Reports from russian state media say the Vympel NPO design bureau has developed the new RVV-MD2 close-range air-to-air missile for the Su-57 fighter aircraft, the new weapon has already been traditionally labeled as being "one-of-a-kind." The procedures of adoption by the russian military are underway.
The basis for the development of the RVV-MD2 was its predecessor RVV-MD. the first generation was presented back in 2009, and there is practically no difference between the two. Comparing various russian sources indicates that both RVV-MD and RVV-MD2 have the same declared features and specifications: vector thrust control nozzles in addition to aerodynamic control surfaces; launch weight of 102 kg, including the warhead of 8 kg, maximum range of 40 km.
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The weight and dimensions are especially surprising here because the russians claim that the RVV-MD2 is allegedly more compact than the previous RVV-MD. At the same time, it is said that the RVV-MD2 is 2.92 m in length and 0.17 m in diameter (excl. wingspan) – the same parameters the predecessor had.
The base RVV-MD missile reportedly has an all-around seeing infrared homing head. Given what we learned so far, most probably the same guidance system is installed in the RVV-MD2, too, because the russians don't specify that.
The summary of the mentioned specifications is a reason to assume that the RVV-MD2 is the very same 2009 development, just "rebranded" for the sake of marketing. Moreover, the fact that there are yet no photos of the RVV-MD2 in open sources also tells a lot in its own way.
The russian reporters say adopting the RVV-MD2 close-range missile as part of the Su-57 arsenal is important for providing this aircraft with a weapon for "dogfight" engagements. but this claim completely contradicts the concept of the Su-57 application that the russian "aerospace forces" have been sticking to so far.
The last public mention of Su-57 in the media was in January 2023 when the British Ministry of Defense briefly outlined that these aircraft were applied occasionally during the war in Ukraine but only as platforms for launching long-range missiles without entering Ukrainian airspace.
"Russia is highly likely prioritising avoiding the reputational damage, reduced export prospects, and the compromise of sensitive technology which would come from any loss of [Su-57] FELON over Ukraine," the UK defense ministry wrote.
As Defense Express reported back then, the russians used their most advanced 5th-generation fighter aircraft for delivering Kh-59 and R-37M missiles to the launch spots.
The possibility of the russian military reconsidering their doctrine of Su-57 usage in real combat is extremely unlikely because as of late 2022, they only had 10 jets of this type, according to unverified reports.
Read more: Russia Used its Newest Su-57 Stealth Fighter to Bombard Ukraine with Aging, Soviet-Era Kh-59 Missiles
