Range of R-33 Amos

This range is against bomber/tanker target in head-on intercept. Against fighter in chase will be much, much smaller. There was project on design stage with IR or dual IR/SARH seeker, but it was chosen to use only SARH seeker.

Mind you the overall weapon system is impressive: Most SARH systems can only engage one target at a time – the Mig-31 can fire all of its R-33 at separate targets nearly simultaneously (overlapping flight times)!

What’s the burn time? 30 secs max I’d say.

Can it fly a lofted trajectory (via INS and/or mid-course updates) and dive on the target instead of straight pursuit?

If it’s just straight I guess it’s pretty much at the limit, the missile has to do about M4 to catch that M2.5 target within the burn time.

From a test report for the R33 in current fitment Mikoyan likes to advertise the accomplishment of demonstrated destruction of surface skimming supersonic cruise missile in a tail chase by a MiG-31 flying at 8000 metres from more than 13km horizontal range iirc.
They infer that in a tail chase a small target exceeding 2.5 Mach at 100ft is a guaranteed kill by a high flying MiG-31 from better than 15km using Zaslon/R33. How far exactly for maximum, 25km?

Which cruise missile flies M2.5?

I think the R33 can be compared with the AIM54, as design and weight appear to be similar. The AIM54 proved 160km range under following circumstances:
> head-on shot
> supersonic, high altitude launch platform
> supersonic or transonic high altitude target
> distance at impact about 60km

Doing some sketchy calculations, assuming the target at M.9 and the launch platform at M1.8, and the missile’s average speed at M3.5 (to allow for acceleration and non-straight flight trajectory).
Then we arrive at 100 to 120km of “clear air distance”.
The range will be shorter if the launch platform flies lower and slower.

R-33 is SARH in all variants.

is the R-33 a active radar homing weapon or only SARH ?

but rest assured the AIM-7M is less than 15km.

Not at high altitude vs. a closing target.

Hey y’know a Block 50 Viper can’t guarantee a lock much outside of 25km?

It all depends(as always) on the type of the target and ECM used.

dionis, my Janes is All the World’s Aircraft edition, not the weapons one, so the R33 info is limited and related only to the write up on the MiG-31 published from Mikoyan release data and test performance.

nastle, it’s an assuredly safe bet, no question. But like the way javelin goes far but a spear attack on a wild beast is much reduced, advertised ranges we all understand are idealistic and allegorical. 120km might translate to a lethal range versus manoeuvring fighter-sized targets of less than 40km, but rest assured the AIM-7M is less than 15km.

Hey y’know a Block 50 Viper can’t guarantee a lock much outside of 25km? Maximum ranges are very idealistic, judged for perfect test conditions on a clear sunshiny day with bright colours and loud sirens from the enemy a/c who of course flies straight and level into your missiles.

Well going by everything I’ve read and pilots I’ve talked to. I haven’t piloted these aircraft myself so can’t truly say.

Thank you gentleman for replying, so far from What I understand it seems like that the R-33 would be able to engage fighter sized targets at a longer range than AIM-7s at all altitudes ?

Vanir, what information do you have straight off from Janes?

For all R-33 models?

I have Janes. What they do is publish manufacturer release data, which is also sometimes…erm, idealistic. But they also tend to publish test data alongside.

From a test report for the R33 in current fitment Mikoyan likes to advertise the accomplishment of demonstrated destruction of surface skimming supersonic cruise missile in a tail chase by a MiG-31 flying at 8000 metres from more than 13km horizontal range iirc.
They infer that in a tail chase a small target exceeding 2.5 Mach at 100ft is a guaranteed kill by a high flying MiG-31 from better than 15km using Zaslon/R33. How far exactly for maximum, 25km?

If accurate, that’s pretty damn impressive.

For posts above, um yes, 120km is maximum range for aircraft at superior altitude firing on bomber sized target which does not manoeuvre, head on. Most likely judged for aircraft at 12km alt, bomber at 8km alt. Maximum Zaslon range is 200km if target is at higher alt and bomber sized. Level track range is 120km for fighter sized target I think. Keep in mind the wing leading edges form part of the signal receiver for the Zaslon, it slews digitally and it has a dedicated operator, and even NATO admits it is the most powerful transmitter fitted to a fighter in current service, it piggybacks multiple frequencies for ECM resistance, etc. It’s a kick butt radar in the raw grunt stakes.

R-33E – I thought this was some export version? It’s listed as 120KM on the Tactical Missile Corp website.

http://eng.ktrv.ru/production_eng/323/503/510/

If anyone has access to Jane’s, that would probably be the place to find info on the R-33 missile. Everything on the internet is ass-backwards and contradictory.

The problem with SARH is that you can’t make a U turn after launch, but none would waste a shot on a fighter at those distances anyway, it’ll work well vs intended targets.

Jamming will of course complicate matters. But you are being too pessimistic, even the Zaslon’s predecessor (on the MiG-25) had good anti-ECM capabilities. Zaslon has real burn through power.

But you have to have a lock on first. And it might be hard even for the Zaslon in real life conditions to have a lock on from a distance greater than 100km – stand-off and stand-in jamming + target rcs constantly changing (from different angles).

Actually Rosobronexport catalogue gives this missile a range of 120km an Pk 0.65 vs fighter. However I think that the range would be much greater when fired from MiG-31 at high Mach and high alt. The main limitation in its range is probably its SARH guidance not kinematics.

If the MiG-31 is doing Mach 2.5 while following the missile it just launched, SARH guidance and radar range should not be that much of a problem.

This is for the R-33E(Energetic) version.

Actually Rosobronexport catalogue gives this missile a range of 120km an Pk 0.65 vs fighter. However I think that the range would be much greater when fired from MiG-31 at high Mach and high alt. The main limitation in its range is probably its SARH guidance not kinematics.

Pretty sure the baseline, home version of the R-33 is 160KM

This is for the R-33E(Energetic) version.

Pretty sure the baseline, home version of the R-33 is 160KM.

The R-33S upgraded version should be around 220KM.

Probably true, but when launched from MiG-31 at 20km altitude and Mach 2,5 speed.

Pretty sure the baseline, home version of the R-33 is 160KM.

The R-33S upgraded version should be around 220KM.

Export version would have shorter ranges.