R-73E Russian Air-to-Air Missile
R-73E
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Other
Basic Information
Name
R-73E Russian Air-to-Air Missile
Designation
R-73E
Alternate Designation
—
Equipment Type
—
Manufacturer
Spetztekhnika Vympel, Moscow, Russia
Date of Introduction
1990
Description
The R-73E is the export variant with extended range. The AA-11 Archer (Russian R-73) is an infrared (IR) seeking air-to-air missile (AAM) that has become the benchmark for all IR missiles under development. It is the best short-range AAM in the Russian arsenal and has been cleared for use on a wide variety of aircraft. The Archer is fitted with four sets of cruciform fins, all indexed in line with one another. The lead set of fins is small and mounted on a small pivot arm. The fin area is behind the pivot point. The second set has four fixed, rhomboid, low-aspect-ratio vanes with a notch cut in the trailing edge to accommodate the leading edge of the third set of larger, movable, delta-wing fins.
Air & Air Defense Specifications
Max Speed
2500.0 km/h
Range
30.0 km
Variants
R-73A
This is the domestic Russian air force variant.
R-73E
The R-73E is the export variant with extended range.
R-73M Upgrade/R-74
The versions includes improvements to the seeker and radar that allow the AA-11 to increase its boresight engagement angle from 60 degrees to as much as 90 degrees.
A new algorithm also enhances the missile’s resistance to countermeasures and provides automatic precision selection of the aimpoint. This version may have been redesignated as the R-74.
Two variants of this upgrade have been identified as the R-73M1 and R-72M2 (R-72 RDM-2).
R-73 Rearward-Launched Missile
This variant was once under experimental development; its final disposition is unknown. Test launches were conducted from the Su-27 Flanker at both sub- and supersonic speeds. It was launched in the rear hemisphere of the aircraft and could be utilized in day or night conditions with high ECM and i ntense ground clutter.
Rearward flight was controlled trough "aerogaz dynamic" controls (vectored thrust control). Although similar to the R-73 in many respects, the rearward-launched R-73 had the following characteristics:
System
R-73E Air-to-Air Missile
Name
R-73E
Type
Air-to-Air Missile
Manufacturer
Molniya, Moscow, Russia (designer)
Spetztekhnika Vympel, Moscow, Russia (manufacturer)
Arsenal central design office, Kiev, Ukraine (seeker assembly)
Length
2.90 m
Diameter
170 mm
Wingspan
0.51 m
Maximum Launch Distance, Front Hemisphere
30 km
Maximum Launch Distance, Rear Hemisphere
300 m
Maximum Range
30 km
Minimum Range
200 m
Maximum Target Speed
2,500 km/h, Mach 2.35
Maximum Target Load
12 g
Warhead
conventional high-explosive expanding rod
Guidance System
cooled IR seeker, probably with all-aspect capability, flare countermeasure filters
Details
Country of Origin
Russia
Category
Air-to-Air Missiles
Air > Air-to-Air Missiles
Filter Label
R
Classification
Domain
Air & Air Defense
Equipment Status
Active
Dimensions
Length
2.9 m
Width
0.51 m
Height
—
Weight
—
Operators (25)
Russia
China
Poland
India
Iran
North Korea
Serbia
Belarus
Algeria
Angola
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Bulgaria
Cuba
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Hungary
Malaysia
Peru
Romania
Slovakia
Sudan
Uganda
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
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