| Vympel R-37M NATO reporting name: AA-13 Axehead | |
|---|---|
_(524-21).jpg) R-37M (under the export designation RVV-BD) at 2013 MAKS Airshow | |
| Type | Long-rangeair-to-air missile |
| Place of origin | Russia |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2019–present |
| Used by | Russian Aerospace Forces |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Tactical Missiles Corporation |
| Designed | 1980s |
| Manufacturer | Vympel MKB |
| Produced | 1985 |
| Variants | R-37M (export: RVV-BD) |
| Specifications (RVV-BD) | |
| Mass | 510 kilograms (1,120 lb) |
| Length | 4.06 metres (13 ft 4 in) |
| Diameter | 38 centimetres (15 in) |
| Wingspan | 72 centimetres (28 in) |
| Warhead | HE, fragmentation |
| Warhead weight | 60 kg (135 lb), conventional or thermonuclear[1] |
| Propellant | Boost-Sustain Solid Rocket |
Operational range | 150–400 km (93–249 mi)[2] Up to 200 kilometres (120 mi) (RVV-BD) |
| Maximum speed | Mach 6 (7,400 km/h; 4,600 mph) |
Guidance system | Inertial with mid-course update,semi-active andactive radar homing |
Launch platform | MiG-31,Su-35S,Su-57 |
TheVympel R-37 (NATO reporting name:AA-13 Axehead)[2] is a Russian long-rangeair-to-air missile. The missile and its variants also had the names K-37,izdeliye 610 and RVV-BD (Ракета Воздух-Воздух Большой Дальности (Raketa Vozduh-Vozduh Bolshoy Dalnosti), "Long range air-to-air rocket"), and the NATO codenames "Axehead" and "Andi".[3] It was developed from theR-33.
It is designed to shoot down tankers,AWACS and otherC4ISTAR aircraft[4] while keeping the launch platform out of range of any fighters that might be protecting the target.
According to Janes there are two variants, theR-37 and theR-37M; the latter conceived as having a jettisonable rocket booster that increases the range to "300–400 km" (160–220 nm).[3] In 2023,Rosoboronexport introduced the export version of the R-37M, designatedRVV-BD. It has a launch range of up to 200 kilometres (120 mi; 110 nmi) and maximum altitude of 25 kilometres (82,000 ft) with a 60 kilograms (130 lb)warhead. The missile is compatible withSukhoi Su-57,Sukhoi Su-30,Sukhoi Su-35,Mikoyan MiG-31BM andMikoyan MiG-35.[5][6]
The R-37 was developed from theR-33. For compatibility with aircraft that did not have theMiG-31's sophisticated radar, the semi-active seeker was replaced with a variant of theAgat 9B-1388 active seeker.[2] Similarly, folding tail controls allow semi-conformal carriage[2] on planes that are not as big as the MiG-31.
Mid-body strakes enhance lift[2] and hence increase range. According toDefence Today, the range depends on the flight profile, from 80 nautical miles (150 km) for a direct shot[2] to 215 nautical miles (398 km) for a cruise glide profile.[2]
TheR-37M designation has since been used for a modernized variant of the missile, also known as RVV-BD (Raketa Vozduh-Vozduh Bolshoy Dalnosty, or Long-Range Air-to-Air Missile). R-37M's range exceeds 200 km, and it is capable of hypersonic speeds (~Mach 5).[7] It will be carried by the modernized MiG-31BM interceptors andSu-35S andSu-57 multirole fighters.[8]
A further derivative designed for internal carriage in the Su-57, designated asIzdeliye 810, has folding rear fins, shorter strakes, and updated seeker and motor.[9]
The missile can attack targets at altitudes of 15 metres (49 ft)–25 kilometres (82,000 ft), guided semi-actively or actively through the Agat 9B-1388 system.[10]
The missile was designed in the early 1980s and first flown in 1989.[3] Testing of the R-37 continued through the 1990s,[3] and in 1994, a trial round scored a kill at a range of 162 nautical miles (300 km).[2] However, the program appears to have been dropped around 1998 on grounds of cost.[3] Work on the missile appears to have restarted in late 2006,[3] as part of the MiG-31BM program to update the Foxhound with a new radar and ground attack capability.[3]
In 2018, the R-37M had finished its operational validation tests.[11][12]Zvezda TV reports have recorded theSu-35 carrying the R-37, apparently as part of an air combat loadout. In this configuration, the craft carries twoR-73s in the central wing pylon, twoR-77s slung underneath the engine nacelles, and two R-37s on thehardpoints between the engines, with an option to carry a few more missiles, such as aKh-31anti-radiation missile.
The USDefense Intelligence Agency revealed in a 2025 report that Russia is fielding a nuclear-armed air-to-air missile. While the report does not mention any specific missile, analysts believe that it refers to a nuclear-capable variant of the R-37M missile.[13]
The R-37M has, since October 2022, been the main threat against theUkrainian Air Force. During the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, MiG-31 aircraft have reportedly shot down several Ukrainian aircraft, mainly by using the long range R-37.[14] By remaining at high speed and high altitude, MiG-31s have been able to operate virtually unopposed due to Ukrainian fighters lacking range, speed, or altitude necessary to engage the MiG-31.[15][16] The Ukrainian Air Force lacked fire and forget missiles until the introduction of the AMRAAM and MICA. They relied on theR-27 missiles, both the R-27R and R-27ER. The Ukrainian pilot must illuminate the Russian aircraft with their radar to guide the missile to the target. Russian pilots firing active radar, fire and forget,R-77 give the Russian pilots the ability to launch their missiles and then take evasive action. Ukrainian pilots were forced to "exploit ground clutter and terrain-masking to get close enough to fire before being engaged".
A report by theRoyal United Services Institute (RUSI) states that in October some six R-37Ms were being fired at the Ukrainian Air Force a day. The Su-35S is also used as a carrier for the R-37M. Four MiG-31 were also deployed to Crimea at theBelbek Air Base in mid 2022.[17]
In August 2022, Russian forces maintained a Combat Air Patrol of either a pair of Su-35S or MiG-31s on station to shoot down Ukrainian aircraft. The RUSI stated: "The VKS has been firing up to six R-37Ms per day during October. The extremely high speed of the weapon, coupled with very long effective range and a seeker designed for engaging low-altitude targets, makes it particularly difficult to evade."[17][18][19][20][21]
In February 2023, Ukraine obtained wreckage of a R-37M which would be of interest to Ukraine and Western countries.[22][23]
According to a Russian source, the missile is carried by the Su-35S and Su-57 fighters, and the MiG-31BM interceptor.[24]
According to Ukrainian pilots, the R-37M isn't achieving a lot of "hard kills", the destruction of actual Ukrainian aircraft. However, their launch forces pilots to abandon their current mission and take evasive action.[25] Ukrainian pilots believe that the only defence is for their allies to supply them withF-16 fighter jets andAIM-120 AMRAAM missiles. While it won't close the distance, Ukrainian pilots hope that it will push back the effective range of missiles like the R-37.[26] However according to a Ukrainian official, Ukraine is looking for opportunities to modernize theF-16 Block 20 MLU fighter jets planned for transfer. Early generationAN/APG-66 radars of older F-16 Block 20 MLU only have similar range to Ukrainian MiG-29s and possess no significant advantage compared to current Ukrainian fighters and both are inferior to the radar of current Russian fighters used in the war such asIrbis-E andN110M Bars-M.[27][28][29]
In response, the IAF has accelerated negotiations with Moscow to acquire the R-37M, one of the world's longest-range air-to-air missiles. Originally developed to shoot down NATO AWACS and tanker aircraft from hundreds of kilometers away...
