The Su-57 fighter will be equipped with an ultra-long-range R-37M hypersonic missile. It will be placed on the external suspension of a promising Russian fighter.
Hypersonic R-37M was designed to destroy high-speed air objects. And it doesn't matter how high or how far they fly from the observed Su-57. The rocket is equally effective in hitting targets flying at an altitude of both 25 kilometers and 15 meters. The maximum slaughter range of the R-37M is 300 km.
It is noteworthy that at the last stage of the flight, before destroying the target, the rocket curls a speed equal to six speeds of sound: six Machs or 7200 km / h. At the moment, the ultra-long Russian rocket is undergoing final testing.
Recall that the R-37M is a modernization of the Soviet R-37 missile, the development of which was completed in the second half of the 80s. It was adopted for service in the distant 1989th. Due to the huge dimensions - the mass of 600 kg, the length of 4 m - not all aircraft of the Soviet Union, but only the MiG-31 interceptor, could adopt it.
To date, its length has decreased to 3.86 m and the starting mass is slightly reduced. R-37M can be used in three modes: by preliminary target designation (shot - forgot); inertial guidance mode with correction; reprogramming mode, when the pilot, depending on the conditions, can introduce new data for the onboard computer of the rocket.
So far, our R-37M has only one competitor - AIM-120 AMRAAM, manufactured in the USA. It is in service with the F-16, F-22 and F-35 aircraft.
True, the American rival lags behind in performance. For example, its maximum target range is only 180 km.
By the way, in the foreseeable future, the Su-57 is also planning to install the “Drel” aerial bomb. Its weight is 500 kg and it has the possibility of a self-aiming landing.
