R-37 (missile)
| R-37 AA-X-13 Arrow | |
|---|---|
|
R-37M at 2013 MAKS Airshow | |
| Type | air-to-air missile |
| Place of origin | Russia |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 600 kilograms (1,320 lb) |
| Length | 4.20 metres (13 ft 9 in) |
| Diameter | 38 centimetres (15 in) |
| Warhead | HE, fragmenting |
| Warhead weight | 60 kg (135 lb) |
|
| |
| Wingspan | 0.7 m (2 ft 4 in) |
| Propellant | Solid rocket |
Operational range | 150-398 km [1] |
| Speed | Mach 6 |
Guidance system | Inertial with mid-course update, semi-active and active radar homing |
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The Vympel R-37 (NATO reporting name: AA-X-13/AA-13 Arrow)[2] is a Russian air-to-air missile with very long range. The missile and its variants also had the names K-37, izdeliye 610 and R-VD (Raketa-Vysokaya Dalnost, "Very Long Range Missile"), and the NATO codenames 'Arrow' and 'Andi'.[3] It was developed from the R-33 (missile).
It was designed to shoot down AWACS and other C4ISTAR aircraft[2] whilst keeping the launch platform out of range of any fighters that might be protecting the target.
Design
The R-37 was developed from the R-33 (missile). For compatibility with aircraft that did not have the MiG-31's sophisticated radar, the semi-active seeker was replaced with a variant of the Agat 9B-1388 active seeker;[2] mid-body strakes enhance lift[2] and hence range, and folding tail controls allow semi-conformal carriage[2] on planes that are not as big as the MiG-31. According to Defence Today the range depends on the flight profile, from 80 nautical miles (150 km) for a direct shot[2] to 215 nautical miles (398 km) for a cruise glide profile.[2] According to Jane's there are two variants, the R-37 and the R-37M; the latter has a jettisonable rocket booster that increases the range to "300-400km" (160–220 nm).[3]
The R-37M designation has since been used for a modernized variant of the missile, also known as RVV-BD. This will be carried by the modernized MiG-31BM and Su-35S fighters. It is not known if the long range air-to-air missile for the PAK FA, designated the izdeliye 810, is a derivative of the R-37M.
The missile can attack targets ranging in altitude between 15–25,000 metres.[4]
History
The missile was designed in the early 1980s and first flown in 1989.[3] Testing of the R-37 continued through the 1990s;[3] in 1994 a trial round scored a kill at a range of 162 nautical miles (300 km).[2] However, the program appears to have been dropped around 1998 on grounds of cost.[3]
Work on the missile appears to have restarted in late 2006,[3] as part of the MiG-31BM program[3] to update the Foxhound with a new radar and ground attack capability.
Production
The R-37 is now in production to equip upgraded Russian MiG-31BM Foxhound interceptors. Despite the early intent to integrate the weapon on the Flanker, this has yet to be reported.[5]
Similar weapons
References
- ↑ http://www.ausairpower.net/SP/DT-Missile-Survey-May-05.pdf
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Missiles in the Asia Pacific" (PDF), Defence Today, Amberley, Queensland: Strike Publications: 67, May 2005
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "R-37, R-37M (AA-X-13) (Russian Federation), Air-to-air missiles - Beyond visual range", Jane's Air-Launched Weapons, Jane’s Information Group, 2009-01-12, archived from the original on September 14, 2008
- ↑ http://www.missiles.ru/RVV-BD.htm
- ↑ Russian Air Force Tests New Air-to-Air Missile