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The S-75 Dvina (Russian: С-75; NATO reporting name SA-2 Guideline) is a Soviet-designed, high-altitude, command guided, surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. Since its first deployment in 1957, it has become the most widely-deployed and -used air defense missile in history, scoring the first successful engagement of an enemy aircraft by a SAM ever, shooting down a Taiwanese RB-57D over China, on October 7, 1959 by hitting it with three V-750 (1D) missiles at an altitude of 20 km (65,600 ft).<br/><br/> This system first gained international fame when an S-75 battery, using the newer, longer range and higher altitude V-750VN (13D) missile shot down the U-2 of Francis Gary Powers overflying the Soviet Union on May 1, 1960. The system was also deployed in Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis, where on October 27, 1962, it shot down the U-2 flown by Rudolf Anderson, almost precipitating a nuclear war.<br/><br/> Later, North Vietnamese forces used the S-75 extensively during the Vietnam War to defend Hanoi and Haiphong with some considerable success, especially during Operations Linebacker 1 and 2 in 1972. During these operations the PAVN claim 755 USAF aircraft destroyed including 34 B52 bombers, while the US admits to 159 aircraft lost including 16 B 52 bombers.