Ракета Р-60: История, характеристики и модификации

The Molniya (now Vympel) R 60 (NATO reporting name: AA 8 "Aphid") is a short range lightweight infrared homing air to air missile designed for use by Soviet fighter aircraft. It has been widely exported, and remains in service with the CIS and many other nations.

The R 60 was initially developed for the MiG 23. Work began on the weapon, under the bureau designation K 60 (izdeliye 62), in the late 1960s. Series production began in 1973. It entered service with the designation R 60 (NATO reporting name "Aphid A"). When introduced, the R 60 was one of the world's lightest and most agile air to air missiles, with a launch weight of It has infrared guidance, with an uncooled Komar (Mosquito) seeker head. Control is by forward rudders with large rear fins. The distinctive canards on the nose, known as "destabilizers," serve to improve the rudders' efficiency at high angles of attack. The R 60 uses a small, tungsten expanding rod surrounding a high explosive fragmentation warhead. Two different types of proximity fuze can be fitted: the standard Strizh (Swift) optical fuse, which can be replaced with a Kolibri active radar fuse. Missiles equipped with the latter fuse were designated R 60K. According to Russian sources, practical engagement range is about , although "brochure range" is at high altitude. The weapon was one of the most agile air to air missiles until the advent of thrust vectored missiles like the R 73 and AIM 9X. The R 60 can be used by aircraft maneuvering at up to 9g against targets maneuvering at up to 8g. A tactical advantage is the short minimum range of only
Soviet practice was to manufacture most air to air missiles with interchangeable IR homer and semi active radar homing (SARH) seekers – however, an SARH version of the R 60 was never contemplated due to the small size of the missile which makes a radar homing version with an antenna of reasonable size impractical. An inert training version, alternatively designated UZ 62 and UZR 60, was also built. An upgraded version, the R 60M (NATO reporting name: "Aphid B"), using a nitrogen cooled seeker with an expanded view angle of ±20°, was introduced around 1982. Although its seeker is more sensitive than its predecessor, the R 60M has only limited all aspect capability. Minimum engagement range was further reduced, to only The proximity fuzes had improved resistance to ECM, although both optical and radar fuzes remained available. The export version with the Kolibri M Radar fuze are designated R 60MK (NATO reporting name: "Aphid C"). The R 60M is longer, and has a heavier, continuous rod warhead, increasing launch weight to In some versions the warhead is apparently laced with about of depleted uranium which is intended to fragment upon detonation. The inert training version of the R 60M was the R 60MU. Since 1999, a modified version of the weapon has been used as a surface to air missile (SAM) as part of the Yugoslav M55A3B1 towed anti aircraft artillery system. It has also been seen carried on a twin rail mount on a modified M53/59 Praga armored SPAAG of (former) Czechoslovakian origin. These missiles have been modified with the addition of a first stage booster motor, with the missile's own motor becoming the sustainer. This was done in lieu of modifying the missile's motor for ground launch, as in the case of the US MIM 72 Chaparral. The current Russian dogfight missile is the R 73 (AA 11 "Archer"), but large numbers of R 60 missiles remain in service.

On 20 April 1978, two R 60 missiles were fired at Korean Air Lines Flight 902 after a navigational error had caused it to fly into Soviet airspace. One missile hit, detaching 4 meters of the left wing and killing 2 passengers. The plane made an emergency landing on a frozen lake. On 21 June 1978, a PVO MiG 23M flown by Pilot Captain V. Shkinder shot down two Iranian Boeing CH 47 Chinook helicopters that had trespassed into Soviet airspace, one helicopter being dispatched by two R 60 missiles and the other by cannon fire.

Several Russian reports affirm the R 60 was widely used during the 1982 Lebanon war, and it was the main weapon used by the Syrians in air to air combat. Some Russian reports affirm that the R 60 was the most successful air to air missile deployed by the Syrians in Lebanon over the Bekaa Valley. According to Israeli reports, the vast majority of air to air combat consisted of visual range dogfights, and this has been also confirmed by Russian sources. The Russian reports also mentioned that several F 4s, F 16s, and IAI Kfirs were destroyed by R 60s among other aircraft. Israel claims some F 4s and Kfirs were lost in 1982, but lists surface to air missiles as responsible for all Israeli aircraft losses. However, on 9 June 1982, a Syrian MiG 21 heavily damaged an F 15 using an R 60, but the Israeli aircraft was able to make it back to its base and was subsequently repaired. Iraqi MiG 23s damaged two EF 111A Raven by R 60 (missile)s during the Gulf War. On 19 January 1991, during the Gulf War, Iraqi air force pilot Jameel Sayhood claimed to have shot down a Royal Air Force Panavia Tornado with an R 60 missile. However, the Royal Air Force claimed that the aircraft crashed on 22 January 1991 on a bombing mission in Ar Rutba.

On 27 September 1987, during Operation Moduler, two Cuban FAR MiG 23MLs intercepted Captain Arthur Piercy's Mirage F1CZ, which was damaged by an R 60 fired head on by Major Alberto Ley Rivas. The explosion destroyed the aircraft's drag chute and damaged the hydraulics. Piercy was able to recover to AFB Rundu, but the aircraft overshot the runway. The impact with the rough terrain caused Piercy's ejection seat to fire, but he failed to separate from the seat and suffered major spinal injuries.

In 1999, an Indian Air Force MiG 21 used an infrared homing R 60 to bring down a Pakistani Navy Breguet Atlantic which intruded over Indian airspace. Part of the wreckage was found in contested territory, this incident is widely known as the Atlantic incident.