| R-40 AA-6 Acrid | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Long-rangeair-to-air missile |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1970–present |
| Used by | Soviet Union,Syria,Iraq |
| Wars | Iran–Iraq War,Gulf War,Operation Southern Watch |
| Production history | |
| Designer | OKB-4 MR Bisnovatyi |
| Designed | 1959 |
| Produced | 1960s–1995 |
| Variants | R-40R / R-40T, R-40RD / R-40TD, R-40RD1 / R-40TD1 (radar and IR models) |
| Specifications (R-40RD) | |
| Mass | 475 kg (1,047 lb) |
| Length | 6.29 m (20 ft 8 in)(radar guided) - 5.91 m (19 ft 5 in) (IR guided)[1] |
| Diameter | 0.31 m (12 in) |
| Wingspan | 1.45 m (4 ft 9 in) |
| Warhead | blastfragmentation |
| Warhead weight | 38–100 kg (84–220 lb) |
Detonation mechanism | Radar and active laser fuzes |
| Engine | solid-propellant rocket motor |
Operational range | 50–80 km (31–50 mi)[2] |
| Maximum speed | Mach 2.2-4.5[3] |
Guidance system | Inverse monopulseSemi-active radar homing (R-40RD) Infrared homing (R-40TD) |
Launch platform | MiG-25,MiG-31,Su-15,[4]Su-22[4] |
TheBisnovat (laterMolniya thenVympel)R-40 (NATO reporting nameAA-6 'Acrid') is a long-rangeair-to-air missile developed in the 1960s by theSoviet Union specifically for theMiG-25Pinterceptor, but can also be carried by the laterMiG-31. It is one of the largest production air-to-air missiles ever developed.
The development of the Mach 3+North American XB-70 Valkyrie threatened to make the entire interceptor and missile force of theVoyska PVO obsolete at one stroke, thanks to its incredible speed and altitude performance. In order to counter this new threat, theMiG-25 was designed, but new air-to-air missiles were also required to enable the MiG-25 to engage its intended targets at the high speeds and altitudes dictated by the requirements. The Bisnovat design bureau began development of the long-range air-to-air missile in1962. The resultingR-40 was initially matched with theSmerch-A ("Tornado-A")radar of the MiG-25. It has built insemi-active radar homing (R-40R), with aninverse monopulse seeker which give the missile ability to engage targets inall-aspects andinfrared homing (R-40T) versions.[5]
To guarantee a kill at such high speeds in thin air, a large warhead was needed to have a sufficient blast effect. Large control fins were required to give the missile enough maneuverability at high altitude. All this necessitated a very large missile; as a result, the R-40 is the largest air-to-air missile ever to enter production. It is slightly larger than theMIM-23 Hawksurface-to-air missile.
Following the defection ofSoviet Air Defense Forces pilotViktor Belenko in1976 and the compromising of the MiG-25P's systems and the associated R-40s, Vympel developed an improved version of the missile with a betterinfrared countermeasures (IRCM) resistance and more sensitive seekers. The upgraded missiles were designated with the suffix -D (for 'dorabotannye', "finalized"). Later -D1 versions were also developed.
Production of the R-40 ended in1991, but it remains in limited service arming surviving MiG-25 and someMiG-31 interceptors.
In Soviet service, the R-40 was never fired outside of training or testing. Standard PVO procedure was to fire a two-missile salvo at a target: one heat-seeking R-40T missile followed by a SARH R-40R, to avoid the possibility of the heat-seeking missile locking-on to the radar-guided missile.
As the MiG-25 has been exported to various states in the Middle East, the R-40 has been used in combat by Iraq and probably by Syria and Libya.
During thePersian gulf war of 1991 on the first night, aMcDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet of US Navy piloted byScott Speicher of VFA-81 was shot down over western Iraq by an R-40 missile fired by an IQAF MiG-25 piloted by Zuhair Dawood.[5]
Afghanistan[4]
Belarus[4]
Hungary[4]
Iraq[4]
Islamic State − Captured examples used as makeshiftsurface-to-air missiles.[7]
Kazakhstan[4]
Libya[8]
Poland[4]
Syria[4]
Soviet Union − Passed on to successor states.
Ukraine[4]
Vietnam[4]