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A Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet pilot admitted that he was horrified by the Russian Su-57 stealth fighter jet armed with R-37M missiles. Photo/REUTERS
KIEV – A Ukrainian fighter pilot admitted that he was horrified by the long-range R-37M air-to-air missile that became a weapon Russian Su-57 stealth fighter jet . According to him, if someone finds out about the launch of the missile while fighting in the air, then he will die.
On January 9, the UK Ministry of Defense said in an assessment that Russia was almost certain to deploy its most valuable fighter, the Su-57 Felon, in operations against Ukraine in a way that minimized risk to the aircraft.
According to the UK Ministry of Defence, the Su-57 may be restricted from flying over Ukrainian territory and firing long-range air-to-surface or air-to-air missiles at Ukraine to avoid being detected and shot down by Ukrainian air defense systems.
While Russian media reports have claimed the use of the Su-57 in the ongoing Ukraine war since May 2022, a recent assessment by the UK Ministry of Defense corroborates reports by the Russian state-owned TASS news agency, which said the Su-57 had been operating “outside the destruction zone”. activated by enemy air defense systems.”
Also read: Rarely Acts Against Ukraine, Russia Allegedly Fears Losing Su-57 Stealth Fighter Jets
Among the long-range armament of the Su-57 Felon, the R-37M long-range air-to-air missile was of particular concern to Ukrainian pilots. The pilot, in interviews with US media, described it as a “dangerous weapon”.
The R-37M is a long-range air-to-air missile (AAM) capable of hitting high-speed aerial targets from a distance of over 300 kilometers.
It is also known as AA-13 in the West or RVV-BD, a designation used for the Russian-developed R-series variant previously produced in Ukraine. The RVV series is said to be more advanced and consists only of Russian components.
The missile is a product of the renowned Russian research company Vympel, which is responsible for all of Russia’s AAM family. It originates from the Soviet Union’s R-37 AAM, built in the 1980s for the MiG-31M Foxhound. Missile development began in the late 2000s.
The R-37M was originally intended to be carried by the MiG-31. It was then decided to upgrade the weapons to make them more compatible with Russia’s fourth-generation Su-30, Su-35, and fifth-generation Su-57 fighter jets. Experts believe the missile has the potential to significantly improve combat flight performance.
