R-37 (missile)
| R-37M AA-13 Axehead | |
|---|---|
_(524-21).jpg) R-37M at 2013 MAKS Airshow | |
| Type | Air-to-air missile |
| Place of origin | Russia |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2019 |
| Used by | Russian Air Force |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Tactical Missiles Corporation |
| Designed | 1980s |
| Manufacturer | Tactical Missiles Corporation |
| Produced | 1985 |
| Variants | R-37M |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 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 | Boost-Sustain Solid Rocket |
Operational range | 150–398 km [1] |
| Maximum speed | Mach 5–Mach 6 (6,125–7,350 km/h; 3,806–4,567 mph) |
Guidance system | Inertial with mid-course update, semi-active and active radar homing |
The Vympel R-37M (NATO reporting name: AA-X-13/AA-13 Axehead)[2] is a Russian hypersonic air-to-air missile with very long range. The missile and its variants also had the names K-37, izdeliye 610 and R-VD (Ракета Высокой Дальности (Raketa-Vysokoy Dalnosty), "Very Long Range Missile"), and the NATO codenames 'Axehead' and 'Andi'.[3] It was developed from the R-33.
It was designed to shoot down tankers, AWACS and other C4ISTAR aircraft[2] while keeping the launch platform out of range of any fighters that might be protecting the target.
History[edit]
The missile was designed in the early 1980s and first flown in 1989.[3] Testing of the R-37 continued through the 1990s,[3] and 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 to update the Foxhound with a new radar and ground attack capability.[3]
In 2018, the R-37M had finished its operational validation tests.[4][5]
Production[edit]
The R-37 is now in production to equip upgraded Russian MiG-31BM interceptors.
Design[edit]
The R-37 was developed from the R-33. 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] Similarly, folding tail controls allow semi-conformal carriage[2] on planes that are not as big as the MiG-31.
Mid-body strakes enhance lift[2] and hence increase range. 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 (Raketa Vozduh-Vozduh Bolyshoy Dalnosty, or Long-Range Air-to-Air Missile). R-37M’s range exceeds 300km, and it is capable of hypersonic speed (~Mach 6) in the final stage of its flight.[6] It will be carried by the modernized MiG-31BM interceptors and Su-35S and Su-57 multirole fighters.[7] It is not known whether the long range air-to-air missile for the Su-57, designated as Izdeliye 810, is a derivative of the R-37M.[citation needed]
The missile can attack targets at altitudes of 15–25,000 meters, guided semi-actively or actively through the Agat 9B-1388 system.[8]
Similar weapons[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ http://www.ausairpower.net/SP/DT-Missile-Survey-May-05.pdf
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Missiles in the Asia Pacific" (PDF), Defence Today: 67, May 2005, archived from the original (PDF) on 26 January 2009
- ^ a b c d e f g "R-37, R-37M (AA-X-13) (Russian Federation), AIR-TO-AIR MISSILES - BEYOND VISUAL RANGE". janes.com. 12 January 2009. Archived from the original on 14 September 2008.
- ^ "New Russian long-range AAM integration to expand to four fighter models - Jane's 360". janes.com. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
- ^ https://www.vpk-news.ru/articles/52503
- ^ "The military tested a long-range missile for the Su-57 (In Russian)". N+1.
- ^ https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/36899/russian-air-to-air-missile-tests-signal-potential-new-capabilities-for-flanker-and-felon
- ^ "Управляемая авиационная ракета класса "воздух-воздух" большой дальности РВВ-БД". missile.ru. October 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2019.