RT: Russia’s Su-57 jet gets hypersonic missile that can shoot down enemy aircraft ‘300km away’

Russia’s Su-57 jet gets hypersonic missile that can shoot down enemy aircraft ‘300km away’

A hypersonic anti-aircraft missile with a range of over 300km will be part of the arsenal of the Su-57, Russia’s most-advanced multipurpose fighter jet. The weapon is meant to take out high-value targets with impunity. The Su-57 is Russia’s first 5th-generation aircraft, designed to be a formidable threat to major air powers such as the US.

The updated missile’s main feature is its range, which is reported as 300km, although some sources say it may be as high as 400km, depending on flight profile. The costly missile is meant to take down equally important targets like AWACS planes, but with Mach 6 speeds and an active-seeker homing system taking over during the terminal phase, it poses a threat to more agile targets like fighter jets.

The R-37M variant, which is reportedly in the final stages of development, was given a new guidance system and lost some weight and length to fit on smaller platforms. Boris Obnosov, director of the Tactical Missiles Corporation (KTRV), confirmed to Interfax on Wednesday that the Su-57 will be among aircraft capable of firing the new missile. KRTV is the parent company of NPO Vympel, the developer of the R-37.

The progress with developing the R-37M puts into question the future of another potential very long-range air-to-air missile considered for the Su-57. Called KS-172 and developed by NPO Novator, part of the competing military concern Almaz-Antey, this missile reportedly has an even greater range of over 400km.

Its another claim of a new high tech weapon that we have no way of knowing if it’s true. We can only speculate for now.

Cover Photo: An R-37 (K-37/RVV-BD) missile mock-up shown at the MAKS-2013 air show in Russia. © Vitaly Kuzmin/Wikimedia