The R-60 was initially developed for the MiG-23. Work began on the weapon, under the bureau designation K-60, in the late 1960s. Series production began in 1973. It entered service with the designation R-60. When introduced, the R-60 was one of the world's lightest air-to-air missiles, with a launch weight of. It has infrared guidance, with an uncooled Komar seeker head. Control is by forward rudders with large rear fins. The distinctive canardson the nose, known as "destabilizers," serve to improve the rudders' efficiency at high angles of attack. The R-60 uses a small, tungstenexpanding-rod surrounding a high explosive fragmentationwarhead. Two different types of proximity fuze can be fitted: the standard Strizh optical fuse, which can be replaced with a Kolibri active radar fuse. Missiles equipped with the latter fuse were designated R-60K. According to Russian sources, practical engagement range is about, although "brochure range" is at high altitude. The weapon was one of the most agile air-to-air missiles until the advent of thrust vectored missiles like the R-73 and AIM-9X. The R-60 can be used by aircraft maneuvering at up to 9g against targets maneuvering at up to 8g. A tactical advantage is the short minimum range of only. Soviet practice was to manufacture most air-to-air missiles with interchangeable IR-homer and semi-active radar homing seekers – however, an SARH version of the R-60 was never contemplated due to the small size of the missile which makes a radar-homing version with an antenna of reasonable size impractical. An inert training version, alternatively designated UZ-62 and UZR-60, was also built. An upgraded version, the R-60M, using a nitrogen-cooled seeker with an expanded view angle of ±20°, was introduced around 1982. Although its seeker is more sensitive than its predecessor, the R-60M has only limited all-aspect capability. Minimum engagement range was further reduced, to only. The proximity fuzes had improved resistance to ECM, although both optical and radar fuzes remained available. The R-60M is longer, and has a heavier, continuous-rod warhead, increasing launch weight to. In some versions the warhead is apparently laced with about of depleted uranium to increase the penetrating power of the warhead. The inert training version of the R-60M was the R-60MU. Since 1999, a modified version of the weapon has been used as a surface-to-air missile as part of the YugoslavM55A3B1 towed anti-aircraft artillery system. It has also been seen carried on a twin rail mount on a modified M53/59 Praga armored SPAAG of Czechoslovakian origin. These missiles have been modified with the addition of a first stage booster motor, with the missile's own motor becoming the sustainer. This was done in lieu of modifying the missile's motor for ground launch, as in the case of the US MIM-72 Chaparral. The current Russian dogfight missile is the R-73 , but large numbers of R-60 missiles remain in service.
Operational history
Soviet Union
On 20 April 1978 two R-60 missiles were fired at Korean Air Lines Flight 902 after a navigational error had caused it to fly into Russian airspace. One missile hit, detaching 4 meters of the left wing and killing 2 passengers. The plane made an emergency landing on a frozen lake. On 21 June 1978, a PVO MiG-23M flown by Pilot Captain V. Shkinder shot down two Iranian Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters that had trespassed into Soviet airspace, one helicopter being dispatched by two R-60 missiles and the other by cannon fire.
Syria
Several Russian reports affirm the AA-8 was widely used during the 1982 Lebanon war, and it was the main weapon used by the Syrians in air-to-air combat. Some Russian reports affirm that the R-60 was the most successful air-to-air missile deployed by the Syrians in Lebanon over the Bekaa Valley in 1982 According to Israeli reports, the vast majority of air-to-air combat consisted of visual range dogfights, and this has been also confirmed by Russian sources. The Russian reports also mentioned that several F-4s, F-16, IAI Kfirs were destroyed by R-60s among other aircraft. Israel claims some F-4s and Kfirs were lost in 1982, but lists SAMs as responsible for all Israeli aircraft losses. IRAQ On 19th January 1991 Iraqi air force pilot Jameel Sayhood claimed to shot down a Royal air forcePanavia Tornado with a R-60 missile,but according to Royal air force it was crashed on 22nd January 1991 on a bombing mission in Ar Ruthba. It's also likely Scott Speicher was shot down by an R-60 while flying in an F18-C.
Angola/Cuba
On 27 September 1987, during Operation Moduler, two Cuban FARMiG-23MLs intercepted Captain Arthur Piercy's Mirage F1CZ, which was damaged by either an R-23 or an R-60 fired head-on by Major Alberto Ley Rivas. The explosion destroyed the aircraft's drag chute and damaged the hydraulics. Piercy was able to recover to AFB Rundu, but the aircraft overshot the runway. The impact with the rough terrain caused Piercy's ejection seat to fire, but he failed to separate from the seat and suffered major spinal injuries. On 7 August 1988, a BAe-125 owned by the Botswana government was carrying the President of Botswana, Quett Masire, and his staff to a meeting in Luanda. An Angolan MiG-23 pilot fired two R-60s at the plane. One missile hit the no. 2 engine, causing it to fall off the aircraft. The second missile then hit the falling engine. The crew was able to make a successful emergency landing on a bush strip at Cutio Bie.
India
An Indian Air ForceMiG-21 used an infrared homing R-60 to bring down a Pakistani Navy Breguet Atlantic in 1999 which intruded over Indian airspace. Part of the wreckage was found in contested territory, this incident is widely known as the Atlantique incident.
