R-40 (missile)

R -40, MAKS, Zhukovsky, 1999

Wympel R -40 (Russian Вымпел Р -40) is the name for the Soviet air - to-air missile with the NATO designation AA -6 " Acrid ".

This missile was developed in the 60s, especially for the use of the MiG -25 " Foxbat " and introduced under the name R -40T and R -40R. After the Soviet pilot Viktor Belenko deposed on 6 September 1976 by a MiG -25 to Japan, the aircraft model and the missiles have now been revised. The new versions were given the designation R - 40RD and R- 40TD. In use on the MiG -25 was designed to fire two missiles at an air always aim to guarantee the destruction of the target even when countermeasures. Since the standard armament of the MiG- 25 from two infrared and two radar -guided missiles existed, was fired from every variant. First, however, the infrared- guided missile, so they do not aufschaltet on the exhaust jet of the radar-guided missile.

It is currently the largest one in use air - to-air missile in the world and is currently used in the MiG- 31 " Foxhound ".

Variants

• R -40T: 1 series version with infrared homing head. Range 30 km.
• R -40R: 1 series version with semi- active radar homing head. Range 50 km.
• R- 40TD: Improved R -40T with revised electronics and a range of 40 km.
• R- 40RD: Improved R -40R with revised electronics and a range of over 60 km.