The Russian media often talk about the rearmament of the Air Force, with particular emphasis on the supply of new aircraft. There is some truth in this: the Su-35S, Su-30SM and Su-34 supplied to the troops are indeed new-built vehicles, although purely constructively they are all modernized Su-27. At the same time, even someone who is far from modern aviation understands that any modern combat aircraft is a complex. In every sense of the word. And without modern weapons, the fighter has absolutely nothing to do in the sky, apart from reconnaissance missions. We are most interested in medium-range air-to-air missiles - the main weapon of a modern fighter in aerial combat. How can the VKS respond to a potential enemy?
R-27R / ER
Numerous photo and video materials allow us to say with a high degree of confidence that even now the main air-to-air missile in the Aerospace Forces is the R-27.
"R-27 are the main missiles of Russian aviation, at one time a large number of them were produced," military expert Anton Lavrov told Izvestia in 2019. We see no reason to doubt his words: we observe this rocket on separate sides flying in Syria, and it also appears in the photographs taken during exercises in the Russian Federation itself.
The details are much more interesting. In open sources, you can find information about a variety of modifications, including the R-27P with a passive radar homing head 9B1032 and the semi-mythical R-27AE with an active radar homing head, that is, a conditional analogue of the AIM-120 AMRAAM. However, it is more of a fantasy.
The main modification of the missile is the R-27R / ER with a semi-active radar homing head. At the time of its introduction into service in 1987, it fully met the requirements of the time, although it did not represent anything revolutionary. However, now it can no longer be considered modern. Semi-active radar seeker catches the tracking radar signal reflected from the target. Thus, the pilot must "lead" the target until the moment of its defeat, having relatively modest angles of permissible maneuvering. At the same time, modern missiles, such as AMRAAM, have active radar homing, which allows the product to self-aim at the target on the final section of the route, without constraining the pilot in maneuvering.
This year it became known about the modernization of the R-27. "Now the R-27 is capable of hitting complex targets, including cruise missiles, drones and fifth-generation aircraft," Izvestia wrote. These general phrases do not give an idea of the real potential of the upgraded missile. However, from the outside, the modernization of the R-27 looks like a forced measure in the face of a lack of funds, technologies and experience in the use of modern missiles.
Moreover, the experience of using the R-27 missile during the Ethiopian-Eritrean conflict has shown the relatively low effectiveness of such missiles. On the Web, you can find data with reference to Chinese experts: allegedly out of 100 missiles fired, about five hit the target. This is not surprising: during the Vietnam War, the American AIM-7 Sparrow showed a similar result, which cannot be said about the AIM-120, which have long proven their effectiveness.
R-27T / ET
As you can see in the footage from the Syrian airbase Khmeimim, the Su-35S fighters of the Russian Aerospace Forces flew with R-27T missiles. This is a version of the R-27 with an infrared homing head and a fire-and-forget action, generally the same as that used on short-range air-to-air missiles.
Inherited the R-27T and the shortcomings of its "younger" brothers. In open sources, the launch range of the R-27T is mentioned in the region of 50 kilometers, while for the "energy" R-27ET this figure is already 70. However, in real conditions, such an indicator can be achieved only when the rocket is launched into the rear hemisphere: when launched into the front hemisphere for a small target, the range will probably not exceed the launch range of short-range infrared missiles such as R-73 and AIM-9.
The launch range into the front hemisphere of the later versions of the AIM-9 is approximately 20 kilometers: most likely, the R-27ET's performance is similar. Taking into account the growth in the effectiveness of medium-range missiles and the withdrawal of short-range missiles, the meaning of the "hybrid" in the form of the R-27T / ET is not clear. In fact, this is an old rocket, which is long overdue to take a place in the aviation museum: it is large, heavy, with a low launch range and limited maneuverability. Now it has no advantages over modern short-range missiles or medium-range products.
R-77 (RVV-AE)
A domestic medium-range missile (more than 100 kilometers) with an active radar homing head was officially adopted back in 1994, but this step had nothing to do with reality. The product, if ever, was seen at international exhibitions and within the framework of contracts concluded with partners of the Russian Federation.
Positive changes in this sense partially coincided with the appearance in the RF Aerospace Forces of the modernized Su-27 (Su-27SM, Su-30SM, Su-30MK2, Su-35S, Su-34), as well as the MiG-29SMT capable (at least in theory) to use such products. One of the first more or less reliable evidence of the presence of R-77 missiles in the arsenal of the RF Aerospace Forces was the footage shown in 2016: then experts noticed Su-35S fighters with R-77 missiles (aircraft side numbers: 03, 04, 05, 06).
And in 2015, it became known about the purchase with the number 0173100004515001647, information about which can be found on the Main Procurement Portal. This is a tender for the supply of product 170-1, also known as RVV-SD. This is a further development of the RVV-AE rocket. The RVV-SD variant was presented ten years ago: the missile has a range of up to 110 km.
There is also information on the development of the Product 180 (K-77M) and Product 180-BD missiles, partially optimized for use by Russian fifth-generation Su-57 fighters.
The prospects of the R-77 for the RF Aerospace Forces are unknown, especially given the financial difficulties in the country and information about the modernization of the old Soviet R-27 (despite the fact that the Americans sent their Sparrow for storage a long time ago).
What are the reasons that the new missile has not replaced old products in the arsenal of the Aerospace Forces? Perhaps there are technical problems with the R-77 family. Recall that in 2019, the Indian television company NDTV said that the declared launch range of the R-77 of 80 kilometers could not be confirmed in a real air battle with the Pakistanis, while the latter attacked Indian aircraft with AIM-120 missiles at a distance of about 100 kilometers.
However, this kind of information should also be treated with caution. First, when a medium-range air-to-air missile is launched from a distance of 100 kilometers at a fighter-type target, the chance of hitting a target is modest by default. Especially if the target is to maneuver. Secondly, Indians like to criticize their partners who supply them with weapons. Both Russians and, for example, the French. And India did not and does not have its own military-industrial complex, which would meet the requirements of the 21st century.
As for Russia, the difficulties with medium-range missiles are obvious. At the same time, it is important to understand that without a full-fledged re-equipment of the Aerospace Forces from old Soviet products to modern missiles with an active radar homing head, the supply of new equipment has a rather limited meaning. In fact, this is only support for the Air Force at the level of previous decades.
Perhaps in future materials we will analyze Russian (and not only) short- and long-range air-to-air missiles. Moreover, there are no less myths around than around RVV-AE.
