Image source: topwar.ru
AIM-120 AMRAAM
The American concern Raytheon continues to improve the AIM-120 medium-range air-to-air missile against the background of the successes of Russia and China in the development of armaments, in particular, increasing its range. At the same time, its successor, the AIM-260, is waiting in the wings with a much longer flight distance.
- Raytheon reports, without naming a specific distance, as such data is strictly classified in the United States.
The American command is paying increased attention to the development of the airborne forces, trying to keep up with the developments of China and Russia. The AIM-260 is nearing commissioning, but the AMRAAM will remain in service for decades, so continuous modernization of the missile is needed to match the modern battlefield.
For example, Russia claims that the URVV R-37M, at least in the export version, can hit certain types of air targets at a distance of up to 200 km. According to the publication The War Zone, apparently, we are talking about large and poorly maneuverable vehicles, and these are most likely "indicators from the advertising booklet with all the caveats that follow."
- it says in the American edition.
Image source: topwar.ru
Launch of the URVV R-37M from the Su-35S
Significant progress is also being made in China. According to experts from the British RUSI Institute, the range of the Chinese PL-15 RVV exceeds that of the AIM-120D, one of the latest versions of the AMRAAM. The PL-15 is already widely used in aviation, while Beijing is working on longer-range weapons, including the much larger PL-17, which may well be designed primarily to target critical targets such as tankers and AWACS aircraft.
In addition, there is a rocket that has received the informal designation PL-16. Apparently, it was designed to be placed inside the fuselage of the J-20 fighter, which can accommodate 6 URVS of this type instead of 4 PL-15.
