R-4 AA-5 Ash
R-4 missile under wing of Tupolev Tu-128
Type	Heavy air-to-air missile
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1963-1990
Used by	Soviet Air Forces
Production history
Manufacturer	Bisnovat
Specifications (R-4R)
Mass	492.5 kg (1,086 lb)
Length	5.44 m (17 ft 10 in)
Diameter	310 mm (12 in)
Warhead	High explosive
Warhead weight	53 kg (117 lb)

Engine	Solid-fuel rocket
Operational range	2 to 25 kilometres (1.2 to 15.5 mi)
Maximum speed	Mach 1.6
Guidance system	Semi-active radar homing (R-4R) Infrared homing (R-4T)
Launch platform	Tu-128

The Bisnovat (later Molniya) R-4 (NATO reporting name AA-5 'Ash') was an early Soviet long-range air-to-air missile. It was used primarily as the sole weapon of the Tupolev Tu-128 interceptor, matching its RP-S Smerch ('Tornado') radar.

History

Development of the R-4 began in 1959, initially designated as K-80 or R-80, entering operational service around 1963, together with Tu-128. Like many Soviet weapons, it was made in both semi-active radar homing (R-4R) and infrared-homing (R-4T) versions. Standard Soviet doctrine was to fire the weapons in SARH/IR pairs to increase the odds of a hit.^{[citation needed]} Target altitude was from 8 to 21 km. Importantly for the slow-climbing Tu-128, the missile could be fired even from 8 km below the target.

In 1973 the weapon was modernized to R-4MR (SARH) / MT (IR) standard, with lower minimal target altitude (0.5–1 km),^[1] improved seeker performance, and compatibility with the upgraded RP-SM Smerch-M radar.

The R-4 survived in limited service until 1990, retiring along with the last Tu-128 aircraft.

Operators

Soviet Union

Soviet Air Defence Forces

Specifications (R-4T / R-4R)

Length: (R-4T) 5.2 m (17 ft 1 in); (R-4R) 5.45 m (17 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 1300 mm (4 ft 3 in)
Diameter: 310 mm (12.2 in)
Launch weight: (R-4T) 480 kg (1,058 lb); (R-4R) 492.5 kg (1,086 lb)
Speed: Mach 1.6
Range: (R-4T) 2–15 km (9.35 mi); (R-4R) 2–25 km
Guidance: (R-4T) infrared homing; (R-4R) semi-active radar homing
Warhead: 53 kg ( 116.6 lb) high explosive

References

External links

Russian and former Soviet aircraft ordnance

Missiles

Air-to-air	K-5 R-3 R-8 R-38 R-4 R-40 R-23 R-60 R-33 R-27 R-73 R-77 R-37
Air-to-surface	Kh-23 Kh-25 Kh-28 Kh-29 Kh-45 Kh-58 Kh-59 LMUR
Anti-ship, cruise	KS-1 K-10S Kh-20 Kh-22 KSR-2 KSR-5 Kh-55 Kh-15 Kh-31 Kh-35 Kh-45 Kh-90
Anti-tank	3M6 Shmel 9M17 Fleyta 9M14 Malyutka 9K114 Shturm 9M120 Ataka 9K121 Vikhr

Rockets

Aerial bombs

Autocannons,
machine guns

7.62 mm	SIBEMAS PV-1 DA ShKAS Savin–Norov GShG-7.62
12.7 mm	ShVAK 12.7 mm Berezin UB Afanasev A-12.7 YakB-12.7
20 mm	Sh-3 ShVAK 20 mm Berezin B-20
23 mm	VYa-23 NS-23 NR-23 AM-23 R-23 GSh-23 GSh-6-23
30 mm	NR-30 GSh-30-1 GSh-30-2 GSh-6-30 2A42
37 mm	Sh-37 NS-37 N-37
45 mm	NS-45
57 mm	N-57/OKB-16-57 RShR-57/OKB-15-57

NATO designation for Russian and former Soviet Union missiles

Air-to-air
(full list)

Air-
to-surface
(full list)

Anti-tank
guided
(full list)

Surface-
to-air
(full list)

Ground- based	SA-1 Guild SA-2 Guideline SA-3 Goa SA-4 Ganef SA-5 Gammon SA-6 Gainful SA-7 Grail SA-8 Gecko SA-9 Gaskin SA-10 Grumble SA-11 Gadfly SA-12 Gladiator/Giant SA-13 Gopher SA-14 Gremlin SA-15 Gauntlet SA-16 Gimlet SA-17 Grizzly SA-18 Grouse SA-19 Grison SA-20 Gargoyle SA-21 Growler SA-22 Greyhound SA-23 Gladiator/Giant SA-24 Grinch SA-29 Gizmo Morfey S-350 Sosna-R/RA
Naval- based	SA-N-1 Goa SA-N-2 Guideline SA-NX-2C M-3 SA-N-3 Goblet SA-N-4 Gecko SA-N-5 Grail SA-N-6 Grumble SA-N-7 Gadfly SA-N-8 Gremlin SA-N-9 Gauntlet SA-N-10 Grouse SA-N-11 Grison SA-N-12 Grizzly SA-N-14 Grouse SA-N-20 Gargoyle SA-N-21 Greyhound 9K 96 Redut Palash/Palma
Anti- ballistic	ABM-1 Galosh ABM-3/53T6 Gazelle S-500 A-235

Surface-
to-surface
(full list)

Ground- based	SS-1 Scunner/SS-1 Scud (Scud-A/-B/-C/-D) SS-2 Sibling SS-3 Shyster SS-4 Sandal SS-5 Skean SS-6 Sapwood SS-7 Saddler SS-8 Sasin SS-8B Sasin 2 SS-9 Scarp SS-10 Scrag SS-11 Sego SS-12 Scaleboard SS-X-13 Savage SS-13 Savage SS-14 Scamp/Scapegoat SS-15 Scrooge SS-16 Sinner SS-17 Spanker SS-18 Satan SS-19 Stiletto SS-20 Saber SS-21 Scarab SS-22 Scaleboard SS-23 Spider SS-24 Scalpel SS-25 Sickle SS-26 Stone SS-27 Sickle B SS-28 Saber 2 SS-29 Sickle C SS-X-30 Satan 2 SS-X-31 Sickle D SS-X-32Zh Scalpel B Avangard / HGV Yu-7# SS-X-33 Stone AN
Naval- based	14KhK1 15Kh 17Kh KS-1 Komet P-20 Sokol P-40 P-47 SS-N-1 Scrubber SS-N-2 Styx SS-N-3c Shaddock SS-N-3a Shaddock 3b Sepal SS-N-4 Sark SS-N-5 Sark/Serb D-6 D-6M D-7 R-15M SS-N-6 Serb SS-N-7 Starbright SS-N-8 Sawfly SS-N-9 Siren SS-N-12 Sandbox SS-NX-13 Serb SS-N-14 Silex SS-N-15 Starfish SS-N-16 Stallion SS-N-17 Snipe SS-N-18 Stingray SS-N-19 Shipwreck SS-N-20 Sturgeon SS-N-21 Sampson SS-N-22 Sunburn SS-N-23 Skif R29RM SS-N-23A Skif SS-N-23B Skif SS-NX-24 Scorpion SS-N-25 Switchblade SS-N-26 Strobile SS-N-27 Sizzler SS-N-30A 3M-14 SS-NX-28 SS-N-29 SS-N-32 SS-NX-33 SS-NX-34 Skif SS-N-35 SS-N-36 SS-NX-37 SS-NX-38 Canyon
Ship- to-ship	10KhN SSC-1B Sepal Redut SSC-2 Salish/Samlet AS/KS-1 P-20 Sokol SSC-K P-1 Schuka KSShch SSC-3 Styx Rubezh SSC-4 Slingshot SSC-X-5 Scorpion SSC-6 Sennight SSC-7 Stone KS 9M728 SSC-8 Stone KB 9M729 SSC-14 Klub N/M 3M14/54 SSC-13 BrahMos SSC-10/SSC-5 Stooge Bastion P/S SSC-7/12 3M-80MV SSC-X-11 "GZUR" SSC-X-15 Skif SSC-X-9 Stone AN Hermes M ATS Hermes K ATS

Russian and former Soviet military designation sequences for radar, missile and rocket systems

Radar
systems

Land-based	A-100 P-3 P-8 P-10 P-12 P-14 P-15 P-18 P-19 P-20 P-30 P-35 P-37 P-40 P-50 P-70 P-80 P-100 Kabina 66 Kasta 2E RSN-225 Azov SNR-75 1S91 30N6 36D6 64N6 76N6 96L6E 9S15 9S19 9S32 Duga Dnestr Dnepr Daryal Dunay Volga Don-2N Voronezh Container
Ship-borne
Airborne	N001 N002 N005 N006 N007 N008 N010 N011 N012 N014 N019 N025 N035 N036

Missiles

ICBM	BZhRK GR-1 R-7 R-9 R-16 R-26 R-36 R-36M R-46 RS-24 RS-26 RT-2 RT-2PM RT-2PM2 RT-20 RT-21 RT-23 RS-28 Sarmat UR-100 UR-100MR UR-100N UR-200
IRBM	R-14 RSD-10
MRBM	R-5 R-12 RT-15
SRBM	2K1 2K6 9K52 9K720 R-1 R-2 R-11 R-11A R-17 OTR-21 OTR-23 TR-1
SLBM	R-13 R-15 R-21 R-27 R-29 R-39 RSM-45 RSM-56
Surface-to-surface (cruise)	Burya RSS-40 3M-51 Alfa 3M-54 Kalibr 9M730 Burevestnik
Surface-to-surface (naval)	P-1 P-5 P-15 P-70 P-120 P-270 P-500 P-700 P-750 P-800 P-900 P-900A P-1000 RKV-500A RPK-2 RPK-6 RPK-7 URPK-3 URPK-4 URPK-5
Surface-to-air	2K11 Krug 2K12 Kub 2K22 Tunguska Kashtan CIWS 9K31 Strela-1 9K32 Strela-2 9K33 Osa 9K34 Strela-3 9K38 Igla/9K338 Igla-S 9K333 Verba 9K35 Strela-10 9K37 Buk 9K330 Tor Pantsir-S1 42S6 Morfey S-25 Berkut S-75 Dvina S-125 Neva/Pechora S-200 Angara/Vega/Dubna S-300 S-350 (50R6) Vityaz S-400 Triumf S-500/55R6M Triumfator-M M-11 Shtorm Sosna-R
Air-to-surface	KSR-2 KSR-5 KS-1 K-10S Kh-11 Kh-15 Kh-20 Kh-22 Kh-23 Kh-25 Kh-26 Kh-28 Kh-29 Kh-31 Kh-35 Kh-38 Kh-41 Kh-55 Kh-58 Kh-59 Kh-80 Kh-90 9M114V Shturm-V Hermes-A Kh-47M2 Kinzhal
Air-to-air	K-5 R-3 R-4 R-8 R-23 R-27 R-33 R-37 R-38 R-40 R-60 R-73 R-77 R-172
Anti-tank	3M6 9K111 9K112 9K114 9K115 9K115-2 9K121 9M14 9M15 9M17 9M113 9M117 9M119 9M120 9M123 9M133 9M133M Kornet-M Kornet-D Hermes

Unguided
rockets

Air-launched	RP-1 RP-5 RP-6 RP-9 RP-15 RP-21 RS-82 RS-132
Rocket artillery	BM-14 BM-21 BM-24 BM-25 BM-27 BM-30 TOS-1

Engines