Vympel R-23
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Image:MiG-23 underside.jpg The Vympel R-23 (NATO reporting name AA-7 'Apex') is a medium-range air-to-air missile (AAM) developed by the Soviet Union for fighter aircraft. It is comparable to the American AIM-7 Sparrow.
[edit] Development
The new weapon, designated K-23 by the design bureau, was developed in the mid-1960s to arm the new MiG-23 fighter. Its development was supervised by V.A. Pustyakov's design team. The new weapon was intended for use against bomber-sized targets, with "snap-up" capability (usable against targets at higher altitude than the launch aircraft). It originally was intended to have a dual-mode seeker using both semi-active radar homing and infrared guidance, but this proved unfeasible, and separate SARH and IR models (zdeliye 340 and 360, respectively) were developed instead. Test firings were carried out in 1967, although the SARH missile's seeker head proved to be extremely problematic.
The missile, designated R-23, entered service in January 1974. The IR version was the R-23T, the SARH missile R-23R. Both versions used the same motor and warhead, which had a lethal radius of 8 m (26 ft). An inert training round, the R-23UT, was also developed.
Western analysts later dubbed the R-23 rather crude, but Soviet engineers compared it to captured examples of the AIM-7 Sparrow, which was reverse-engineered as the K-25 in 1968, and felt that the R-23R's range and countermeasures resistance were superior to the contemporary AIM-7E.
Maximum effective range for the R-23R was about 14 km (8.8 mi) at low level and 25 km (15.6 mi) at high altitude. The range for the R-23T was about 11 km (6.9 mi). Both could be launched with the aircraft maneuvering at up to 4g against a target maneuvering at up to 5g. One of its greatest tactical limitations was its lengthy minimum range, which was 1,300 m (4,160 ft) for a rear engagement.
Large numbers of R-23s were built. The R-23 was also produced under license in Romania as the A-911.
Starting in 1975 an improved version of the weapon was developed to arm the MiG-23ML/MLD. The resultant R-24T had a much improved seeker with greater sensitivity, while the radar-guided R-24R had lock-on after launch capability and expanded range and altitude capability (up to 25,000 meters/82,000 ft). Both versions had a larger motor, a heavier warhead, and a greatly reduced minimum range of 500 m (1,600) for a rear-quarter engagement. They also could be used by or against aircraft maneuvering at up to 7g.
The R-24 remained in at least limited Russian service until the withdrawal of the last Russian MiG-23s in 1997.
[edit] Combat Record
While many sources claim it`s reliability was similar to the AIM-7 Sparrow or, Russian articles in the other hand claim it had better performance than the AIM-7 at BVR combat because, the Israeli Python III was the most successful weapon employed by Israel during the Bekka Valley air combats in June 1982 over Lebanon, meaning that the israaeli sparrows usualy failed their targets.
Israeli sources claim the Python III was the most succesful air to air weapon over the Bekka Valley, this is because the Israelies also credit the Python III with almost all the Israeli kills. This is an interesting statement because the Russian also declared the R-60 was the most effective missile used by the Syrians in 1982 over the Bekka Valley. It seems that both Beyond visual range missiles (the AIM-7 and R-23) were not as successful as the short range Python III and R-60 were.
It was also reported that during the war in Angola in the late 1980´s, cuban air force MiG-23MF fired a number of R-23 missiles against south african Mirage F.1 bringing down at least 2 without suffering any air to air losses.
Several russian accounts claim the following:
On 6 June 1982 a MiG-23 brought down an Israeli BQM-34 UAV with an R-23. On 7 June 1982 three MiG-23MFs (pilots khallyak, Said, Merza) attacked a group of F-16s. Captain Merza detected the F-16s at the distance 23 km and he brought down two F-16s with R-23/AA-7s Apex (one from 9km, another within the distance of 7 or 8 km); however, then himself was shot down. On 8 June 1982 two MiG-23MF again met with F-16s. Major Tokhau`s MiG-23 detected an F-16 at the distance of 20km he shot it down (F-16) with an R-23 fired from a distance of 7km; however, himself was shot down by an AIM-9 "Sidewinder" fired from another F-16. On 9 June 1982 two MiG-23MFs (pilots Dib and Said) attacked a group of F-16s. Dib brought down an F-16 within a distance of 6km or 7km with an R-23, but himself was shot down, most likely by an AIM-9 "Sidewinder".
Many R-23 kills are reported in the war between Iran and Iraq when iraqi MiG-23 fired them at iranian F-4D/E and F-5E.
[edit] Specifications
- Length: (R-23R, R-24R) 4.5 m (14 ft 9 in); (R-23T, R-24T) 4.2 m (13 ft 9 in)
- Wingspan: 1 m (3 ft 5 in)
- Diameter: 223 mm (8.8 in)
- Launch weight: (R-23R, R-24R) 222 kg (489 lb), 243 kg (536 lb); (R-23T, R-24T) 215 kg (474 lb), 235 kg (518 lb)
- Speed: Mach 3
- Range: (R-23R) 35 km (22 mi); (R-24R) 50 km (31 mi); (R-23T, R-24T) 15 km (9.4 mi)
- Guidance: (R-23R, R-24R) SARH; (R-23T, R-24T), infrared-homing
- Warhead: expanding-rod high explosive with proximity fuze, 25 kg (55 lb)(R-23) or 35 kg (77 lb) (R-24)
| Russian Air-to-Air Missiles |
|---|
| AA-1 'Alkali' | AA-2 'Atoll' | AA-3 'Anab' | AA-4 'Awl' | AA-5 'Ash' | AA-6 'Acrid' | AA-7 'Apex' | AA-8 'Aphid' | AA-9 'Amos' | AA-10 'Alamo' | AA-11 'Archer' | AA-12 'Adder' | AA-X-13 'Arrow' |
