Designed for use on fourth generation fighters such as the Mig-29 and Su-27, and now on modernised versions of the earlier MiG-series. It entered production in 1986 and is now the principal medium-range Russian air-to-air missile. The first versions to enter service were the semi-active radar guided R-27R1 (AA-10 Alamo-B) and the infra-red guided R-27T1 (AA-10 Alamo-A). Both these versions use inertial guidance updated by a communication link during the initial phase of flight.
A follow-up version has an up-rated rocket motor which increases the length of the missile by around 17%. This version has a semi-active radar and infra-red variants which are the R-27RE1 (AA-10 Alamo-C) and the R-27TE1 (AA-10 Alamo-D) respectively. The R-27RE1 and R-27TE1 are intended for destruction of targets at night and daytime, under normal or adverse meteorological conditions into the forward and rear target hemispheres including against the background of various underlying surfaces with the enemy active manoeuvring and jamming counteraction. The R-27TE1 has a range of 130 km and a maximum speed of Mach 2.5, while the R-27RE1 has a range of 70 km and a maximum speed of Mach 2.5.
SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) reported that 300 R-27R1/T1 air-to-air missiles were ordered by the Indian Air Force in 1995 and all 300 missiles were delivered in the same year. SIPRI reported that 1140 R-27E missiles were ordered in 1996 and 250 were delivered by 2001. SIPRI also reported that 1140 R-27R1/T1 missiles were ordered from Ukraine in 1996 and 304 were delivered by 2001. As per the annual UN conventional arms register, the Indian Government reported it had purchased 40 R-27ER1 and 36 R-27ET1 missiles in 1999 and 20 R-27ER1 and 20 R-27ET1 missiles in 2000.
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The first MiG-21M manufactured by HAL Nasik.
Wg Cdr S K Talyan after handing over the Form 700
Republic Day 2007
Lightning
MiG-23MF of the Warlords Squadron
