R-33 (missile)
The R-33 (Russian: Вымпел Р-33, NATO reporting name: AA-9 Amos) is a long-range air-to-air missile developed by Vympel. It is the primary armament of the MiG-31 interceptor, intended to attack large high-speed targets such as the SR-71 Blackbird, the B-1 Lancer bomber, and the B-52 Stratofortress.
| R-33 AA-9 Amos | |
|---|---|
R-33 on MiG-31 at Zhukovski, 1999 | |
| Type | Long range air-to-air missile |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 490 kg (1,080 lb) |
| Length | 4.14 m (13 ft 7 in) |
| Diameter | 380 mm (15 in) |
| Wingspan | 1.12 m (3 ft 8 in) |
| Warhead | 47.5 kg (105 lb) |
| Engine | solid fuel rocket |
Operational range | 120 km (75 mi) - 1981 160 km (99 mi) - 1999 304 km (189 mi) - 2012 |
| Maximum speed | Mach 4.5 (R-37) |
Guidance system | inertial and semi-active radar homing; terminal active radar homing (R-33S) |
It uses a combination of semi-active radar homing for initial acquisition and mid-course updates, and inertial navigation to reach the target at extreme range. The Zaslon phased array radar of MiG-31 allows six missiles to be guided simultaneously at separate targets.
The R-33 AAM remains in service with the CIS and Russian forces (See MiG-31 operators).
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