Missile type that can help Russian fighters 'blind' US Air Force

The R-37M long-range missile can help Russian fighter jets attack US reconnaissance and electronic warfare equipment at long distances.

KS-172 long-range missile. Photo: Sukhoi

Early warning aircraft (AWACS), equipmentintelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance(ISR), tankers and electronic warfare aircraft are key links that are considered the "eyes" in the US Air Force's combat operations. However, Russia is holding long-range air-to-air missiles that can destroy these links, especially when equipped with powerful fighters like the MiG-31 and Su-57, according to National Interest.

The former Soviet Union realized that one of the main advantages of the US and NATO air forces was the ability to coordinate with reconnaissance assets such as AWACS aircraft. It studied many countermeasures against AWACS such as using missiles with passive seekers, tracking enemy radar signals but without positive results.

The R-37 missile was developed from the R-33 model for the MiG-31 heavy fighter, designed to attack high-value equipment such as the E-3 Sentry early warning aircraft,E-8C multi-role reconnaissance aircraftJSTARS and RC-135V/W Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft. The Soviet Union planned to equip a large number of these missiles on MiG-31 fighters, taking advantage of high speed and high flight ceiling to increase the missile's range, limiting the ability of enemy escort aircraft to intercept.

"The R-37 was a missile specialized in destroying ISR equipment that was very popular in the West in the 1990s," said expert Mike Kofman at the US Center for Naval Analyses (CNA).

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian defense industry continued to research the R-37 project, but progress was slow due to financial problems. The project was even canceled in 1997, before being restarted to produce the modernized variant R-37M (RVV-BD) today. The R-37M missile can use an inertial guidance system combined with flight corrections from the fighter in the mid-course phase, then use an active radar seeker during the target approach phase.

Model of R-37M (RVV-BD) missile on display by Russia. Photo: Vitaly Kuzmin

In actual combat, the MiG-31 will suddenly accelerate towards the target and launch a series of R-37M missiles. The Zaslon-M phased array radar is capable of guiding the R-37M at a distance of hundreds of kilometers, before the missile enters the range of the active radar seeker integrated on the missile. The R-37M model can also be equipped with an anti-jamming system like the American AIM-120D AMRAAM missile, to deal with electronic attack fighters such as the EA-18G Growler.

In 2014, Russia began mass production of the R-37M missile. Currently, it has achieved preliminary combat readiness in units equipped with the modernized MiG-31BM variant. The R-37M is said to have successfully intercepted targets at a distance of 260 km, and is expected to be installed on the Su-35S and Su-57 fighters in the future.

Although Moscow already has the powerful R-37M, it may be developing an even more formidable missile, the Novator KS-172. This weapon can strike targets up to 400 km away, far exceeding the R-37M's maximum range of 320 km. It is unclear whether the KS-172 project has been completed and mass production has begun, but there are many signs that it is a long-term project.

The KS-172 models demonstrated by Russia have many similarities with the Buk medium-range air defense missile. The missile is said to be 6 m long with a 1.4 m long booster stage, 0.4 m diameter, 0.6 m wingspan and weighs 748 kg. KS-172 can reach speeds of more than 4,000 km/h, withstand overloads 12 times greater than gravity and carry a high-explosive fragmentation warhead. The development of KS-172 focused mainly on the radar seeker, autopilot system, anti-jamming capability and 3D jet vector control system.

KS-172 missile hangs under the wing of Su-35 multi-role fighter. Photo: MAKS

The KS-172's flight path to its target is mostly corrected by an inertial guidance system. The missile is equipped with an active radar seeker, an improvement of the Agat 9B-1103M model on the R-27R medium-range air-to-air missile. It can lock on a fighter-sized target from a distance of 40 km.

However, experts say that Russia's 5th generation fighter does not need to beequipped with a long-range missile like the KS-172, so it will likely not be put into service with the country's air force.

Public sources show that Russia is developing more long-range air-to-air missiles to equip its 5th generation fighters. This poses a significant challenge for the US, forcing the country to closely monitor and find countermeasures in the coming years, military expert Dave Majumdar commented.

According to VNE