A video has appeared on social networks of Iranian Air Force aircraft testing the interception and destruction of an aerial simulator of a TDU-11B cruise missile. MiG-29 fighters took part in the exercises, which hit the target with R-73 melee missiles.
The annotation to the video says that the training took place in October 2021. The F-5 Tiger II aircraft launched an air target.
MiG-29 fighters intercepted the target and launched the P-73, which is clearly demonstrated on the video from the cockpit. Previously, footage taken by an operator on the ground was available on the Internet.
It should be noted that the R-73 guided air-to-air missile, according to the NATO classification - Archer ("Archer" according to the NATO classification), was adopted in 1983. Experts note that the R-73 missiles in combination with helmet-mounted sighting systems "Slit" can achieve sustained superiority in close combat. The height of hitting targets flying at a speed of 2500 kilometers per hour is up to 20 kilometers. The P-73 can withstand overloads up to 40G.
In addition to the Russian and CIS Air Forces, the missile is in service in India, Algeria, Iran, Cuba, North Korea, China and Syria.
Nikolay Grishchenko