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R-37 (missile)

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R-37 (missile)

The Vympel R-37 (NATO reporting name: AA-13 Axehead) is a Russian long-range air-to-air missile. The missile and its variants also had the names K-37, izdeliye 610 and RVV-BD (Ракета Воздух-Воздух Большой Дальности (Raketa Vozduh-Vozduh Bolshoy Dalnosti), "Long range air-to-air rocket"), and the NATO codenames "Axehead" and "Andi". It was developed from the R-33.

It is designed to shoot down tankers, AWACS and other C4ISTAR aircraft while keeping the launch platform out of range of any fighters that might be protecting the target.

According to Janes there are two variants, the R-37 and the R-37M; the latter conceived as having a jettisonable rocket booster that increases the range to "300–400 km" (160–220 nm). In 2023, Rosoboronexport introduced the export version of the R-37M, designated RVV-BD. It has a launch range of up to 200 kilometres (120 mi; 110 nmi) and maximum altitude of 25 kilometres (82,000 ft) with a 60 kilograms (130 lb) warhead. The missile is compatible with Sukhoi Su-57, Sukhoi Su-30, Sukhoi Su-35, Mikoyan MiG-31BM and Mikoyan MiG-35.

The R-37 was developed from the R-33. For compatibility with aircraft that did not have the MiG-31's sophisticated radar, the semi-active seeker was replaced with a variant of the Agat 9B-1388 active seeker. Similarly, folding tail controls allow semi-conformal carriage on planes that are not as big as the MiG-31.

Mid-body strakes enhance lift and hence increase range. According to Defence Today, the range depends on the flight profile, from 80 nautical miles (150 km) for a direct shot to 215 nautical miles (398 km) for a cruise glide profile.

The R-37M designation has since been used for a modernized variant of the missile, also known as RVV-BD (Raketa Vozduh-Vozduh Bolshoy Dalnosty, or Long-Range Air-to-Air Missile). R-37M's range exceeds 200 km, and it is capable of hypersonic speeds (~Mach 5). It will be carried by the modernized MiG-31BM interceptors and Su-35S and Su-57 multirole fighters.

A further derivative designed for internal carriage in the Su-57, designated as Izdeliye 810, has folding rear fins, shorter strakes, and updated seeker and motor.

The missile can attack targets at altitudes of 15–25 kilometres (49,000–82,000 ft), guided semi-actively or actively through the Agat 9B-1388 system.

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