The Bisnovat (later
Molniya) R-4 (
NATO reporting name AA-5 'Ash') was an early
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
long-range
air-to-air missile. It was used primarily as the sole weapon of the
Tupolev Tu-128 interceptor, matching its RP-S ''Smerch'' ('Tornado')
radar
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, we ...
.
History
Development of the R-4 began in
1959
Events January
* January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance.
* January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...
, initially designated as K-80 or R-80, entering operational service around
1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Co ...
, together with Tu-128. Like many Soviet weapons, it was made in both
semi-active radar homing (R-4R) and
infrared-homing
Infrared homing is a passive weapon guidance system which uses the infrared (IR) light emission from a target to track and follow it seamlessly. Missiles which use infrared seeking are often referred to as "heat-seekers" since infrared is rad ...
(R-4T) versions. Standard Soviet doctrine was to fire the weapons in SARH/IR pairs to increase the odds of a hit. Target altitude was from 8 to 21 km. Importantly for the slow-climbing Tu-128, the missile could be fired even from 8 km below the target.
In
1973
Events January
* January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 15 – Vietnam War: ...
the weapon was modernized to R-4MR (SARH) / MT (IR) standard, with lower minimal target altitude (0.5–1 km),
improved seeker performance, and compatibility with the upgraded RP-SM ''Smerch-M'' radar.
The R-4 survived in limited service until 1990, retiring along with the last Tu-128 aircraft.
Operators
;
*
Soviet Air Defence Forces
The Soviet Air Defence Forces (russian: войска ПВО, ''voyska protivovozdushnoy oborony'', ''voyska PVO'', ''V-PVO'', lit. ''Anti-Air Defence Troops''; and formerly ''protivovozdushnaya oborona strany'', ''PVO strany'', lit. ''Anti-Air De ...
Specifications (R-4T / R-4R)
* Length: (R-4T) 5.2 m (17 ft 1 in); (R-4R) 5.45 m (17 ft 10 in)
* Wingspan: 1300 mm (4 ft 3 in)
* Diameter: 310 mm (12.2 in)
* Launch weight: (R-4T) 480 kg (1,058 lb); (R-4R) 492.5 kg (1,086 lb)
* Speed:
Mach 1.6
* Range: (R-4T) 2–15 km (9.35 mi); (R-4R) 2–25 km
* Guidance: (R-4T)
infrared
Infrared (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than those of visible light. It is therefore invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to encompass wavelengths from around ...
homing; (R-4R)
semi-active radar homing
* Warhead: 53 kg ( 116.6 lb) high explosive
References
*
External links
К-80, Р-4- description in Russian, with pictures.
{{Russian and Soviet military designation sequences
R-004
Cold War air-to-air missiles of the Soviet Union
Vympel NPO products
Military equipment introduced in the 1960s