Russian Su-35S deployed to Syria carry the AA-12 Adder air-to-air missile: a significant threat to NATO planes

A screenshot fo the RT video showing the Su-35s deployed to Syria.

The Vympel R-77 (NATO designation AA-12 Adder) missile has eventually appeared in Syria.

The Russian Su-35S recently deployed to Syria have been accompanied by Vympel R-77 medium range, active radar homing air-to-air missile system; a weapon that can be considered the Russian counterpart of the American AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile).

Footage recently released by RT clearly shows the R-77s being loaded onto a Su-35S along with R-27T (AA-10 Alamo-B), IR-guided air-to-air missiles.

Although it’s not clear if the Sukhois always carry the missile, the arrival of the R-77 will force NATO assets over Syria to deal with an increased aerial threat: the combination of R-27T and R-77 and the different guidance of the Russian missiles could make evasion maneuvers by a combat plane targeted by both weapons quite difficult.

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About David Cenciotti
David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.