R-77

For other uses, see R-77 (disambiguation).
R-77/RVV-AE
AA-12 Adder
TypeBeyond visual range air-to-air missile
Service history
In service1994 (R-77)
Production history
ManufacturerMolnija OKB, Artem, Vympel
Specifications
Mass175 kg (R-77), 190 kg (R-77-1)
Length3.6 m (R-77), 3.71 m (R-77-1)
Diameter200 mm
Wingspan700 mm
Warhead22.5 kg HE fragmenting (R-77)
Detonation
mechanism
laser proximity fuse
EngineSolid fuel rocket motor (R-77), air-breathing ramjet (R-77-PD)
Operational
range
  • R-77, RVV-AE: 80 kilometres (50 mi)[1][2]
  • R-77-1, RVV-SD: 110 kilometres (68 mi)[3][4]
  • R-77M: 193 kilometres (120 mi)
Flight altitude5–25 km (16,000–82,000 ft)
Maximum speed Mach 4,[5] Mach 5 for K-77PD (RVV-AE-PD)[6]
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, MiG-31BM, Su-27, Sukhoi Su-30, Sukhoi Su-34, Sukhoi Su-35, Sukhoi Su-57, J-11

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.[7]

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.[8] 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.[8][9] It was subsequently deployed by Su-35S fighters in Syria on combat air patrols.[8] The export model of the R-77-1 is called RVV-SD.[4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Butowski, Piotr 2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference RVV-AE was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference ReferenceA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference RVV-SD was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "R-77". www.deagel.com. Archived from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  6. ^ "К-77ПД / РВВ-АЕ-ПД" (in Russian). 15 June 2012. Archived from the original on 16 October 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  7. ^ "AA-12 ADDER R-77". Federation of American Scientists. Archived from the original on 4 December 2004. Retrieved 19 August 2006.
  8. ^ a b c International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) (14 February 2018). "The Military Balance 2018". The Military Balance. 118. Routledge.
  9. ^ Cooper, Tom (14 November 2016). "Russia's Most Feared Air-to-Air Missile Is Actually Kind of a Dud". War is Boring. Archived from the original on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.