“Artem” will start repairing and modernizing R-73 missiles

State Joint-Stock Holding Company “Artem” will start repairing and modernizing R-73 air-to-air guided missiles.

The president of the enterprise Vladimir Zimin made this statement in the Security Talks program – Informs mil.in.ua.

The Russian enterprise JSC DUKS («ДУКС») is engaged in serial production of this type of missiles.

There are many operators of this type of guided missile in the world and a large number of R-73 aircraft missiles are in service with the Ukrainian Air Forces. Such missiles were manufactured in the 1980s.

“We have a number of strong advantages here, first of all, the manufacturer of the seeker for these MK-80 missiles, the infra-red seeker, is the Arsenal Design Bureau, located in the city of Kyiv” – Volodymyr Zimin emphasized.

Thus, the Ukrainian defense industry can offer potential customers service of infra-red seekers directly from the manufacturer with the appropriate guarantee.

Artem will start repairing and modernizing R-73 missiles. R-73 guided missile

Special Device Production State Enterprise “Arsenal” (Арсенал) also has new developments to replace the seekers made in the USSR.

Volodymyr Zimin confirmed the possibility of modernizing missiles in Ukraine by installing new seekers:

… can offer the MK-80 seeker, both repair and delivery of the modernized MK-2200 seeker.

Optical seekers for air-to-air missiles developed and manufactured by Arsenal

This is not the first information about the modernization of the missile, two years ago, on July 12, 2019, during the visit of the President of Ukraine to the city of Dnipro, the Head of State visited the design bureau “Pivdenne” (Південне), where he was shown a modernized Soviet air-guided missile R -73.

Demonstration of the R-73 guided missile to Volodymyr Zelensky at the Pivdenne Design Bureau: press service of the Pivdenne Design Bureau

In 2017, the missile was tested as part of a flying laboratory based on a Mi-8 helicopter, where the tactical and technical characteristics of the installed seekers were tested.

Artem will start repairing and modernizing R-73 missiles. The R-73 missile mounted on a Mi-8 helicopter

It is not yet known what changes will be made to the R-73 missile during the modernization by the Pivdenne Design Bureau.