R-27 (air-to-air missile)
The Vympel R-27 (NATO reporting name AA-10 Alamo) is a family of air-to-air missile developed by the Soviet Union. It remains in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces, air forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States and air forces of many other countries as standard medium range air-to-air missile even though they have the more advanced R-77.
| R-27 AA-10 Alamo | |
|---|---|
German Air Force MiG-29 firing an R-27 | |
| Type | Medium-range, air-to-air BVR missile; anti-radiation missile |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1983–present |
| Wars | Iran–Iraq War Eritrean–Ethiopian War Russo-Ukrainian War Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Vympel (Russia) Artem (Ukraine) |
| Unit cost | N/A |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 253 kg (558 lb) |
| Length | 4.08 m (13.4 ft) |
| Diameter | 230 mm (9.1 in) |
| Wingspan | 772 mm (30.4 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 |
Operational range | R-27T: up to 40 km (25 mi) R-27T1: up to 80 km (50 mi) R-27ET: up to 120 km (75 mi) R-27ET1: up to 80 km (50 mi) R-27R: up to 73 km (45 mi) R-27R1: up to 75 km (47 mi) R-27ER: up to 130 km (81 mi) R-27ER1: up to 100 km (62 mi) R-27P: up to 80 km (50 mi) R-27EP: up to 130 km (81 mi) R-27EA: up to 130 km (81 mi) R-27EM: up to 170 km (110 mi) |
| Flight altitude | N/A |
| Maximum speed | Mach 4.5 |
Guidance system | semi-active radar homing (R-27R/ER), active-radar-homing (R-27EA), infrared homing (R-27T/ET), passive radiation homing (R-27P/EP) |
Launch platform | Su-27, Su-30, Su-33, Su-34, Su-35, Su-37, F-14 (done by Iran), MiG-23, MiG-29, Yak-141, local conversion as a surface-to-air missile in Yemen |
The R-27 is manufactured in infrared-homing (R-27T, R-27ET), semi-active-radar-homing (R-27R, R-27ER), and active-radar-homing (R-27EA) versions. R-27 family missiles are produced by both Russian and Ukrainian manufacturers. The R-27 missile is carried by the Mikoyan MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-27 family fighters. The R-27 missile is also license-produced in China, though the production license was bought from Ukraine instead of Russia.