The OSA-AKM antiaircraft artillery squad, arises, as a result of the conflict in Upper Cenepa in which our Armed Forces wrote pages of victory and glory; where the FAP made the acquisition of MIG-29 aircraft, increasing its air power.

The Ecuadorian Armed Forces found it necessary to acquire an armament of greater range and precision antiaircraft, capable of countering the Peruvian air threat, to efficiently fulfill the mission imposed by the Upper Echelon, of providing Antiaircraft Defense to national strategic points and military.

The Air Defense Commission, through a report dated 19-Aug-1996, presents the study of the process of medium-range missile systems, in accordance with the provisions issued by the Joint Command of the Armed Forces.

On Jan 8, 1997, they presented the comparative technical and economic studies of the COTRALE and OSA-AKM “GECKO” surface-to-air missile systems and recommended the acquisition of the SAM-8 system (OSA-AKM) by an effective and low-cost source and Russian-made.

In April 1997, a group of Officials and troops from the three branches of the Armed Forces was formed to carry out the operation and maintenance courses of the Russian-made OSAAKM surface-to-air Missile system in the Republic of Ukraine. From that moment on, the first Operational Unit of the Joint Command of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces was formed.

This unit is stationed in Combat Wing No. 21 Taura, which due to its size within the structure of ALA 21 is considered as Anti-Aircraft Defense Squadron 2114 OSA-AKM, organic of Combat Group 211.