R-27 (air-to-air missile)

Vympel R-27R
Vympel R-27R
	;
Type	Medium-range, air-to-air tactical missile
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1983- present
Production history
Manufacturer	Vympel
Unit cost	N/A
Specifications
Weight	253 kg (560 lb)
Length	4.08 m (13.4 ft)
Diameter	230 mm (9.1 in)
Warhead	blast/fragmentation, or continuous rod
Warhead weight	39 kg (86 lb)
Detonation; mechanism	radar-proximity and impact fuzes
Engine	High performance, w. directed-rocket motor; Solid-fuel rocket motor
Wingspan	772 mm (30.4 in)
Operational; range	R-27R: up to 80 km; R-27T: up to 70 km; R-27ER: up to 130 km; R-27ET: up to 120 km; R-27AE up to 130 km; R-27EM: up to 170km[citation needed]
Flight altitude	N/A
Speed	Mach 2.5 to 4.5 (Depending on altitude and weather conditions.)
Guidance; system	semi-active radar homing
Launch; platform	* Su-27, Su-30, Su-33, Su-34, Su-35, MiG-29, Mig-23, Yak-141, PAK FA

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R-27 T

R-73Ae, R-27R1(AeR1), R-27T1(AeT1), and Kh-59MAe at MACS, Zhukovski, 1999.

The Vympel R-27 missile (with the NATO reporting name AA-10 Alamo) is a medium-to-long-range air-to-air missile developed by the Soviet Union. It remains in service with the Russian Air Force and air forces of the former Commonwealth of Independent States.

The R-27 is manufactured in infrared-homing (R-27T), semi-active-radar-homing (R-27R), and active-radar-homing (R-27AE) versions, in both Russia and the Ukraine. The R-27 missile is carried by the Mikoyan MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-27 fighters, and some of the later-model MiG-23MLD fighters have also been adapted to carry it. The R-27 missile is also license-produced in the PRC, though the production license was bought from Ukraine instead of Russia. The Chinese versions have a different active radar seeker taken from the Vympel R-77 missile, which was sold to the PRC by Russia.

[edit] Variants

R-27R AA-10 Alamo-A, semi-active radar homing. Launch range from Mach 1.4, 11 km altitude: 60 km (head-on) / 21 km (tail-on). Minimum launch range under same conditions 2 km (head-on) / 0.5 to 0.6 km (tail-on).^[1] Up to 80 km under optimal conditions^{[citation needed]}
R-27T AA-10 Alamo-B, infrared homing, passive homing using the Avtomatika 9B-1032 (PRGS-27) IR seeker head. Weight 248 kg. Range is said to be 70 km under optimal conditions. The R-27T missile does not possess a data-link, which makes it useful only at much shorter ranges at head-on engagements, however. At tail-on engagements the longer physical reach can be fully utilized.
R-27ER AA-10 Alamo-C, the semi-active-radar homing extended-range version, which is 70 cm longer and slightly wider. Range up to 130 km under optimal conditions. Entered service 1990.
R-27ET AA-10 Alamo-D, the infrared-homing extended-range version, which is 70 cm longer and slightly wider, range of 120 km under optimal conditions using the Avtomatika 9B-1032 (PRGS-27) seeker head. Weight 348 kg. Entered service in 1990. The R-27ET missile does not possess a data-link, which makes it useful only at much shorter ranges at head-on engagements, however. At tail-on engagements the longer physical reach can be fully utilized.
R-27AE AA-10 Alamo-E, active-radar-homing long-range version. Range 1.0 km to 130 km.^{[citation needed]} Weight 349 kg.
R-27EM, naval version. Semi-active-radar homing with an upgraded seeker head, enabling it to engage targets flying at three meters above the sea. Maximum range is 170 km^{[citation needed]} against a head-on target.
R-27P, a passive anti-radiation missile, similar to the US/NATO "Shrike" missile.

[edit] Operational service

[edit] Iraq

Some Russian sources claim that in the Gulf War of 1990-1991 an Iraqi MIG-29 managed to damage an American B-52G, nicknamed "In Harm's Way" with a R-27R missile.^[2] According to USAF the incident was a rather unusual case of friendly-fire: the B-52G defensive gun operator is reported to have locked onto a friendly F-4G Wild Weasel jet on his fire-control radar, suspecting it to be an Iraqi MiG. The Weasel recognized being tracked by a fire-control radar and responded by firing a HARM anti-radiation missile, which hit the B-52. This incident was also the reason the aircraft, which survived the damage, was later nicknamed "In Harm's Way".^[3] The Russian sources claiming R-27 damage to the B-52 also list Iraqi MiG kills in direct contradiction to statements by Iraqi pilots, who deny such kills,^[4] casting doubt upon the veracity of the claims.

[edit] Africa

In the 1999 Eritrean-Ethiopian War, Eritrean MiG-29s fought Ethiopian Su-27s both piloted by Russian mercenaries.^[5] There were possibly as many as 24 R-27s fired by both sides, but they were evaded by their targets. Only one R-27 fired by an Ethiopian Su-27 at an Eritrean MiG-29 proximity-fuzed near enough the MiG that the damaged aircraft eventually crashed on landing.^[6]^[7]