Vympel R-33

Infobox Weapon
name=Vympel R-33


caption=R-33 on MiG-31 at Zhukovski, 1999
length=4.15 m (13 ft 7 in)
wingspan=1.16 m (3 ft 8 in)
diameter=380 mm (15 in)
weight=490 kg (1,080 lb)
filling=47.5 kg (104 lb)
guidance=inertial and semi-active radar homing
speed=Mach 3.5
vehicle_range=160 km (R-33)Fact|date=August 2007, 130 km (R-33E)Fact|date=August 2007, 228 km (R-33S)Fact|date=August 2007
is_missile=yes

The Vympel R-33 (Russian: "Вымпел Р-33", NATO reporting name: "AA-9 Amos") is a long-range air-to-air missile developed by the Soviet Union. 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.

Generally similar to the U.S. Navy's AIM-54 Phoenix, 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 four 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). It has never seen active combat as the MiG-31 has never been deployed in a war.

Development

The history of the R-33 missile is tightly bound to the story of its launcher, the MiG-31. The development of the modernized MiG-25, E-155MP, was authorized by a governmental decision of 24 May 1968. There was a competition for future missiles for the E-155MP. Izdeliye 410 by "Vympel" of A.L.Lyapin won, while the K-50 by PKPK of M.R.Bisnovat lost. The missile was assigned the development name K-33, continuing the series of K-13 and K-23 missiles. The development was headed by vice-chief designer V.V.Zhuravlev and leading designer Y.K.Zakharov.

The R-33/MiG-31 missile/interceptor combination is similar to the earlier Bisnovat R-40/MiG-25 combination, although it is much more versatile and modern in that the MiG-25 was very heavily specialized for the interception of large supersonic targets such as the North American Aviation XB-70 bomber, and as such lacks maneuverability and is not really suitable for air combat maneuvering. The MiG-31 is a much more versatile and capable aircraft and is still able to employ the older R-40.

Two prototypes were built in 1968 (with "duck" scheme to fit underwing carriage, similar to the Bisnovat R-40.

The draft project was completed in 1970 and conversion of flying labs was initiated. One of these labs was converted from an early MiG-25 (aircraft P-10) and was used in 1972 for autonomous test launches of the first K-33 from the upgraded APU-40 carriage. A MiG-21 (№76211524) was converted into the LL-21 flying lab to test the missile seekers, and Tu-104 №42324 was converted at into LL-104-518 (also known as LL-2) NTK "Vzlet" to test the "Zaslon" radar along with the homing heads mounted in missile mockups GVM-410.

The K-33 was evaluated with the RGS-33 SARH seeker and the TGS-33 IR seeker. Other candidates included an active radar homing and a dual IR/radar homing seeker. The final decision was made in favor of semi-active radar homing with inertial initial stage. The homing device, designated MFBU-410 was developed by B.I.Ermakov under the supervision of Akopyan.

The missile design was changed to allow use of a bigger seeker and to fit the missiles to the new under-fuselage carriage. The new design was started in the new draft project of 1972 (top wings folding, reduced wingspan (from 1100mm to 900mm), catapult launch only, enlarged warhead). One dummy, 5 programmed, and 8 trial missiles were built in 1972 for the new design.

Three of those 14 missiles were launched the from MiG-25P-10 in 1973. Different warhead types (high explosive fragmentation and continuous-rod warhead) were evaluated, and tests of the radar and seeker systems were conducted on the LL-2.

1974 saw 11 more launches from MiG-25P-10, 40 more trial missiles. The first AKU-33 launchers and B-410 warheads were built. MFBU-410/"Zaslon" tests were continued at Akhtubinsk using LL-2.

The first flight of future MiG-31 (aircraft №831) was on 16 September 1975 (w/ 12 more flights by the end of the year). 20 more launches were performed from the MiG-25-P-10 before the aircraft was sent to the factory to upgrade its launchers.

The first telemetric missile launches from the LL-2 (Tu-104, which is the root of the legend of the "Tu-104 missile carrier" and the "Soviet armed civil aircraft") of were performed that year.

Development continued in 1976, including launches at PRM-2 parachute targets in April of that year. The factory tests were completed in 1977 with 32 launches from the aircraft №832, with the first launch against a MiG-17 drone on 26th March 1977). The guidance systems were improved during 1978, and the radar/missile combination performed a simultaneous launch at 4 targets in August of that year.

State trials started in March 1979 using MiG-31 №83210. They were successfully completed in 1980. A governmental decision from 6th of May 1981 recommended R-33 into service.

R-37

A governmental decision of 8 April 1983 authorized the development of K-37 (izdeliye 610, upgraded version of R-33) for the MiG-31M. The first flight of MiG-31M №0151 was on 21 December 1985. The first launches of K-37 were performed from MiG-31M in 1988. The tests were continued up to 1997. The work is now suspended due to being unable to find a substitute for the Ukrainian partners.

References

#R. Arkhangelski and V. Korovin. "Home made guided AA missiles" in "Technics and Munition yesterday, today, tomorrow" ( _ru. журнал «Техника и вооружение вчера, сегодня, завтра») magazine, №2.06, subscribtion index 71186, Monograph.

External links

* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/aa-9.htm GlobalSecurity.org page]
* [http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/missile/row/aa-9.htm Federation of American Scientists page]

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