Posted on 09/27/2018 7:53:00 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Russia is set to add a hypersonic missile to its arsenal which can hit targets almost 200 miles away, Moscow's official media outlet has reported.
The R-37M missile, which is designed to target enemy aircraft and can travel at Mach 6 - more than 4,500mph - is an upgrade on a Soviet-era weapon first launched in 1985.
The latest missile, which will be fired from Russia's planned SU-57 stealth jets, is said to be equipped with an active-seeker homing system to blast enemy planes out of the sky.
The new air-to-air missile is intended to target enemy fighter jets as well as Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) planes such as those deployed by the U.S., according to the Kremlin's propaganda channel Russia Today.
The R-37M missile, which is designed to target enemy aircraft and can travel at Mach 6 - more than 4,500mph - is an upgrade on a Soviet-era weapon first launched in 1985
A Russian defence official reportedly confirmed yesterday that the SU-57 jet, which is still in development, would again be used to fire the new missiles.
The £120million Sukhoi-57, which will have a top speed of 1,615 mph, is said to rival America's F-22 and China's Chengdu J-20.
Kremlin officials said last year that the fifth-generation stealth jet would enter military service in 2019.
The original R-37 missile was first produced in 1985, in the last years of the USSR. It was 14 feet long and weighed more than half a tonne.
The upgrade reportedly leaves the future unclear for another planned missile, the KS-172, which was being developed by a rival manufacturer.
The latest weapon comes alongside a range of Russian military upgrades including a new anti-ship missile which was tested on Wednesday.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
The latest missile, which will be fired from Russia's planned SU-57 stealth jets (pictured), is equipped with an active-seeker homing system to blast enemy planes out of the sky
What a waste it is for Russia to keep trying to upstage the United States militarily when we could do so much more through cooperation.
At 4500 mph it wouldn’t even a warhead. The force of the collision would tear the plane apart.
The nose of the missile is much smaller than the nose of the aircraft that carries it so I assume that the range of the active seeker is less than the 125 to 150 mile range of the aircraft's radar. Lets just say less than 125 miles.
So, unless the missile is linked to other sensors that provide it guidance correction until within range of it's own radar, it is not really a 200 mile missile.
The missile is very scary if used to take out AWACs and tankers.
I thought Russia cancelled the Su-57 and Armata systems.
Them and the Chinese. We could have colonies on Mars instead of those worthless toys.
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