Russia Fielding New Nuclear-Armed Air-To-Air Missiles: U.S. Intel
Russia is introducing new nuclear-tipped air-to-air missiles as part of an overall expansion of its nuclear forces, according to an assessment from the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency, or DIA. While nuclear-armed air-to-air missiles were part of the Soviet Union's arsenal during the Cold War, their current status within the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) is little-known, which makes the disclosure from this U.S. intelligence agency all the more intriguing. Since this is described as a new weapon, it's almost certainly a reference to a version of the R-37M, a very long-range air-to-air missile known to NATO as the AA-13 Axehead.
The information is published in the DIA's unclassified 2025 Worldwide Threat Assessment, presented to the Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations United States House of Representatives, and available online here. The air-to-air missiles reference was brought to our attention by Hans Kristensen, the director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) think tank.
According to this report, 'Russia is expanding its nuclear forces by adding new capabilities, including nuclear air-to-air missiles and novel nuclear systems. Russia probably maintains a nuclear stockpile of about 1,550 deployed strategic warheads and up to 2,000 non-strategic warheads.'
The same passage, which outlines Russia's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) capabilities, also highlights the establishment of nuclear-capable missiles and aircraft in Belarus, something you can read more about here.
Sukhoi Su-35S fighter jet.
R-37M long-range AAM.
"bortzhyrnal". pic.twitter.com/CHuAcI2VTX
— Massimo Frantarelli (@MrFrantarelli) April 29, 2025
The report briefly describes Russia's use of nuclear-related rhetoric and military exercises in relation to the war in Ukraine, before noting that Moscow would be 'very unlikely to use nuclear weapons in the conflict unless Russian leadership judged it faced an existential threat to the regime.' Mention is also given to Russia's likely expansion of its chemical and biological warfare programs.
However, the undisclosed type of nuclear-armed air-to-air missile is the only specific type of tactical (or strategic) weapon named as such in this section.
The R-37M, a product of the Vympel missile design bureau, was developed for the MiG-31 Foxhound heavy interceptor before later being adopted for the Su-30SM and Su-35S Flanker multirole fighters, and the Su-57 Felon stealth fighter. Prior to the war in Ukraine, in which the R-37M has apparently been a notable threat to Ukrainian air operations, in-service examples of the weapon were very rarely seen.
Speaking to TWZ before his death in a 2023 flying accident, Ukrainian MiG-29 pilot Andrii 'Juice' Pilshchykov said that the R-37M, typically fired from within Russian airspace, was 'limiting our capabilities to conduct our missions. Of course, if you're maneuvering, we are not able to provide an airstrike or something else, so the game is still very, very, very tough in the air and very, very risky. If you're not aware of the launch of a missile, you're dead.'
Don't want to get into that med/high alt SAM envelope. https://t.co/vmwtg5dTUU
— Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) November 1, 2022
The R-37M program dates back to the early 1990s when it began life as the R-37, intended to arm the Foxhound in its much-improved MiG-31M version.
An example of the original missile, also known by the in-house designation izdeliye 610, was first launched from a MiG-31M in 1993, destroying an aerial target at a reported range of 142 miles. Tests of the missile were successfully completed early the following year, but the demise of the Soviet Union meant the improved MiG-31M was canceled as a cost-saving measure, together with its planned armament.
However, with subsequent efforts to upgrade in-service Foxhounds to MiG-31BM standard, the program was revisited at the beginning of the 2000s.
Development was now focused on the enhanced R-37M, or izdeliye 610M. The revised missile was first launched from a MiG-31 in 2011 and completed its service trials in early 2014 before entering production. The first operational unit began to receive R-37Ms in 2018.
Weighing 1,124 pounds and 13 feet long, the R-37M is intended to engage targets at considerable range. This has led to suggestions that it might have been optimized to defeat airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft and other high-value assets. However, since the R-37M was developed to serve as the primary armament of the MiG-31 interceptor, it should be capable of engaging a wide range of targets, including low-flying cruise missiles.
According to data from the manufacturer, the R-37M, at least in its RVV-BD export form, can defeat 'some types' of aerial targets at a range of up to 124 miles. The reference to 'some types' of targets likely indicates that only larger and less agile aircraft can be engaged at the outer edges of the missile's flight envelope. As always, such figures likely refer to missile performance in optimum conditions. In an operational context, they will vary greatly depending on the type of engagement and the energy and altitude state of the launching aircraft.
By way of comparison, the MiG-31's original R-33 (AA-9 Amos) air-to-air missile can destroy targets out to a reported range of 68 miles. The furthest-flying in-service version of the U.S.-made AMRAAM, the AIM-120D, is thought to have a range of up to 100 miles, although official performance numbers are classified.
Meanwhile, the appearance of the R-37M as well as various Chinese-made very long-range air-to-air missiles has prompted the United States to develop new weapons in this class as well, notably the AIM-260 and an air-launched version of the Standard Missile-6 (SM-6), designated the AIM-174B, the range of which is also classified but should be far in excess of the AIM-120D, likely at least double and possibly triple the range.
Looking at the R-37M in detail, it is powered by a dual-pulse solid-propellant rocket motor, which propels it toward its target while the missile receives mid-course updates from the launch aircraft. During the terminal phase of the engagement, an onboard dual-band active radar seeker can reportedly lock on to a target with a 54-square-foot radar cross-section at 25 miles or more.
Since a nuclear warhead is also available for the missile's predecessor, the R-33, it would make good sense that the R-37M is also capable of being armed with an alternative nuclear warhead, which would be better able to destroy larger formations of aircraft or missiles.
The R-33S (the suffix denoting Spetsyalnaya, or special) reportedly entered service in 1991. A new and more powerful engine provided a range increase to a reported 87 miles.
Examples of the R-33 were seen in footage of 'non-strategic nuclear forces' exercises released by the Russian Ministry of Defense in the summer of 2024, prompting speculation that the R-33S nuclear versions were on show, although this cannot be confirmed.
As part of the same third stage exercises the #Russian air force practised mounting a R-33 missile with a #nuclear warhead to a MIG-31. https://t.co/iC6rpCM3JG pic.twitter.com/xFiDTk8scR
— Ninjamonkey
(@Aryan_warlord) August 2, 2024
Presuming the new missile mentioned by the DIA is a version of the R-37M, this and the older R-33S would be the only nuclear-armed air-to-air missiles in service anywhere in the world.
Back in the Cold War, the U.S. Air Force also had a nuclear-tipped air-to-air missile, the GAR-11, later redesignated the AIM-26A, or 'Nuclear Falcon,' which carried a W54 warhead with a yield of 0.5 kilotons.
The GAR-11 was the only guided nuclear-armed air-to-air missile ever deployed by the U.S. military, although the Air Force also received the nuclear-armed AIR-2 Genie unguided air-to-air rocket. Efforts to develop a version of the infrared-guided Sidewinder with a nuclear warhead were eventually abandoned, as you can read about here.
Nuclear-armed air-to-air missiles were originally intended to take out formations of bomber aircraft at the height of the Cold War. They were very much area-effect weapons. Today such bomber formations aren't as relevant, but not having to get within the blast-fragmentation range of a missile warhead to take down a target could be seen as advantageous in the modern era, possibly against stealthy aircraft that can be detected but are hard to lock up, especially by a small radar on a missile during its terminal attack phase. Swarms of drones and waves of cruise missiles are another possibility. Still, exactly what prompted Moscow to pursue such a capability now is unclear.
While Russia is unlikely to reveal much in the way of information about its new nuclear-armed air-to-air missile, it is significant that it has been referred to specifically in the DIA's report. While the R-37M is, by all accounts, a very formidable long-range weapon, the apparent existence of a nuclear-tipped version is another complicating factor for any adversary and provides a capability likely unmatched by any contemporary air-to-air missile.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Exclusive-Iranian retaliation against U.S. forces could come soon, U.S. officials say
By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States believes Iran could carry out retaliatory attacks targeting American forces in the Middle East soon, although the U.S. is still seeking a diplomatic resolution that would see Tehran forgo any attack, two U.S. officials said on Monday. One of the officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity to discuss the assessment, said Iran's retaliatory attack could happen within the next day or two. Iran has threatened to retaliate after U.S. bombed its nuclear sites over the weekend. U.S. officials have warned Iran against hitting back at the U.S. and President Donald Trump said after the strikes that any retaliation by Iran against the U.S. would be met with a force far greater than that used in the weekend U.S. attacks. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, said on Sunday that the U.S. military had increased protection of troops in the region, including in Iraq and Syria. The United States has a sizeable force deployed to the Middle East, with nearly 40,000 troops in the region. Some of them operate air defense systems, fighter aircraft and warships that can detect and shoot down incoming enemy missiles but their positions are vulnerable to attack. Reuters reported last week that the Pentagon had moved some aircraft and ships from bases in the Middle East that may be vulnerable to any potential Iranian attack. That included aircraft being removed from the 24-hectare Al Udeid Air Base, in the desert outside the capital Doha. It is Middle East's largest U.S. base and houses around 10,000 troops. Tehran has vowed to defend itself and retaliate. But, perhaps in an effort to avert all-out war with the United States, it had yet to target U.S. bases or choke off a quarter of the world's oil shipments that pass through its waters by closing the Strait of Hormuz.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
AZ Senate Republicans are the adults in the room. Well, 11 of them, anyway
Corrections & Clarifications: An earlier version of this column misidentified the legislative chamber to which Rep. David Livingston belongs. Sen. Jake Hoffman and his Arizona Freedom Caucus must be feeling tire tracks on their backs. Early this morning, the Republican-run Senate passed a bipartisan budget — one negotiated with Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs — then suddenly adjourned for the year. 'See you in January!' Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, exclaimed. Of course, the Senate can't constitutionally adjourn for the year without the House's approval. But Petersen's move puts the more conservative House, which earlier passed its own Republican-only budget, in a take-it-or-leave-it situation. That is, unless Petersen relents and pulls the gone fishin' sign off the door to the Senate. A budget must be in place by June 30 to avoid a state government shutdown. (OK, I know some of you think that might not be such a bad idea. ...) Petersen told me he believes the $17.6 billion Senate-Hobbs budget 'leans right' and will get House approval. 'It has the votes to pass. That is why we sent it,' he said. House leaders and Hoffman, the Senate's believed-to-be lone Freedom Caucus member, must be feeling a little like roadkill. While Senate GOP leaders wisely negotiated with Hobbs, hoping to avoid the whole veto dance, House Speaker Steve Montenegro, R-Goodyear, and the Freedom Caucus pulled on their blinders and decided to go it alone, declining to negotiate with Democrats or even Senate Republicans. Their smaller $17.3 billion budget is enough to make a MAGA heart go pitty-pat. It would strip in-state tuition from 'Dreamers' and other students who are here illegally and cut in-state tuition for everybody else, ignoring the fact that tuition is high because the Legislature slashed state funding for the despised universities. It would freeze salaries for family court judges and their employees — I guess somebody in the House has a rather specific ax to grind — and freeze enrollment in the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the state's Medicaid program, for childless adults. It would make it more difficult for Attorney General Kris Mayes to prosecute politicians suspected of corruption. Fake electors like Hoffman, for example. Oh, and it would offer millions to their former Freedom Caucus bro, Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap, to aid in his fight with the GOP-run Board of Supervisors over election duties. Also left dead on the floor when the Senate adjourned: House Republicans' request to boost Maricopa County lawmakers' daily expense pay, or per diem as it's called, by a modest 514%. Color the Freedom Caucus purple with apoplexy that Senate GOP leaders would dare to negotiate with Hobbs. 'Today the @AZSenateGOP submitted to Katie Hobbs and passed a budget handing Arizona to the radical left on a silver platter ... ,' Rep. Alexander Kolodin, R-Scottsdale, raged on social media. House Appropriations Chairman David Livingston, R-Peoria, actually called the staunchly conservative Petersen a RINO. All this, because he dared to negotiate with Satan's handmaiden on the Ninth Floor. Or in the alternative, dared to seek common ground. Senate Republicans have become increasingly annoyed at House Republicans' field trip to 'fantasyland,' as Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, called it. That exasperation spilled into public view on June 19. 'We have one job to do down here at the Capitol. Pass a real budget,' Petersen said on social media. 'Not a fake budget for optics and talking points that will be gutted by a line item veto pen, but a real budget that has a consensus of conservative Republicans and gets a signature. 'I am proud of my caucus for not resorting to juvenile behavior. They have shown maturity in the face of misinformation, intrigue, hypocrisy and deception.' For their trouble, Senate Republicans who supported the budget got $5 million each to spend as they see fit. Expect to see a lot of local road projects in GOP districts. Among other things, the Senate-Hobbs budget offers pay raises to state police and firefighters, a 4% bonus for corrections officers and additional money to fight illegal immigration and drug smuggling. It also gives a $200 million one-time boost to K-12 schools, despite the House proposing to cut their funding. Opinion: Rich kids need our help to pay for their piano lessons Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, tried for hours to add in some Freedom Caucus priorities as the Senate passed the budget bills. Things like denying in-state tuition to students who lack legal status and helping Heap in his 'election integrity' battle against the Board of Supervisors. Things like allowing Grand Canyon University and other private and religious colleges to participate in the state Teachers Academy program, which pays tuition at state universities and community colleges for future public school teachers. 'We can get non-woke, well-trained teachers into our classrooms,' Hoffman said. Time after time, Hoffman's amendments were rejected by his fellow Republicans, frustrating the Legislature's biggest bully as the budget passed with the support of 11 Republicans and six Democrats. 'This is the governor dictating to the Legislature the power of the purse,' Hoffman huffed. 'The power of the purse doesn't belong to the governor. It belongs to us.' Actually, it really belongs to us, the voters who installed a divided government. Petersen and 10 other Senate Republicans, in recognizing that fact, are the grown-ups here. Reach Roberts at Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @LaurieRobertsaz, on Threads at @LaurieRobertsaz and on BlueSky at @ Get more opinions in your email inbox by signing up for our free opinions newsletter, which publishes Monday through Friday. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Freedom Caucus just got run over ... by Republicans | Opinion
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
As Trump floats regime change to ‘Make Iran Great Again', Deutsche Bank warns Europe has drawn the short straw in escalating conflict
President Trump abruptly escalated U.S. involvement in the Middle East by ordering airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, sparking warnings of 'everlasting' consequences from Iran, heightened tensions over regime change, and immediate volatility in global oil markets. While U.S. officials downplayed intentions of regime change and direct war, analysts warned that the conflict could have serious and lasting economic impacts, especially for Europe, and urged investors to be wary of overreacting to sensationalist commentary amid ongoing uncertainty. This weekend Trump's two week window for a decision on Iran turned into two days, as the U.S. entered the conflict in the Middle East by bombing Iranian nuclear sites. The president had been publicly ambiguous on whether he would take military action, but in a now-familiar pattern from the Oval Office, he surprised global media by confirming that warplanes had struck three separate targets. In response Iran warned of 'everlasting' consequences. And while Trump previously said he would not harm Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, despite knowing where he is, the president has now suggested the Iranian regime should be overthrown. He wrote on his site, Truth Social: 'It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!' Almost as soon as Trump made the suggestion members of his own cabinet began briefing to the contrary. Defense Secretary Pete Hesgeth told reporters that the mission 'was not, and has not, been about regime change' while Vice president JD Vance denied the U.S. was at war with Iran. 'We're at war with Iran's nuclear program,' he clarified. The questions for voters and analysts have inevitably turned to what Iran's 'everlasting' response could be. As Western nations weighed the possibility of Tehran acting to disrupt their economies, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also announced after the strikes that he would travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Speaking in Istanbul, Araghchi told reporters Iran had a 'strategic partnership' with Russia, adding: 'We always consult with each other and coordinate our positions.' Closer to home, Iran's parliament also approved plans to shut the Strait of Hormuz which transports about one-fifth of the world's daily global oil production. This is the most immediate concern for analysts, who watched as oil prices jumped to a five-month high when markets opened in Asia on Monday morning, before falling back down with Brent crude sitting at approximately $79 per barrel. But analysts also note that the nations—and indeed the consumers—which may have drawn the short straw in the conflict could be those who were not directly involved in this weekend's action. As Deutsche Bank's Jim Reid notes, the U.S. has turned into a net energy exporter over the past few years, 'so any negative impact would be through deteriorating financial conditions or through higher for longer rates as the Fed have another reason to delay cuts.' Reid continues: 'For Europe though, the impact is potentially more serious. Every $10/bbl increase in oil has the potential to add a quarter of a percent to HICP [the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices used by the EU] within a quarter and if sustained, 0.4pp within a year. 'Growth could be lowered by around 0.25pp if such an increase was sustained.' With geopoliticians charting an uncertain path in the days ahead, economists have warned investors against any knee-jerk reactions. As UBS's Paul Donovan put it in a note seen by Fortune this morning: 'We live in a world of political polarization and soundbite economics. That encourages sensationalism. Deckchair generals will offer extreme opinions on the U.S. attacks on Iran. Both supporters and opponents the attacks are likely to dramatize events. Investors should be cautious of knee-jerk overreactions.' He continued: 'President Trump's ruling out near-term attacks immediately before attacking might be tactical, but their suggestion of regime change in opposition to official U.S. policy causes uncertainty. That raises trust issues relevant to trade negotiations. 'Even modest oil price increases will raise U.S. gasoline prices just as trade tariffs push up other prices, and may add to profit-led inflation too.' That being said, analysts at JPMorgan said investors should buckle up for prolonged volatility. In a note seen by Fortune this morning, JPMorgan's Mislav Matejka wrote Trump's conflicting statements about whether the weekend's strike will be the only action or the beginning of a series of attacks brought 'little certainty.' 'Moreover, we do not see an obvious route to a political settlement to the military conflict, which makes us think the conflict, like the one in Gaza, could last longer than many investors think,' he added. 'Moreover, Iran is both much bigger than Gaza, Syria or Lebanon and, unlike the other three areas that Israel has attacked in the past 18 months, it sits on the Straits of Hormuz. Matejka adds: 'In our view, the global economy/global investors can neither ignore the risks of conflict in Iran the way they can in Lebanon, Syria or Gaza, nor can they ignore the 10% jump in global energy prices.' This story was originally featured on Sign in to access your portfolio
