India has apparently responded positively to Russia's offer to expand defense industrial cooperation, including building production facilities in partner countries. As the largest importer of Russian weapons products, it will not be difficult for India to expand the production cooperation that has been established.
After obtaining a production license for the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, India now intends to produce the Vympel R-73E short-range air-to-air missile.
As a country that predominantly uses Russian/Soviet-made fighter jets, the presence of the Vympel R-73E missile has become a key element of India's air defense, where the Vympel R-73 has become a mainstay weapon on the Sukhoi Su-30MKI and MiG-29 fighter jets.
Meanwhile, from the user side, the Indian Air Force has been quite satisfied with the performance of the R-73, which is known from the occurrence of several follow-up procurement orders.
Quoted from bulgarianmilitary.com, with India's increasing focus on the Atmanirbhar (self-reliance) policy, the need for domestic production of these missiles is increasingly becoming a necessity. The approach being considered to realize this goal involves the production of R-73E missiles based on the “Make III” methodology, as described in Chapter III of the 2020 Defense Acquisition Procedures.
The Indonesian Air Force's Sukhoi Su-30MK is visible with two missiles installed. The missiles on the wing tips are R-73 and the missiles under the air intake are R-77.
The proposal to manufacture R-73E missiles internally in line with the Atmanirbhar policy paves the way towards self-reliance in missile manufacturing.
This initiative not only strengthens India's air defense arsenal but is also in line with the Atmanirbhar Bharat ethos of reducing foreign dependence.
The Vympel R-73 is widely praised for its superior performance and is central to India's air defense blueprint. Created and manufactured by Tactical Missiles Corporation, this compact air-to-air missile has a range of 30 kilometers, with its newest variant – RVV-MD – having a range of up to 40 kilometers.
The distinguishing feature of this missile (RVV-MD) is its ability to engage in air combat, demonstrating strong performance in all directions, even under test conditions against electronic warfare.
Vympel R-73 was first developed in 1973 by Vympel NPO. And after going through a series of tests, the R-73 began to be used by the Soviet Air Force in 1982. Similar to the Sidewinder, the R-73 also targets the heat generated by the target, namely by guiding an all-aspect infrared sensor.
This means the R-73 can engage targets from various angles and positions. This missile is prepared to handle even the toughest dogfights, namely up to level 12G. Not only that, the R-73 can theoretically be operated in all weather conditions, and what's even more amazing is that this missile is anti-jamming.
Similar to the AIM-9X Sidewinder, the R-73 can be integrated with the pilot's helmet, allowing the pilot to target his target by simply looking at it. The R-73 is powered by a solid fuel rocket engine.
For maneuvering, the R-73 has four control fins located at the front and a stabilizer at the rear of the wing. No less than the newest Sidewinder, the R-73 also has thrust-vectoring which allows it to carry out even the most extreme maneuvers.
The R-73 can pursue targets at speeds up to Mach 2.5. Of its total weight of 105 kg, 7.4 kg is in the form of warheads. What about range? For this one, the R-73 has differences between variants. For types R-73E (20 km), R-73M1 (30 km), and R-73M2 (40 km).
In a duel over the skies of Kashmir on February 27, the Indian Air Force claimed to have shot down a Pakistani F-16 Fighting Falcon. This claim is based on information from the MiG-21 Bison pilot, but unfortunately India has not been able to prove its claim, because India said the F-16 crashed in Pakistani territory.
Well, the missile that is claimed to have brought down the F-16 was the Vympel R-73, a type of short-range air-to-air missile that is a match for the AIM-9 Sidewinder. Because they were satisfied with the performance of the R-73, the Indian Air Force reportedly ordered the R-73 again to be installed on the MiG-21 Bison and of course the Sukhoi Su-30MKI.
Quoted from zeenews.india.com (29/7/2019), India has signed a contract to purchase R-73 missiles, specifically the R-73E (Extended Range) variant. It is said that the procurement value reached US$215 million for 300 R-73E missiles.
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