Proximity Mines | Pipe Bomb | Snowballs | Sticky Bomb | Tear Gas (BZ)
SpecialCar Bomb | Fireworks | Hacking Device | Metal Detector | Orbital Cannon | Parachute
.
Beta/UnknownAssault MG | Assault Sniper | Dippo | Fire Axe | Fire Extinguisher | Laser | Laser Sight | Lasso | Loudhailer | Programmable AR | Rubber Gun | Shovel | Tear Gas Launcher
ManufacturersCoil | Hawk & Little | Shrewsbury | Vom Feuer
Related PagesWeapon Wheel | Attachments | Ammu-Nation | Gun Van | Weapon Workshop | Weaponized Vehicles (Workshop)
DLC Content Weapons
The Chop Shop | San Andreas Mercenaries | Los Santos Drug Wars | The Criminal Enterprises | The Contract | Los Santos Tuners | The Cayo Perico Heist | Los Santos Summer Special | The Diamond Casino Heist | The Diamond Casino & Resort | Arena War | After Hours | Southern San Andreas Super Sport Series | The Doomsday Heist | Smuggler's Run | Gunrunning | Cunning Stunts: Special Vehicle Circuit | Import/Export | Bikers | Cunning Stunts | Further Adventures in Finance and Felony | Lowriders: Custom Classics | Be My Valentine | January 2016 Update | Festive Surprise 2015 | Executives and Other Criminals | Halloween Surprise | Lowriders | Freemode Events Update | Ill-Gotten Gains Part 2 | Ill-Gotten Gains Part 1 | Heists | Festive Surprise | The Last Team Standing Update | The San Andreas Flight School Update | The Independence Day Special | The "I'm Not a Hipster" Update | The High Life Update | The Business Update | The Valentine's Day Massacre Special | Holiday Gifts | Beach Bum Update

Other Weapons
Enhanced Version | Special/Collector's Edition and Pre-Order Bonus | Rockstar Games Social Club
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