R-77
The Vympel NPO R-77 missile (NATO reporting name: AA-12 Adder) is a Russian active radar homing beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile. It is also known by its export designation RVV-AE. It is the Russian counterpart to the American AIM-120 AMRAAM missile.
| R-77/RVV-AE AA-12 Adder | |
|---|---|
| Type | Beyond visual range air-to-air missile |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1994 (R-77) |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Molnija OKB, Artem, Vympel |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 175 kg (R-77), 190 kg (R-77-1) |
| Length | 3.6 m (R-77), 3.71 m (R-77-1) |
| Diameter | 200 mm |
| Wingspan | 700 mm |
| Warhead | 22.5 kg HE fragmenting (R-77) |
Detonation mechanism | laser proximity fuse |
| Engine | Solid fuel rocket motor (R-77), air-breathing ramjet (R-77-PD) |
Operational range |
|
| Flight altitude | 5–25 km (16,000–82,000 ft) |
| Maximum speed | Mach 4, Mach 5 for K-77PD (RVV-AE-PD) |
Guidance system | Transis guiding phase: Inertial guidance with mid-course SARH and datalink update. Terminal homing phase: Active radar homing/infrared homing (R-77T)/passive radiation homing (R-77P). |
Launch platform | MiG-21UPG, MiG-29, Su-27, Sukhoi Su-30, Sukhoi Su-34, Sukhoi Su-35, Sukhoi Su-57 |
The R-77 was marked by a severely protracted development. Work began in the 1980s, but was not completed before the Soviet Union fell. For many years, only the RVV-AE model was produced for export customers. Production was further disrupted when the Russo-Ukrainian War resulted in a Ukrainian arms embargo against Russia, severing supply chains. The Russian Aerospace Forces finally entered the R-77-1 (AA-12B) into service in 2015. It was subsequently deployed by Su-35S fighters in Syria on combat air patrols. The export model of the R-77-1 is called RVV-SD.