Western analysts studying Russian air-to-air missiles used to think inferior electronics made them heavier without being more effective. This has been discovered to have been false.

The Vympel R-27 medium-range missile (code name AA-10 Alamo), in service since 1983, is more than equivalent to the U.S. AIM-7 Sparrow. Its replacement, the Vympel R-77, is acknowledged to have longer range and greater agility than the Air Force's most modern weapon, the radar-guided advanced medium-range air-to-air missile (AMRAMM).

The most alarming Russian missile is the Vympel R-73E, known by its NATO code name AA-11 Archer. It is the "King Kong of the visual-range fight." Its front and rear control fins are augmented with a thrust-vectoring system that deflects hot gases from the rocket motor, greatly enhancing turning performance.

A Vympel R-73E can be launched from a fighter that's turning hard, at a target far off to one side. The instant it comes off the launch rail, the missile veers sharply toward its prey. Flight time is short, leaving the target little time for evasion.

Able to scan 90 degrees off center in any direction, the R-73E's infrared seeker lets a fighter pilot lock onto any target in the hemisphere of space in front of his aircraft. The seeker can even be slaved to the pilots helmet-mounted sight, so that all the shooter has to do is look at the enemy and press a button.

Vympel is working on a new missile, based on the R-73E, which can be fired backward. Designers have been thinking about rear-defense missiles for years.

Mounting a missile backward is allows its seeker to lock-on even before the pilot pushes the launch button. But because the aircraft is moving forward, the missile is actually flying tail-first and backward as it comes off the rail. It must then accelerate through zero airspeed before its aerodynamics flight-control fins can start to work. Vectored thrust--in which Vympel has a 15-year lead--is the only way to control such a missile.

Russian IR missiles compared:

      Warhead    Range
R-23T (Apex)    217kg IR     35km
R-27T (Alamo-B)     254kg IR     70km
R-27TE(AlamoC)    350kg IR               120km (!)
R-60 (Aphid)    45kg IR      10km
R-73 (Archer)   110kg IR     40km

R-27

“...It can destroy targets at any aspect angle, both in daylight and at night, in good or bad weather. Its guidance system is resistant to natural interference and ECM, and capable of tracking targets against ground and water clutter. The R-27 can engage targets ranging in altitude from 25m to 20km with elevation up to 10km. The targets can fly at speeds up to 2500km/h and with g-load up to 8 Gs." The TE model apparently has an added booster to extend its range.

Python 4: Fourth Generation A/A missile made by Rafael

Main Features:

• In operational use in the Israeli Air Force
• Revolutionary no escape volume
• Unique aerodynamic configuration for superior agility
• State-of-the-art, high performance seeker
• Advanced IRCM & background rejection capabilities
• Highly effective fragmentation warhead

News Article from the Paris Air Show, June, 1997

In 1996, Israel finally unveiled the latest addition its air-to-air combat armory, the Rafael Python-4 Although speculation about the existence of the weapon had been widespread, official confirmation of its existence and capabilities caused a stir all over the world.

Rafael stresses that the new short-range missile is not simply an extension to its range of Shafrir and Python products, but a step advance to a true fourth-generation infra-red-guided look-and-shoot missile.

Its primary advance it to expand the "no-escape" zone within which an enemy aircraft has no hope of evading the missile. with an increased velocity and high offboresight capability, the Python-4 enlarges the no-escape volume dramatically to almost any frontal target. In short, any aircraft in the pilot’s forward field of vision within range will be destroyed regardless of its flightpath or of any evasive maneuver it makes up to 9G.

To achieve this, the Python-4 not only needs the power and aerodynamics to make fast turns, but also requires special-pursuit trajectory algorithms. For example, the missile may cut across the path of an evading aircraft to pursue it through a high-g turn. Previous missiles would simply have lost the target. Such trajectories - and from a wide range of angles.

Rafael adds that the Python-4 is not a development project but a mature weapon system. As the Israeli defense ministry revealed in 1996, and operational with the Israeli air force.

For more on the F15 go to Part 1

Novator KS-172 AAM-L

First revealed early in 1993, this heavy missile marks the debut in the AM field of the little-known Novator experimental bureau. The specification for this weapon was issued in mid 1991, probably as armament for the Su-27 and -35. If it flies, this impressive missile will be the world's largest and heaviest air to air missile. Launched by a solid-propellant tandem booster, the KS-172 will have a maximum range of 400 km (249 miles), attacking its targets with an adaptive high explosive fragmenting warhead. The initial flight phase will be under the command of an inertial guidence system, receiving updates on target position via a command link. In the final stages of flight, it will switch to an active radar homing head.

In addition, the supersonic, passive radar homing, long range Kh-31P can be used as an air-to-air anti-radar missile, especially against vulnerable allied aircraft like the E-3 Sentry AWACS platform or the E-8-J-STARS. Russian tactical doctrine emphasizes the importance of such aircraft as targets, and the best and most experienced pilots are trained in co-ordinated attacks against such aircraft and their fighter protection...from "Allies and Adversaries" by World Air Power.

FMRAAM "Meteor" for the EF2000

from Janes Defence Weekly

Europe's largest missile motor manufacturer, Celerg of France, is increasing efforts to persuade the UK Ministry of Defence and industry that its propulsion proposal for the Royal Air Force's Future Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (FMRAAM) is the optimum solution in this hotly contested Pds900 million competition writes Nick Cook.

While the UK general election has almost certainly contributed to a substantial postponement in the award of FMRAAM, the delay has, at least, allowed the two teams - one led by Matra British Aerospace Dynamics, the other by Hughes UK - to tighten up their submissions.

As Missiles & Rockets was prepared for press, it was widely anticipated that FMRAAM - the primary interception weapon for RAF EF 2000s - would move into a risk reduction (RR) phase, with token RR contract awards from the MoD to both teams. Until late last year, the competitors had been hoping that the UK Government would sign a full scale development and production contract prior to the election, which is set for 1 May.

The delay has allowed Celerg to step up efforts to convince Matra BAe that its liquid fuel ramjet motor is the best technical approach to the propulsion needs of the Meteor missile.

Meteor, which is also backed by LFK (DASA) of Germany, Alenia of Italy, Saab of Sweden and GEC-Marconi of the UK, faces the Hughes-led FMRAAM, essentially a ramjet-powered variant of the US company's Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile. Effective range is estimated at 70 km. The Hughes FMRAAM's Rascal liquid fuel ramjet is proposed by Aerospatiale.

The company entered dialogue with Matra BAe Dynamics at the beginning of last year. Initial discussions centered on Celerg's wide experience in solid, liquid and ducted rocket air-breathing missile propulsion technology. The French company then submitted bids based on both a liquid fuel design and another on a solid fuel `unchoked' ducted ramjet (UDR) system in May 1996.

Competition for selection on Meteor came from Bayern Chemie, which is owned by Thomson-CSF and DASA. The Bayern Chemie motor is understood to be a variable flow ducted rocket (VFDR) ramjet based on boron fuel technology.

At the end of last year, Celerg shelved its UDR motor proposal to Matra BAe and concentrated on the liquid fuel design instead. A liquid fuel ramjet has a negligible visible exhaust plume and is stealthier in the infrared spectrum.

Matra BAe Dynamics has not yet chosen its missile motor for FMRAAM, but is expected to do so in the coming months.