Foreign media love to exaggerate the subject of creating hypersonic weapons in Russia. However, mostly articles in Western publications on this topic boil down to the conclusion that, until the implementation of existing ideas, Russian developers will need more than one year.
Against this background, the conclusion of a foreign publication Strategic Culture on the presence of air-based weapons in Russia capable of intercepting any American combat aircraft and missiles for various purposes attracts attention.
In forming such a conclusion, analysts relied on the analysis of the capabilities of the R-37M Vympel air-to-air missile. This hypersonic long-range missile, according to a previously made statement by the head of the Tactical Missile Weapons Corporation, Boris Obnosov, will be used by fifth-generation Su-57 aircraft. Foreign analysts say that the testing of the sample began in Soviet times, but now the rocket is a significantly improved weapon system. The Russian Vympel reaches a speed of 6 Mach and is capable of hitting air targets at a range of about 300 km. For comparison, the speed of the American analogue AIM-120D does not exceed 4 Mach, and the distance of defeat is limited to 180 km. This indicates a completely unique properties of the rocket in its class, far superior to Western counterparts.
The R-37M guided missile was successfully used in range conditions. At one of the tests I was hit by an Armavir missile simulating a flight of a ballistic speed target.
Western experts have come to the conclusion that this development of the Russian Federation is capable of neutralizing absolutely any American aircraft, including the “invisible” F-35 Lightning-2. And the small dimensions of the R-37M make it possible to install it on Su-30 and Su-35 fighters.
If the information presented in the publication is confirmed, the Russian air force, with the adoption of this aviation weapon of destruction into service, is able to ensure the conquest and retention of air superiority.
