Molniya R-60
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The Molniya (now Vympel) R-60 (NATO reporting name AA-8 'Aphid') is a lightweight air-to-air missile designed for use by Soviet fighter aircraft. It was widely exported, and remains in service with the CIS and many other nations.
History
The R-60 was developed for the MiG-23. Work began on the weapon, under the bureau designation K-60, in the late 1960s. Series production began in 1973. It entered service with the designation R-60T (NATO 'Aphid-A').The R-60 is one of the world's smallest air-to-air missiles, with a launch weight of 44 kg (97 lb). It has infrared guidance and a rather small warhead with 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) of explosive, with active radar proximity fuze. According to Russian sources, practical engagement range is between 400 m and 4,000 m (440 yd and 4,400 yd), although "brochure range" is 8 km (5 mi) at high altitude. The weapon is quite agile, and can be used by aircraft maneuvering at up to 7g against targets maneuvering at up to 8g. A tactical advantage is the short minimum range of only 300 m (328 yd).
Considering that Soviet practice was to manufacture most air-to-air missiles with interchangeable IR-homer and semi-active radar homing seekers, NATO speculated that there might be a SARH version of the 'Aphid.' However, it is clear that the small size of the 'Aphid' makes a radar-homing version with an antenna of reasonable size impractical, and no such weapon appears to have been contemplated.
An upgrade version, the R-60M ('Aphid-B'), using a cooled seeker with an expanded view angle of ±20°, was introduced around 1982. Although it is more sensitive than its predecessor, it is not an all-aspect missile. Minimum engagement range was further reduced, to only 200 m (218.7 yd). The R-60M had a new laser proximity fuze. In some versions the warhead is apparently laced with about 1.6 kg (3.5 lb) of depleted uranium to make the shrapnel more penetrative.
The export version was the R-60MK ('Aphid-C'), which is also compatible with helmet-mounted sights and the Infrared Sighting and Tracking (IRST) system used on aircraft like the MiG-29.
There is an inert training version, designated R-60U.
Since 1999 a modified version of the weapon has been used as a surface-to-air missile (SAM) as part of the Yugoslav M55A3B1 towed anti-aircraft gun system.
The current Russian dogfight missile is the Vympel R-73 (AA-11 'Archer'), but large numbers of 'Aphids' remain in service.
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