Vympel R-77

Mission

The Missile Russian R-77 is a air-to-air Missile with average/long range and guidance active radar. It is able to cut down any type of flying machine at very low altitude until 25000m with a range going until 175km for version R-77M1. It is currently the missile of air Supériorité most advanced in the world. Even if it outclasses AIM-120 AMRAAM in several fields, it is called AMRAAMski for its resemblance more on the profile of use that on esthetics.

Development

The development of the R-77 began in 1982. He was regarded as very secret, since it was the first missile " draw and oublie" of general employment, as well to fight against tactical hunters as of the strategic bombers or even of the helicopters flying at very low altitude. According to Gennadiy Sokolovski, Design General Office Designer of the company Vympel, it would have also anti-missile capacities. The development occurred rather quickly and well, but the collapse of the Soviet Union delayed its service entrance until 1994. Since, it is the air-to-air missile average carried standard for the Mig-29 and Known-27. It is also offered to export since the Popular republic of China and the Peru come from of équiper.
In 2000, the development of the version R-77M1 with the much higher capacities is launched. Leaving the traditional rocket motor for this type of missile, it receives a Statoréacteur slightly increasing its speed and its acceleration, and practically doubling its range (175km)!
In the projects of evolution, one finds a version R-77E , which would be equipped with an accelerator with powder in order to give him even more lengthening-piece, but also in order to make a Ground-to-air missile of it of air defense.

Construction

Guidance

R-77 is equipped with an autonomous guidance system. Like its principal competitor AIM-120 AMRAAM, it is drawn in direction from a target lit by the Radar of the plane gunner. Once drawn, it continues its trajectory in inertial navigation with update by the Radar of the launcher, then once with range it activates its own radar and moves on its target. The system would be very resistant to jamming, however in the event of jamming, it passes in passive mode and is guided on the origin of the emission. A version has guidance Infrarouge would be also under development.

Control

It is one of the great forces of R-77. Its guidance system is revolutionist. It gives up the traditional ailerons of its counterpart AIM-120 AMRAAM and adopts in the fixed place 4 drifts in the middle of the fuselage and of the " grills" folding and directional instead of the back ailerons. The handiness obtained thanks to the coupling of these grids and the vectorial Tuyère of its engine makes it very difficult to avoid. But this system presents however a disadvantage. The grids being of very good reflecting Radar, it would be easily locatable. Versions R-77M 1 R- 77E exchange the drifts of semi-fuselage against 4 air intake to feed the Statoréacteur.

Warhead

The warhead of R-77 is made up of 30kg of explosive with fragmentation. It is a large advantage on the AIM-120 AMRAAM which in its versions C and D carries only 18kg of it. This strong load make it very effective against the target of large size (Transport aircraft, of supply, AWACS…) but also very dangerous, of share the breath created, towards the apparatuses smaller, standard helicopters. The firing takes place thanks to a rocket with detection of proximity by Laser.

Propulsion

The propulsion of the initial version R-77 is entrusted to a rocket motor with traditional fuel. Version R-77M1 exchanges this rocket motor against a Statoréacteur offering a range much larger to him. Future version R-77E will combine these two modes of propulsion in order to go even further.

Versions

  • R-77: initial version
  • R-77M1: version very improved, propulsion by Ramjet, carried 175km
  • R-77E: version under development, accelerator with powder, range higher than 200km, possible Ground-to-air version.

Vectors

  • Russia
    • Mig-21
    • Mig-23
    • Known-27 and derived Known-33, Known-34, Known-35, Known-37
    • Mig-29 and Mig-33 derivative
    • Mig-31 M
    • You-160 for the self-defense. Note that a development project of a version of the You-160 was to be used as platform of launching of a great number of R-77 to intercept the airfreighters connecting the the United States and the Europe.
    • Yak-141

Weapons of the same type

With the combat

No information available.

Vis-a-vis its competitors

Vis-a-vis an aircraft equipped with AIM-120 AMRAAM, a Known-35 is likely all to carry the combat. R-77, especially in its M1 version being more handy, faster and having a higher range. Against an aircraft equipped with MICA ER the advantage would be even more obvious being given the difference in range. It is too early to be able to compare it with the Meteor.

External bonds

  • Article, many photographs, sistemadearmas
  • Article, Warfare.ru
  • Article, Federation off American Scientists
  • Article, globalsecurity.org

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