AA-11 ARCHER / R-73 RVV-MD - Program
R-73 (RVV-MD) was developed by Vympel GosMKB. The development of the highly maneuverable K-73 close air combat missile was started by the Molniya OKB (OKB-4 MR Binovat) by the Decree of the USSR Council of Ministers of July 26, 1974. Chief Designer - MR Bisnovat. According to the initial project, the rocket was created without taking into account the all-aspect ratio of the seeker (GOS) and only with gas-dynamic control. After the selection of the all-aspect GOS "Mayak" developed by the software "Arsenal" at a meeting under the leadership of the deputy chief designer of the rocket, GP Dementyev, a modern aerodynamic scheme with a change in the dimensions of the rocket was adopted.
Based on the disappointing results of air battles in the skies of Vietnam in the late sixties, the United States began developing the first generation IV fighters - the F-14 and F-15. Like the subsequent light fighters F-16 and F-18, these aircraft were created to solve the tasks of gaining air supremacy, primarily for highly maneuverable air combat. In the early seventies in the Soviet Union, in the order of a "symmetrical response" to the intrigues of the imperialists, the development of promising Soviet front-line fighters began, which later received the designations Su-27 and MiG-29.
An assessment of the requirements for missile weapons intended for close combat of new highly maneuverable aircraft showed that even the specially created R-60 melee missile, the development of which was being completed during these years, did not fully correspond to the newly set tasks. As the results of the analysis showed, the new generation missiles were supposed to possess the properties of super-maneuverability and all-aspect ratio.
Initially, these requirements were split into two different developments, carried out by different design organizations. Taking into account the results, preliminary studies carried out as part of the work on the preliminary design, by the Decree of July 26, 1974, which determined the requirements for the future Su-27 and MiG-29, the Molniya Design Bureau was assigned the development of a highly maneuverable small-sized melee missile K-73 ... The missile was conceived as a development of the P-60, but taking into account the higher requirements for maneuverability, an increase in mass was allowed to a value intermediate between the P-60 and P-13. On the same day, but by another Resolution of the Vympel Design Bureau, the development of an all-aspect short-range missile K-14 was set in order to further develop the K-13 family using a new TGSN and improving aerodynamics.
Supermaneuverability requirements determined the need for the K-73 to reach very large angles of attack (about 40 °), at which the effectiveness of aerodynamic controls, traditional for air-to-air missiles, was completely lost. The transition to the use of gas-dynamic controls in these conditions seemed inevitable. Given the relatively short range of launches, the use of wing surfaces was also considered inappropriate. Based on the small dimensions and weight of the initial version of the K-73, the use of an all-aspect TGS on it was not provided.
Nevertheless, the team headed by A.V. Young in Kiev "Arsenal", at the first stage working on a competitive basis with the Moscow "Geofizika", the development of a fairly compact GOS "Mayak" (OGS MK-80) with a new sensitive element was carried out. The new GOS provided targeting angles in bearing up to 60 °, which was five times higher than the corresponding GOS indicator of the R-60 missile. The pumping angle of the gyro-coordinator was increased to 75 °, and the angular tracking speed was increased to 60 degrees per second. The GOS "Mayak" has also implemented new and effective measures to combat natural and artificial interference. Along with the appropriate choice of the sensitivity range of the photodetector, in the GOS equipment, pulse-time signal modulation was used, a digital signal processing unit with several independent channels was introduced. To increase efficiency by hitting more vulnerable and important elements of the target, guidance was applied to a point displaced forward relative to the engine nozzle of the target aircraft.
Despite the formal absence of a requirement for all-aspect ratio, the K-73 developers began to focus on the use of the Mayak seeker, since it has already become obvious that sooner or later this requirement will be made for all melee missiles. The acquisition of new advantages required an increase in the dimensions and weight of the K-73. The original wingless design with low aerodynamic quality limited the rocket's maneuverability. The approach to the target was carried out with large angles of attack, unfavorable for the effective striking action of the warhead. For some time, a variant of a rocket without aerodynamic controls, but with a fairly developed six-cantilever tail, was considered. However, the use of only gas-dynamic controls limited the flight time to the duration of the engine operation, which significantly reduced the flexibility of tactical use.
Based on this, at a meeting under the leadership of Deputy Chief Designer G.P. Dementieva adopted an aerodynamic configuration close to the K-60. However, unlike the prototype, in the presence of a full-fledged autopilot with traditional gyroscopes on the rocket, it was necessary to provide roll stabilization. The use of kinematically interconnected ailerons instead of rollerons was not accompanied by a significant weighting of the rocket, so in its tail section and in earlier versions, steering drive elements were placed to activate gas-dynamic controls - sector spoilers located at the nozzle exit, introduced into the flow of combustion products to deflect it.
The development of the seeker since October 1978 was carried out at the LL-124 aircraft-flying laboratory based on the Tu-124. Tests of simplified prototypes of K-73 missiles from ground-based launchers began in 1979. The work of gas-dynamic rudders was tested. In the same 1979, within the framework of factory tests, 8 MiG-23ML flights and three K-73 missile launches were performed. In 1980, a MiG-17 flying target was first shot down from this MiG-23ML. In 1981, the third production MiG-29 joined the tests.
In 1981-1982 work on the creation of air-to-air missiles, which was carried out by the Molniya Design Bureau, was transferred to the Vympel Design Bureau. As a result of the merger of two teams of developers of air-to-air missiles, development of the K-73 was completed within the walls of the Vympel Design Bureau. Gennady Aleksandrovich Sokolovsky was appointed chief designer. The missile was put into service as R-73 by the Decree of the USSR Council of Ministers of June 22, 1984 and the order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 00113 (1984). Start of mass production (model R-73 RMD-1) came in 1987.
Russia’s new short-range maneuverable combat air-to-air missiles based on the R-73 short-range missile have begun being delivered to the military, the general director of the Duks designing company told Sputnik 02 June 2016. Yuri Klishin said that the new missile should have an infrared precision navigation warhead and its capabilities would be expanded for its attack angle, payloads, lock-on navigation warhead, as well as increasing its survivability from various types of tracking, increased reliability, anonymity, and its uniqueness. He said that the missile’s effectiveness would also be increased by 25-30 percent.
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