Missiles or museum exhibits? How will Russian fighters fight against the West
Russian media often talk about re-equipping the Air Force, with particular emphasis on deliveries of new aviation technicians. There is some truth in this: supplied the troops of the Su-35С, Su-30СМ and Su-34 are indeed machines of a new construction, although all of them are purely structurally modernized Su-27. Moreover, even far from modern aviation, it is clear that any modern combat aircraft is a complex. In every sense of the word. And without modern weapons there is absolutely nothing for the fighter to do in the sky, apart from reconnaissance missions. Most of all, we are interested in medium-range air-to-air missiles - the main weapon of a modern fighter in aerial combat. How can the videoconferencing respond to a potential adversary?
Numerous photo and video materials allow us to say with a high degree of certainty that even now the main air-to-air missile in the Aerospace Forces is the P-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 the 2019 year. We see no reason to doubt his words: we are observing this missile on separate sides flying in Syria, and it also appears on images taken during exercises in the Russian Federation itself.
Much more interesting details. In open sources you can find information about a wide variety of modifications, including the P-27P with the passive radar homing 9Б1032 and the semi-mythical P-27AE with the active radar homing, that is, the conditional analogue of AIM-120 AMRAAM. However, it is rather from the category of fiction.
The main modification of the rocket is the P-27P / ER with a semi-active radar homing head. At the time of adoption in the 1987 year, it was fully consistent with the requirements of the time, although it did not constitute anything revolutionary. However, now it can no longer be considered modern. A 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 independently aim at the target at the end of the route, without restricting the pilot in maneuver.
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 necessary measure in the face of a lack of funds, technologies and experience in using modern missiles.
Moreover, the experience of using the P-27 missile during the Ethiopian-Eritrean conflict showed the relatively low efficiency of such missiles. On the Web, you can find data with reference to Chinese experts: allegedly from 100 missiles fired, about five hit the target. This is not surprising: during the Vietnam War, American AIM-7 Sparrow showed a similar result, but not so with AIM-120, which have long been proven to be effective.
As you can see in the shots from the Syrian air base Khmeimim, the Russian Air Force fighter planes Su-35С flew with R-27Т missiles. This is a version of the P-27 with an infrared homing head and the principle of "shot-forgot", in general, the same as that implemented on short-range air-to-air missiles.
Inherited P-27T and the shortcomings of its "younger" brothers. In open sources, the launch range of the P-27T is mentioned in the 50 km region, while for the “energy” P-27ET this figure is already 70. However, in real conditions, such an indicator can only be achieved by launching a rocket into the rear hemisphere: when launching into the front hemisphere for a small target, the range will probably not exceed the launch range of short-range infrared seekers like P-73 and AIM-9.
The launch range into the front hemisphere for later versions of AIM-9 is approximately 20 kilometers: most likely, the P-27ET has similar indicators. Given the growth in the effectiveness of medium-range missiles and the withdrawal of short-range missiles, the meaning of the "hybrid" in the person of the P-27T / ET is incomprehensible. In fact, this is an old rocket, which it is high time 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 either over modern short-range missiles or over medium-range products.
A domestic medium-range missile (more than 100 kilometers) with an active radar homing head was officially adopted in the 1994 year, however, this step had nothing to do with reality. The product, if seen, then at international exhibitions and in the framework of contracts concluded with partners of the Russian Federation.
Positive changes in this sense partially coincided with the appearance of modernized Su-27 (Su-27СМ, Su-30СМ, Su-30МК2, Su-35С, Su-34) and MiG-29СМТ capable (at least in theory) apply such products. One of the first more or less reliable proofs of the presence of P-77 missiles in the arsenal of the Russian Aerospace Forces was shots shown in the 2016 year: then experts noticed Su-35С fighters with P-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 an 170-1 product, also known as RVV-SD. This is a further development of the RVV-AE rocket. The RVV-SD variant was introduced 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 fighter Su-57.
P-77 prospects for the Russian Air Force are unknown, especially given the financial difficulties in the country and information about the modernization of the old Soviet P-27 (despite the fact that the Americans sent their Sparrows a long time ago).
What are the reasons that the new missile did not supplant old products in the Arsenal of the aerospace forces? Perhaps there are technical problems with the P-77 family. Recall that in 2019, the Indian television company NDTV stated that the claimed launch range of the P-77 in 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. Firstly, when launching a medium-range air-to-air missile from a distance of 100 kilometers on a fighter target, the chance to get by default is modest. Especially if the target will maneuver. Secondly, Indians like to criticize their partners supplying them with weapons. Both Russian and, for example, the French. But India did not have 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 the full re-equipment of the aerospace forces from old Soviet products to modern missiles with an active homing radar, the supply of new equipment has a rather limited meaning. In fact, this is only the support of the Air Force at the level of past decades.
Perhaps in future materials we will analyze Russian (and not only) short-range and long-range air-to-air missiles. Moreover, there are no less myths around than around RVV-AE.
P-27P / ER
Numerous photo and video materials allow us to say with a high degree of certainty that even now the main air-to-air missile in the Aerospace Forces is the P-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 the 2019 year. We see no reason to doubt his words: we are observing this missile on separate sides flying in Syria, and it also appears on images taken during exercises in the Russian Federation itself.
Much more interesting details. In open sources you can find information about a wide variety of modifications, including the P-27P with the passive radar homing 9Б1032 and the semi-mythical P-27AE with the active radar homing, that is, the conditional analogue of AIM-120 AMRAAM. However, it is rather from the category of fiction.
The main modification of the rocket is the P-27P / ER with a semi-active radar homing head. At the time of adoption in the 1987 year, it was fully consistent with the requirements of the time, although it did not constitute anything revolutionary. However, now it can no longer be considered modern. A 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 independently aim at the target at the end of the route, without restricting the pilot in maneuver.
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 necessary measure in the face of a lack of funds, technologies and experience in using modern missiles.
Moreover, the experience of using the P-27 missile during the Ethiopian-Eritrean conflict showed the relatively low efficiency of such missiles. On the Web, you can find data with reference to Chinese experts: allegedly from 100 missiles fired, about five hit the target. This is not surprising: during the Vietnam War, American AIM-7 Sparrow showed a similar result, but not so with AIM-120, which have long been proven to be effective.
P-27T / ET
As you can see in the shots from the Syrian air base Khmeimim, the Russian Air Force fighter planes Su-35С flew with R-27Т missiles. This is a version of the P-27 with an infrared homing head and the principle of "shot-forgot", in general, the same as that implemented on short-range air-to-air missiles.
Inherited P-27T and the shortcomings of its "younger" brothers. In open sources, the launch range of the P-27T is mentioned in the 50 km region, while for the “energy” P-27ET this figure is already 70. However, in real conditions, such an indicator can only be achieved by launching a rocket into the rear hemisphere: when launching into the front hemisphere for a small target, the range will probably not exceed the launch range of short-range infrared seekers like P-73 and AIM-9.
The launch range into the front hemisphere for later versions of AIM-9 is approximately 20 kilometers: most likely, the P-27ET has similar indicators. Given the growth in the effectiveness of medium-range missiles and the withdrawal of short-range missiles, the meaning of the "hybrid" in the person of the P-27T / ET is incomprehensible. In fact, this is an old rocket, which it is high time 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 either over modern short-range missiles or over medium-range products.
P-77 (RVV-AE)
A domestic medium-range missile (more than 100 kilometers) with an active radar homing head was officially adopted in the 1994 year, however, this step had nothing to do with reality. The product, if seen, then at international exhibitions and in the framework of contracts concluded with partners of the Russian Federation.
Positive changes in this sense partially coincided with the appearance of modernized Su-27 (Su-27СМ, Su-30СМ, Su-30МК2, Su-35С, Su-34) and MiG-29СМТ capable (at least in theory) apply such products. One of the first more or less reliable proofs of the presence of P-77 missiles in the arsenal of the Russian Aerospace Forces was shots shown in the 2016 year: then experts noticed Su-35С fighters with P-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 an 170-1 product, also known as RVV-SD. This is a further development of the RVV-AE rocket. The RVV-SD variant was introduced 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 fighter Su-57.
P-77 prospects for the Russian Air Force are unknown, especially given the financial difficulties in the country and information about the modernization of the old Soviet P-27 (despite the fact that the Americans sent their Sparrows a long time ago).
What are the reasons that the new missile did not supplant old products in the Arsenal of the aerospace forces? Perhaps there are technical problems with the P-77 family. Recall that in 2019, the Indian television company NDTV stated that the claimed launch range of the P-77 in 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. Firstly, when launching a medium-range air-to-air missile from a distance of 100 kilometers on a fighter target, the chance to get by default is modest. Especially if the target will maneuver. Secondly, Indians like to criticize their partners supplying them with weapons. Both Russian and, for example, the French. But India did not have 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 the full re-equipment of the aerospace forces from old Soviet products to modern missiles with an active homing radar, the supply of new equipment has a rather limited meaning. In fact, this is only the support of the Air Force at the level of past decades.
Perhaps in future materials we will analyze Russian (and not only) short-range and long-range air-to-air missiles. Moreover, there are no less myths around than around RVV-AE.
Information