Zephyr Net

Russia’s Tactical Missile Sector Shows Renewed Life
Aviation Week & Space Technology Aug 22 , 2011 , p. 25
Robert Wall
Moscow


The 200-km RVV-BD air-to-air missile is completing development trials and offered for export use on the MiG-31 and Su-35.




Domestic demands again set the priorities for Russia’s tactical missile efforts
Printed headline: Missile Boost

Russia’s tactical missile industry is enjoying a revival in development funding. Still, that does not mean defense companies are being allowed unbridled leeway in their research that led to many breakout products during the Soviet era. Far from it.

The situation has “become much better in the last three years” when conditions were quite severe, says one senior industry official. But additional support is still needed, he suggests.

Moreover, companies’ work is much more targeted now, and they have little leeway to pursue “blue-sky” projects, says another industry official. Instead, most research efforts are linked closely to contracts from the Russian military.

A new emphasis on the domestic customer constitutes another change. With the return of Russian government funding, industry is less dependent on export deals.

Many near-term development efforts for the Russian air force are aimed at devising the air-launched weapons for the stealthy T-50 fighter. The mass parameters and dimensions have already been established for the internal-carriage weapons. Work on a number of air-to-air missiles for the fighter also is under contract, with the goal of completing most of the development activity around 2014, says Boris Obnosov, chief designer at Tactical Missile Corp.

The primary focus now is on an internal carriage fit of the short-range RVV-MD missile and the medium-range RVV-SD. Other priorities are an internal-carriage version of the Kh-35 anti-ship guided missile and the Kh-58UShK anti-radar missile. The weapon has a speed of 420 kph (260 mph) and features a broadband seeker to pinpoint targets.
The 200-km RVV-BD air-to-air missile is completing development trials and offered for export use on the MiG-31 and Su-35.Credit: ROBERT WALL/AW&ST

In the meantime, the export business is not being ignored. Tactical Missile Corp.’s Vympel unit, for example, used the Moscow air show (MAKS) to unveil its latest air-to-air export missile offering, the RVV-BD. It is intended mainly for use on the MiG-31 and Su-35, at least initially, and is designed to operate with the AKU-410-1 and AKU-620 launchers used on the respective fighters.

The missile’s key feature is its extended range, which company officials note is 200 km using a two-stage motor, or significantly above the 120 km for the R-33E. Although Russian industry had been working on longer-range versions, the defense ministry has set 200 km as the range for the export threshold. The missile is similar to long-range air-to-air missiles being built for the Russian air force.

The new weapon also can engage targets pulling 8g, whereas the R-33E was limited to 4g. The active radar seeker has a field of view of ±60 deg. A seeker upgrade also may be possible, according to a program official.

The RVV-BD features a 60-kg (132-lb.) blast/fragmentation warhead, activated with a radar proximity fuze or on impact. The R-33E has a 47-kg warhead. To ease integration, the new missile was sized to be similar to the older version. The RVV-BD is 4.06 meters (13.3 ft.) long and has a 0.38-meter diameter. The wingspan is 0.72 meters with a fin-span of 1.02 meters, although two of the fins can be folded for recessed carriage on the MiG-31. The same configuration would be used on the Su-35.

Development activity on the weapon is due to wrap up this year, with series production expected to start next year. The weapon is not for export sale as a stand-alone item, however. A customer would first have to acquire one of the Russian combat aircraft.

Exports now represent roughly 37% of Tactical Missile Corp.’s 34-billion-ruble ($1.15-billion) turnover. India is the largest market; and Vietnam, Turkmenistan and Algeria also are strong customers. Activities in China are currently focused on services. Obnosov also expects Venezuela to return as a major buyer.

Several other efforts also are nearing completion, says Obnosov. By year-end, development should wrap up on an improved version of the Kh-35; a new engine doubles the missile’s range, and a new seeker and satellite navigation system have been added.

Industry officials hesitate to discuss details of their work on an even longer-range air-to-air missile, mainly because the project has not been cleared for export and—as a Russian-military-only application for now—is classified.

In addition to the RVV-BD, Russia is still trying to secure a launch export order for the medium-range-SD. Flight tests of the 110-km-range weapon have been completed and series production merely awaits a green light.

There is one area, however, where Russia’s interest has apparently waned—ramjet-powered air-to-air weapons. Ramjets “are not a panacea,” declares one industry official. They are expensive and difficult to design, he adds.

Tactical Missile Corp. also has been exploring options for arming unmanned aircraft. Designs are still at an early stage, says Obnosov, but a lack of government funding is stifling development efforts.

However, industry is still very active in seeker development—primarily at the Agat research institute, which is a subsidiary of the Almaz-Antey air defense corporation. Agat is pursuing dual-mode seekers for air-to-air missiles, undaunted by the fact that an earlier semi-active/passive design, conceived for the very-long-range R-37, completed testing but never entered production.

One effort that remains in the development pipeline is the 9B-1103M semi-active/active seeker. The active element, used for terminal guidance, operates in Ku band with a range of 20-25 km. For initial weapons-cueing, the missile uses the L-band semi-active seeker.

Work on a passive/active seeker also is progressing. Production of prototype hardware is now under way. The passive element has broadband capabilities and is augmented by a Ku-band terminal guidance seeker.

Nearer to completion is a 9B-1103M-150MM Ka-band seeker; development trials could wrap up next year. The 150-mm-dia. device is designed for air-to-air missiles and would replace infrared seekers. The lock-on range for a target with a 5-sq.-meter radar cross section is given as 13 km or greater. The goal is to provide a radar-based fire-and-forget launch option using only preliminary target designation.

One big issue facing the Russian industry is its reliance on foreign micro­electronics, and this problem stymies its desire for independence. Thus, a major industry-wide push is targeting specific areas where there is an over-dependence on offshore suppliers. But even if there is a disruption in microelectronic components, this should not immediately impact ongoing Russian production or development efforts, since companies are stockpiling some of the critical parts in case there is a break in the supply chain.