R-77 (NATO: AA-12 Adder) and R-73 (NATO: AA-11 Archer) are Russian-origin air-to-air missiles that form the primary beyond-visual-range and within-visual-range weapons respectively for the Indian Air Force’s Russian-origin fighter fleet, including the Su-30MKI and MiG-29UPG.[1]
R-77 is a medium-range, active-radar-guided air-to-air missile with variant ranges of roughly 80 km (baseline R-77/RVV-AE), 110 km (R-77-1/RVV-SD), and up to 190 km for the extended-range R-77M. It reaches a maximum speed of Mach 4, weighs 175–190 kg depending on variant, and carries a 22.5 kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead. The IAF’s Su-30MKI fleet is a mainstay carrier of the updated R-77-1 (RVV-SD) variant, providing India’s principal Russian-sourced beyond-visual-range engagement capability.[1]
R-73 is a highly agile, all-aspect infrared-homing short-range air-to-air missile with a range of about 30 km (R-73A/R-73E) extending to 40 km for the improved R-74/RVV-MD variant, a maximum speed of Mach 2.5, and a weight of roughly 105 kg. It has equipped the MiG-29, MiG-31, Su-27/33/34/35 family, and has historically been the IAF’s primary short-range dogfight missile on its Russian-origin fighters — though it has increasingly been supplemented or replaced on some platforms by Western missiles such as ASRAAM.[2]
| R-77 type | Active-radar-guided medium-range air-to-air missile |
| R-77 range | 80 km (baseline) / 110 km (R-77-1) / up to 190 km (R-77M) |
| R-77 speed / weight | Mach 4 / 175–190 kg |
| R-73 type | All-aspect infrared-homing short-range air-to-air missile |
| R-73 range | 30 km (R-73E) / 40 km (R-74/RVV-MD) |
| R-73 speed / weight | Mach 2.5 / ~105 kg |
| IAF carrier platforms | Su-30MKI, MiG-29UPG |