A number of Russian media outlets reported that Russian fourth-generation Su-35S fighters had begun to be equipped with long-range R-77M missiles. This was pointed out by military expert Evgeny Damantsev.
According to him, journalists claimed that they had noticed the latest high-maneuverability long-range air-to-air missile R-77M ("Product-180") on the suspension units, which was first shown back in July 2025. It has flat aerodynamic rudders instead of lattice ones.
In reality, the September photographs show a standard ammunition load, represented by the R-37M ("Product-610M") and R-77-1 ("Product-170-1") air-to-air missiles with a range of 230 - 250 km and 110 km, respectively, when launched at an echelon of more than 10 km.
The expert recalled that after the solid propellant rocket motor charge burns out, the R-37M missile, due to its mass of 510 kg and large midsection area, experiences significant ballistic drag and aerodynamic resistance, which contribute to a rapid decrease in flight speed at a distance of more than 200 km.
At the same time, the maximum overload of the targets being hit decreases from 8 - 10 to 4 - 6 G. For the R-77M, the available target overload can reach 8 - 12 G at a distance of 180 - 150 km when launched at an echelon of more than 10 km.
The R-77M missile eliminates the gap in the strike power of the Russian Aerospace Forces from the American AIM-120D class ammunition, the range of which, when launched at an echelon of 13,500 m, can reach 180 - 190 km.
Earlier www1.ru reported that footage of the flight of the X-101 strategic missile for the Tu-160 and Tu-95MS has appeared.
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