Back to the future

The Russian company Vympel, announced that it is currently working on a new generation of short-range air-to-air missiles. Called the Izdeliye 300M or K-30, the origin of the program dates back to the 1990s with the Izdeliye 300 project. Known at the time as the Vympel K-30, it was intended to replace the R-73/AA-11 "Archer" to equip the Mig 1.44 in particular. This program was abandoned due to lack of resources, the Russian army preferring to modernize its R-73s under the name R-73M.

New missile for the Su-57

Equipped with a latest-generation infrared imaging seeker produced by AOMZ and named Merlushka, like a solid propellant engine, its dimensions would allow it to fit into the internal bay of the Su-57 "Felon" and the Okhotnik UCAV. It would thus replace the R-74M2, also produced by Vympel, which began its evaluation campaign on the SU-57 in July 2019.

Towards a Western technological breakthrough?

So is this communication merely an announcement, or on the contrary, would it demonstrate that the R-74M2 specifically designed for the Su-57 could quickly become obsolete?  According to Vympel, the Izdeliye 300M, which has not yet been officially ordered, would aim to consolidate the ascendancy of the fifth generation Russian aircraft in "Dog-Fight". In addition, another air-to-air missile, the Izdeliye 810, which has never been presented to the public, would bring it to more than 300 km.