Russian R-77M air-to-air BVR missile makes life tough for Ukrainian Air Force fighters, leaves US AIM-120C-5 way behind

An advanced air-to-air missile from the Vympel stable that can take out enemy aircraft at extremely long ranges has made its combat debut in the Russia-Ukraine war, and is making the western powers jittery. Built primarily for Russia's Sukhoi Su-57 Felon fifth generation stealth fighter, the R-77M, which is also known as Izdeliye 170, has been reportedly used against Ukrainian aerial targets in recent days.

While the exact range of Russia's latest active radar homing beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile is still classified, western defence experts believe it is upwards of 100 miles (160 kilometers). The R-77M is a massive upgrade of the current R-77 BVR missile. The NATO reporting name of the R-77 missile is AA-12 Adder.

The Ukrainian Air Force is fighting the Russian Aerospace Forces firepower with a mix of Soviet era and western combat aircraft. Russia, in spite of its overwhelming air power superiority over Ukraine when the war began on February 24, 2022, has failed to establish complete control over the skies of its western neighbor even after over three years of military campaign.


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With the new R-77M BVR mounted on its fighter jets, Russia is giving Ukraine more headache. The arrival of the new missile has also forced western powers like the United States of America and other NATO members backing Kiev to start redrawing their strategies in case of an armed conflict with Russia.

Russia’s new missile confirmed

The use of R-77M was confirmed after a Russian Su-35S was photographed flying with two such missiles on the pylons under its fuselage. Another visual confirmation came from a wreckage related to weapons used by Russia in the war against Ukraine which showed parts of a missile with a cropped cruciform tailfin.

Defence experts claim the recovered wreckage belongs to the Russian R-77M BVR missile. They say the Ukrainian aerial assets face a deadly threat if the Russians have started arming their fighters with R-77Ms as the latter already enjoyed a massive advantage over their adversary and the new BVR missiles give them an unprecedented edge.

The new missile also reveals that the Russian defence industry is moving ahead rapidly with development of new and long range weapons despite western sanctions. The R-77M has once again put Russia at par with the United States of America and especially China, the latter having started serial production of the active-radar-guided air-to-air missile (NATO reporting name CH-AA-10 Abaddon), the longest such missile in active service in the world.

What is an R-77M air-to-air missile?

With Su-57 stealth jets entering active service with the Russian Aerospace Forces, the R-77M will be their primary weapon in an aerial skirmish. Built to be carried in the Su-57's internal weapons bay, R-77M has conventional control fins which help in maintaining stealth due to their low radar cross-section and also reduce the missile’s aerodynamic drag.

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The R-77 is 4.08 meters long with a diameter of 200mm. Its totak with including stabilizers and control actuators is 510 mm.. The stabilizer root chord are 560 mm long with the tip chord measuring 520 mm. The control surface root chord is 240 mm long and tip chord is 155 mm.

The missile is powered by a dual-pulse solid-fuel rocket motor which helps in better high-altitude maneuvering, and extends its range. Its radar seeker has twin modes - semi-active and active - which can be used by the pilot to use the missile even when the target is painted by another jet or ground based equipment.

While its range is believed to be 100 miles (160 kilometers), Russian military officers claim it can also be used against aerial targets 120 miles (193 km) away.

With a “lifting‑body” airframe and a small‑chord wing and flat tail fins, the R-77M is highly maneuverable, with the airframe built to handle 25-27 g at sustained speed and ranges.

Its maximum speed approaching the target is likely between 4,900-5,100 kmph (over 3044 mph to 3169 mph), with an average speed of 3,500 kmph (2175 mph). Its firing altitude ranges from 5 km to 30 km (3 miles to 18.6 miles).

Russia claims the R-77M can not only take out anti-aircraft missiles but even hit them even if they are fired from the rear. It can be used to target anti‑radiation missiles, and stealthy cruise missiles at subsonic to near‑hypersonic speeds

Vladimir Putin's forces also operate R-37M (NATO reporting name AA-13 Axehead), an ultra-long range AAM to hit AWACS and aerial refueling aircraft. But the R-77M is primarily used against combat jets.

In comparison, the longest AAM with the Ukrainian Air Force is the AIM-120C-5 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), which can hit targets 46 miles (74 kilometers) away. The R-77 is in direct competition with the US AIM‑120D, which has a maximum range of 180-190 km.