SOV - R-40 / R-40D (Molnija) / AA-6 Acrid

R-40R / R-40T / R-40DR / R-40TD /R-40D1
AA-6 (Acrid)
R-40R
Introduced 1970
Range 2 - 70 km
Weight 500 kg
Length 6.3 m
For the aircraft: Su-15, MiG-25, MiG-31

AA-6 (Acrid)
R-40T
Introduced 1970
Range 1.5 - 50 km
Weight 500 kg
Length 6.3 m
Guidance: Infra
For the aircraft: Su-15, MiG-25, MiG-31.
URL : https://www.valka.cz/SOV-R-40-R-40D-Molnija-AA-6-Acrid-t10756#49140 Version : 0
The development of anti-aircraft missiles, began in 1962 in connection with the start of work on the fighter aircraft Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-25P. Construction of the shells took the design group M.Bisnovata, which took as a basis the older missile R-8. Body shots R-8 was extended and received a refurbished control delta area. In the rear was equipped with a powerful rocket engine of which the characteristics of the missile enable it to reach speeds approaching the speed of the M5 (missile launch was possible only in the speed of M2,7). Because these speeds cause large thermal stress of the shot, have been on a dielectric covers a homing warhead used ceramic castings, and the engine compartment was cover titanium cylindrical shell. Of titanium have been made and four reinforcing beams inside the casing of the projectile.

The missile was developed in two versions with a different way of guidance. As a basic homing warheads in both types of mounted warheads PARG-12 which cooperates with a rifle and search first three of these Smierč-And. Head in both embodiments allows shooting at a target located about 35 kilometers at the height of the targets 27 (when attacked from the back side) to 30 (when attacked from the back side) miles. Implementation of R-40R carried in the bow of the original homing warhead PARG-12 with poloaktivním radar guidance to a distance of 15 km from the target and the active guidance just before the intervention objectives. Guidance of the projectile upon activation of the active radar mode homing warhead switches to the fully automatic mode guide. The second embodiment designated as R-40T has an active radar guidance section warhead replaced IR homing sensor TP-26. The distance of the transition to a fully automated IR guidance is in this case reduced to 7 miles. Both shots are in the center of gravity of the combat shard warhead with 70 kilograms of explosives and pětivrstvým prefragmentovaným střepinovým cover.

Work on the missile were completed in January 1969 and after a series of ground and air aerodynamic testing occurred in September 1969 to the first firing a pair of missiles R-40R, on air target flying (remote-controlled MiG-17) at a height of 600 meters. Both missiles were launched from the aircraft MiG-25P and recorded direct hits. After this successful test, the missiles were definitely přibrány in the arsenal of the air force of the USSR.

In connection with the modernization of the Mig-25P, MiG-25PD were in the year 1980 upgraded and missiles R-40, which in the new version called R-40D. This upgraded variant was adapted for the search and gunnery radar Smierč-25 and again was developed in two modifications while in the modification of the R-40RD is the original radar homing warhead complemented by a more sensitive radar sight RP-25M (the initiation of fully automatic route guidance active mode is when using the reticle RP-25 shifted at a distance of 20 km from the target). Implementation of R-40TD carries the original configuration of the homing head as the R-40T. Both the modification of the rockets have further increased the sensitivity of the homing warheads and are capable of attacking low flying targets against the background of the country. The use of special rubber blocks is increased resistance of the projectile against vibration in flight.

The last variant of the missile R-40 was a variant of the R-40D1 (R-40RD1 and R-40TD1) with the new shard warhead weighing 80 kg (shot was in the arsenal of the air force of the USSR introduced in 1985).


Resources
www.military.cz
www.wonderland.org.nz/
www.fas.org
http://venus.ci.uw.edu.pl/
Archives of the author.
URL : https://www.valka.cz/SOV-R-40-R-40D-Molnija-AA-6-Acrid-t10756#182261 Version : 0
Missiles
R-40T on the inner hanger
R-40R on the outer hanger
letounu MiG-25
URL : https://www.valka.cz/SOV-R-40-R-40D-Molnija-AA-6-Acrid-t10756#35085 Version : 0
R-40 was produced in two versions:

R-40R with pooaktivní RL warhead (pictured above)
The R-40T with passive infrahlavicí (pictured below).
URL : https://www.valka.cz/SOV-R-40-R-40D-Molnija-AA-6-Acrid-t10756#35089 Version : 0
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