The S.A.M. Battery (Surface-to-Air Missile) is a trap that is triggered by nearby Aircraft. When triggered, it would strike the Aircraft with missiles severely damaging it.
They are considered the most important defense in the game; attackers fear them more than any other defense. When scouting a base for an alliance mate, locating them is the most important scouting measure
They also target helicopters; so any flying objects; including the general Zhukov
Historical Description[]
The S.A.M. Battery is a device still used today in aerial defense although not necessarily in a static form. The concept of a S.A.M. system originated in 1925 but was unsuccessful. The first actual attempts at developing a S.A.M. system came in WW2 when the German military and Allied powers both attempted to create an advanced form of AA. The Germans never completed their projects successfully but had proposed several guided Flak rockets that could reach heights up to 60,000 feet. The Allied powers had an unguided S.A.M. system operating with the name "Z Battery" but was rarely used due to their air superiority at the time. The first real guided S.A.M. systems came in the Vietnam war.
Remember, planes will take the shortest path from the edge to get to your buildings, so place the S.A.M. Battery on the side of the building you want to protect that's closest to the edge of the map.
Do not place multiple SAMs in close proximity to each other, so a Space Shuttle's Scan does not disable multiple SAMs in war.
Offensive Strategies[]
In war, using a cheap/free troop tactic, such as Zeros, is a common way to trigger SAMs early in the battle
Helicopters also trigger SAMs; so if you know or suspect a SAM is on the edge, place a helicopter there first so trigger the SAM
If you have a scout for war, make sure you ask them to find the SAMs; ideally using many helicopters, fighters, and all sabotage