Air Force Commander Colonel General Alexander Zelin said the new air-to-air missile will greatly enhance operational effectiveness and will be carried by the MiG-31BM Foxhound supersonic interceptors/fighters at first, but will later be equipped on other warplanes.
A report by RIA Novosti said the missile, which is currently being tested at a Russian Air Force test site, could be the long-range K-37M, also known as RVV-BD or AA-X-13 Arrow as it is known to NATO, that is specifically built for the MiG-31. However, Zelin did not reveal the type of the missile.
Douglas Barrie, an air warfare expert at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, told the media outlet that the new missile would provide the Russian Air Force “an extended range interception capability against combat aircraft and cruise missiles.”
