The Molniya (now Vympel) R-60 (NATO reporting name AA-8 'Aphid') is a lightweight air-to-air missile designed for use by Soviet fighter aircraft. It was widely exported, and remains in service with the CIS and many other nations.

History

The R-60 was developed for the MiG-23. Work began on the weapon, under the bureau designation K-60, in the late 1960s. Series production began in 1973. It entered service with the designation R-60T (NATO 'Aphid-A').

The R-60 is one of the world's smallest air-to-air missiles, with a launch weight of 44 kg (97 lb). It has infrared guidance and a rather small warhead with 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) of explosive, with active radar proximity fuse. According to Russian sources, engagement range is between 400 m (435 yd) and 4,000 m (4,370 yd).

Considering that Soviet practice was to manufacture most air-to-air missiles with interchangeable IR-homer and semi-active radar homing seekers, NATO speculated that there might be a SARH version of the 'Aphid.' Clearly the small size of the 'Aphid' makes a radar-homing version with an antenna of reasonable size impractical, and no such weapon appears to have been contemplated.

An upgrade version, the R-60M ('Aphid-B'), using a cooled seeker with an expanded view angle of +/- 20°, was introduced around 1982. Although it is more sensitive than its predecessor, it is not an all-aspect missile. The R-60M had a new laser proximity fuse. Some versions apparently laced the warhead with about 1.6 kg (3.5 lb) of uranium: not enough to achieve critical mass, but enough to make the explosion somewhat radioactive.

The export version was the R-60MK ('Aphid-C'), which is also compatible with helmet-mounted sights and the Infrared Sighting and Tracking (IRST) system used on aircraft like the MiG-29.

There is an inert training version, designated R-60U.

Since 1999 a modified version of the weapon has been used as a surface-to-air missile (SAM) as part of the Yugoslav M55A3B1 towed anti-aircraft gun system.

The current Russian dogfight missile is the Vympel R-73 (AA-11 'Archer'), but large numbers of 'Aphids' remain in service.

Specifications (R-60M)

• Length: 2090 mm (6 ft 10.2 in)
• Wingspan: 390 mm (15.4 in)
• Diameter: 120 mm (4.72 in)
• Launch weight: 44 kg (97 lb)
• Speed: Mach 2.7
• Range: 4 km (2.5 mi)
• Guidance: infrared homing
• Warhead: 6 kg (13.2 lb)