AA-1 Alkali
Notes:
This was the first Russian air-to-air missile, and is debatable whether
it was the first or second AAM to go into service in the world.
It was a rather clumsy arrangement; the early form of the missile is a
beam-riding missile, with the missile homing on a coded radar beam instead of a
standard radar lock-on. The pilot
must keep the missile and target in a rather narrow radar beam, and course
corrections are transmitted directly to the missile by a radio link.
There were at least 6 variants of the Alkali, most can be identified by
differing fin shapes; they also had different homing heads and warheads.
The last AA-1 was retired from Russian service by 1977, and most other
countries soon thereafter, but they can occasionally be encountered under the
wings of Third World Aircraft.
Twilight 2000
Notes: In perhaps one of the most unexplainable engagements of the Twilight War,
an Albanian MiG-17 managed to down a US F/A-22A Raptor using an AA-1E Alkali.
Weapon |
Weight |
Accuracy |
Guidance |
Sensing |
Price |
AA-1A |
91 kg |
Formidable |
Beam Riding |
Rear Aspect |
$2248 |
AA-1B |
91 kg |
Formidable |
Radar |
All Aspect |
$6232 |
AA-1C |
91 kg |
Formidable |
IR |
Rear Aspect |
$4232 |
AA-1D |
83.2 kg |
Difficult |
Radar |
All Aspect |
$6200 |
AA-1E |
83.2 kg |
Difficult |
IR |
Rear Aspect |
$4448 |
AA-1F |
83.2 kg |
Difficult |
Radar |
All Aspect |
$6320 |
Speed |
Min Rng |
Max Rng |
Damage |
Pen |
Type |
|
AA-1A |
1700 |
2000 |
6000 |
C27 B75 |
22C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-1B |
1700 |
1600 |
6800 |
C34
B80 |
22C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-1C |
1700 |
1100 |
6800 |
C34
B80 |
22C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-1D |
1700 |
1600 |
8000 |
C41
B94 |
22C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-1E |
1700 |
1100 |
8000 |
C44
B94 |
22C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-1F |
1700 |
1600 |
8000 |
C47
B100 |
22C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-2 Atoll
Notes:
On 24 September 1958, an AIM-9B Sidewinder missile lodged in the tail of
a Chinese MiG-17 without exploding.
This missile was taken to the then-Soviet Union and, based on this missile, the
Russian's first successful air-to-air missile was developed, the AA-2 Atoll.
The missile was also developed into an early radar-homing weapon for all
angle attacks.
Twilight 2000
Notes: The Atoll was still in common use in Warsaw Pact countries, Third World
nations, and China (where it is known as the PL-1) during the Twilight War.
Weapon |
Weight |
Accuracy |
Guidance |
Sensing |
Price |
AA-2 |
70 kg |
Difficult |
IR |
Rear Aspect |
$3,010 |
AA-2-2 |
70 kg |
Difficult |
Radar |
All Aspect |
$22,395 |
Speed |
Min Rng |
Max Rng |
Damage |
Pen |
Type |
|
AA-2 |
3960 |
1000 |
6500 |
C14 B50 |
11C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-2-2 |
3960 |
1200 |
8000 |
C14
B50 |
11C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-3 Anab
Notes:
The AA-3 is an early Russian radar homing missile designed with a large
warhead to shoot down bombers. It
is not a particularly accurate missile and it is vulnerable to countermeasures,
but its explosions usually destroy an aircraft.
It is produced by China as the PL-2.
Weapon |
Weight |
Accuracy |
Guidance |
Sensing |
Price |
AA-3A |
275 kg |
Difficult |
Radar |
All Aspect |
$23,505 |
AA-3B |
275 kg |
Difficult |
IR |
Rear Aspect |
$12,930 |
Weapon |
Speed |
Min Rng |
Max Rng |
Damage |
Pen |
Type |
AA-3A |
4750 |
1200 |
19000 |
C98
B100 |
35C |
HE |
AA-3B |
4750 |
1200 |
19000 |
C98
B100 |
35C |
HE |
AA-6 Acrid
Notes:
This huge air-to-air missile was originally designed to be used by MiG-25
Foxbat to shoot down the US B-70 Valkyrie bomber.
(It was killed by Congress instead.)
The Acrid is so big because of the long-range rocket motor, the large
radar kit, and because of the limitations of Soviet technology in the early
1960s when the AA-6 was designed.
Early AA-6 missiles didn’t have look-down capability, but the “C” model
rectified this. The “B” model is an
IR version of the Acrid, but the range is much more limited, again due to the
technology of the time. MiG-25s are
still sometimes seen with Acrids, but they have mostly been replaced with later
technology.
Weapon |
Weight |
Accuracy |
Guidance |
Sensing |
Price |
AA-6A |
800 kg |
Difficult |
Radar |
All Aspect |
$13352 |
AA-6B |
748 kg |
Difficult |
IR |
Rear Aspect |
$10308 |
AA-6C |
748 kg |
Average |
Radar |
All Aspect |
$11952 |
Weapon |
Speed |
Min Rng |
Max Rng |
Damage |
Pen |
Type |
AA-6A |
6795 |
3200 |
50000 |
C150
B175 |
53C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-6B |
6795 |
3200 |
15500 |
C150
B175 |
53C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-6C |
6795 |
2145 |
50000 |
C180
B194 |
53C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-7 Apex
Notes:
This is one of the standard air-to-air missiles on Russian aircraft, used
primarily by the MiG-23, MiG-27, and its variants.
There are four variants: The AA-7A basic radar homing missile, the AA-7B
heat-seeker, and the AA-7C and AA-7D with extended range.
Weapon |
Weight |
Accuracy |
Guidance |
Sensing |
Price |
AA-7A |
320 kg |
Difficult |
Radar |
All Aspect |
$23,740 |
AA-7B |
320 kg |
Difficult |
IR |
Rear Aspect |
$13,280 |
AA-7C |
320 kg |
Average |
Radar |
All Aspect |
$23,750 |
AA-7D |
320 kg |
Average |
IR |
Rear Aspect |
$13,280 |
Weapon |
Speed |
Min Rng |
Max Rng |
Damage |
Pen |
Type |
AA-7 R-23R |
4750 |
1500 |
35000 |
C73
B85 |
26C |
HE |
AA-7 R-23T |
4750 |
800 |
15000 |
C73
B85 |
26C |
HE |
AA-7 R-24R |
4750 |
1500 |
50000 |
C85
B90 |
26C |
HE |
AA-7 R-24T |
4750 |
800 |
21000 |
C85
B90 |
26C |
HE |
AA-8 Aphid
Notes:
This former standard Pact heat-seeking missile was still in widespread
use in the Twilight War, both by the Pact forces and by Third-World countries.
It is a wide-aspect missile, able to guide from the side or rear of the
target aircraft.
Weapon |
Weight |
Accuracy |
Guidance |
Sensing |
Price |
AA-8A |
65 kg |
Average |
IR |
Side Aspect |
$13,010 |
AA-8B |
65 kg |
Average |
IR |
All Aspect |
$15,010 |
AA-8C |
65 kg |
Average |
IR |
All Aspect |
$15,010 |
Weapon |
Speed |
Min Rng |
Max Rng |
Damage |
Pen |
Type |
AA-8A |
2600 |
800 |
10000 |
C19
B62 |
13C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-8B |
2600 |
800 |
13600 |
C23
B68 |
13C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-8C |
2600 |
400 |
13600 |
C26
B75 |
13C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-9 Amos
Notes:
This missile was designed to arm MiG-31 interceptors, but was later used
on MiG-25s. It was designed to be
state-of-the-art (at the time, 1980), used to attack bombers and attack aircraft
using low-level penetration techniques, cruise missiles, helicopters, and
high-speed aircraft like the SR-71 (a task at which it was never successful).
It was also the Soviet Union’s first active homing missile, able to guide
itself once it closes to 48 kilometers using its own radar.
Weapon |
Weight |
Accuracy |
Guidance |
Sensing |
Price |
AA-9 |
490 kg |
Average |
Active Radar |
All Aspect |
$61008 |
Weapon |
Speed |
Min Rng |
Max Rng |
Damage |
Pen |
Type |
AA-9 |
7645 |
4800 |
160000 |
C190
B200 |
50C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-10 Alamo
Notes:
This missile was designed to form the main part of the MiG-29s air-to-air
armament. It is a modular missile
allowing for upgrades as well as different seeker heads and warheads to be
placed on the same basic missile airframe.
There are five variants of the Alamo, two heat-seeking, two radar-homing,
and one active homing missile. The
AA-10 is a high-agility missile able to be used in close in dogfights as well as
long-range intercepts.
Weapon |
Weight |
Accuracy |
Guidance |
Sensing |
Price |
AA-10A |
254 kg |
Average |
IR |
All Aspect |
$10460 |
AA-10B |
253 kg |
Average |
Radar |
All Aspect |
$8660 |
AA-10C |
350 kg |
Average |
Radar |
All Aspect |
$9136 |
AA-10D |
343 kg |
Easy |
IR |
All Aspect |
$19000 |
AA-10E |
349 kg |
Easy |
Active Radar |
All Aspect |
$49136 |
Weapon |
Speed |
Min Rng |
Max Rng |
Damage |
Pen |
Type |
AA-10A |
6795 |
1070 |
80000 |
C70
B118 |
28C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-10B |
6795 |
1600 |
70000 |
C70
B118 |
28C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-10C |
6795 |
1600 |
130000 |
C70
B120 |
28C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-10D |
6795 |
1050 |
120000 |
C80
B130 |
28C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-10E |
6795 |
1600 |
130000 |
C80
B130 |
28C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-11 Archer
Notes:
This is the standard heat-seeking missile of Russian forces and allies.
The missile is resistant to jamming (one level harder to decoy) and is
very maneuverable. Three versions
are available, the standard AA-11A, the longer range AA-11B, and the still
longer range AA-11C. It is an
all-angle missile, able to engage from any angle, instead of just the rear of
the target.
Weapon |
Weight |
Accuracy |
Guidance |
Sensing |
Price |
AA-11A |
96 kg |
Average |
IR |
All Aspect |
$15270 |
AA-11B |
105 kg |
Average |
IR |
All Aspect |
$15320 |
AA-11C |
115 kg |
Easy |
IR |
All Aspect |
$15385 |
Speed |
Min Rng |
Max Rng |
Damage |
Pen |
Type |
|
AA-11A |
3665 |
600 |
20000 |
C38 B88 |
19C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-11B |
3665 |
600 |
30000 |
C44
B94 |
19C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-11C |
3665 |
600 |
40000 |
C44
B94 |
19C |
FRAG-HE |
AA-12 Adder
Notes:
This weapon is colloquially known as the AMRAAMski, so similar it is to
the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. It is
known for its maneuverability. It is an active radar missile, guiding itself by
means of a radar seeker in its head.
Twilight 2000
Notes: This missile was greatly feared by Western pilots during the Twilight
War. Luckily, this weapon was not
put into production until just prior to the Twilight War and the factories were
put out of operation early, so the AMRAAMski was rarely encountered.
Merc 2000 Notes:
Budget cuts meant that the AMRAAMski was always in short supply.
Weapon |
Weight |
Accuracy |
Guidance |
Sensing |
Price |
AA-12 |
175 kg |
Easy |
Active Radar |
All Aspect |
$25,400 |
Weapon |
Speed |
Min Rng |
Max Rng |
Damage |
Pen |
Type |
AA-12 |
6500 |
1500 |
100000 |
C60
B112 |
23C |
FRAG-HE |