R-33
Country of origin
Soviet Union
ManufacturerVympel
The R-33 (Russian: Вымпел Р-33, NATO reporting name: AA-9 Amos) is a long-range air-to-air missile developed by Vympel. It is the primary armament of the MiG-31 interceptor, intended to attack large high-speed targets such as the SR-71 Blackbird, the B-1 Lancer bomber, and the B-52 Stratofortress.
It uses a combination of inertial navigation for initial (midcourse) guidance, followed by semi-active radar homing once the target is within range of the radar seeker. The Zaslon phased array radar of MiG-31 allows six missiles to be guided simultaneously at separate targets.
The R-33 AAM remains in service with the CIS and Russian forces (See MiG-31 operators).
It uses a combination of inertial navigation for initial (midcourse) guidance, followed by semi-active radar homing once the target is within range of the radar seeker. The Zaslon phased array radar of MiG-31 allows six missiles to be guided simultaneously at separate targets.
The R-33 AAM remains in service with the CIS and Russian forces (See MiG-31 operators).
