The Vympel R-33 (AA-9 Amos) is a long-range air-to-air missile developed by the Soviet Union. It is the primary armament of the MiG-31 interceptor, intended to attack large high-speed targets such as the SR-71 Blackbird, the B-1 Lancer bomber, and the B-52 Stratofortress.
Generally similar to the U.S. Navy's retired AIM-54 Phoenix, it uses a combination of semi-active radar homing for initial acquisition and mid-course updates, and inertial navigation to reach the target at extreme range. The Zaslon phased array radar of MiG-31 allows four missiles to be guided simultaneously at separate targets.
The R-33 AAM remains in service with the CIS and Russian forces (See MiG-31 operators). It may have been deployed during the chechen conflicts as MiG-31's provided Air defense in conjunction with A-50 AWACS planes.
| Vympel R-33 | |
|---|---|
| Type | air-to-air missile |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 490 kg (1,080 lb) |
| Length | 4.15 m (13 ft 7 in) |
| Diameter | 380 mm (15 in) |
| | |
| Warhead | 47.5 kg (104 lb) |
| | |
| Wingspan | 1.16 m (3 ft 8 in) |
| Operational range | 160 km (R-33), 130 km (R-33E), 228 km (R-33S) |
| Speed | Mach 4.5 |
| Guidance system | |
