If the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets rely on the AIM-9X as a short-range air-to-air missile, then the Kremlin's stealth champion, Sukhoi Su-57 Felon also has a rival, namely the Vympel RVV-MD, an air-to-air missile. infrared guided short range (two band infrared seeker) housed in the weapon bay. And regarding the RVV-MD, there has been news recently that a new variant has been developed, codenamed RVV-MD2.
If the RVV-MD has been claimed as the latest air-to-air missile, then the RVV-MD2 is clearly even more powerful, and is referred to by global defense equipment observers as the 'Super Missile'. So what makes the RVV-MD2 worthy of being the new mainstay of the Su-57?
According to a report from Ria Novosti, disclosure about the development of the RVV-MD2 is being made by the Moscow-based JSC GosMKB Vympel which is designing the latest generation of air-to-air missiles. About RVV-MD2 was disclosed in an article published in the magazine “Arsenal of the Fatherland.”
The article asserts that Russia has achieved a significant five to ten year advantage over the United States in developing fifth-generation air-to-air missiles, which are currently in production.
The new RVV-MD2 is the successor to the RVV-MD short-range “air-to-air” missile. This new missile has several advantages that Russian media claim will be very effective and lethal in aerial warfare. Victor Murakhovsky, editor-in-chief of Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine and military expert, explained that the RVV-MD2 is the world's first short-range missile that incorporates an inertial control system.
This system is designed to control and stabilize the missile during autonomous flight. The inertial system operates on the principle of a missile independently determining its coordinates in space without relying on external targeting or signals. Sensors on the missile calculate its position based on previously known positions, enabling the missile to navigate and maneuver accurately in its flight trajectory.
The RVV-MD2 has a radio correction line that allows the aircraft to correct target coordinates. This improvement significantly increases the chances of successfully engaging and hitting enemy aircraft during combat.
Compared to the previous version, the RVV-MD2 now uses a multi-element multi-band infrared seeker with better immunity to jamming attempts. The advanced homing head enables the RVV-MD2 to engage targets effectively from all angles, including targets at the rear of the aircraft.
In other words, the RVV-MD2 can be launched forward, maneuver in the air, and successfully hit enemy aircraft following behind the Su-57, further enhancing its combat capability. However, details about the planned integration of the missile into the Su-57 fleet and its overall production scale have yet to be announced.
using infrared guidance (two band infrared seekers) combined with gas/aerodynamic control, making this 106 kg missile able to pursue targets from various angles. Of the weight that reaches 106 kg, 8 kg of which are warheads.
The RVV-MD is not only designed to hit fighter jets, transport aircraft and helicopters, more than that, the RVV-MD was designed by the Vympel Design Bureau to destroy cruise missiles, it can even destroy targets that emit radiation on the surface, such as radar stations.
The missile, which is powered by a single-mode solid fuel rocket motor, can certainly be used in day and night conditions, and is equipped with anti-jamming technology.
RVV-MD is capable of traveling at Mach 2.5 speed, this missile can pursue a maximum target of 40 km, and is at least effectively fired from a distance of 300 meters. Regarding the launch height, the RVV-MD can be launched at altitudes ranging from 20 meters to 20,000 meters. The RVV-MD can operate effectively from any direction, day or night, in challenging electronic countermeasures (ECM) environments.
With the RVV-MD2 which brings these advanced features and improvements, it promises to increase the combat capability of the Su-57 fighter jet even further.