Russian R-37M air-to-air missiles on Su-35 fighters seen as a threat abroad

Business Insider: New missiles have turned the aircraft into a dangerous adversary

R-37M missiles have significantly enhanced the combat capabilities of Russian Su-35 fighters, turning them into a more significant threat to aviation. This is evidenced by a recent analysis by Justin Bronk, a leading British air force expert, published in Business Insider.

Long-range R-37M missiles were more of a specialized weapon for a limited number of Russian fighters. But now we see this weapon being used on Russian Su-35s.
Justin Bronk, air force expert at the British Royal United Services Institute 

According to Bronk of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the regular equipping of the Su-35 and Su-30SM2 with R-37M long-range hypersonic air-to-air missiles (NATO designation: RS-AA-13) has significantly increased the potential danger of these machines for air operations.

The specialist emphasized that the R-37M significantly outperforms previous models of the R-77-1 missiles in both range and effectiveness. The R-77-1 missiles had a range of about 100 kilometers. According to publicly available information, the R-37M is capable of reaching a maximum launch range of up to 200–300 kilometers, depending on conditions and modification, and can also reach speeds of up to Mach 6.

Bronk noted that for NATO, the mass integration of the R-37M on the Su-35 and Su-30SM2 poses a serious problem: it introduces more reliable long-range interception means from the Russian side into the battle. In addition, the Su-35 crews demonstrate a high level of training for joint operations with ground-based air defense systems.

The Su-35 remains a key air superiority fighter in the Russian Aerospace Forces.

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Sources:
Business Insider «Rossiyskaya gazeta»
2026-02-19 16:15:07 Andrey Rudkovskiy Military technology Su-35 Su-30SM2 R-77-1 R-37M
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