SINGAPORE. March 1 (Interfax-AVN) - Ukraine's Arsenal design bureau is exhibiting optical homers for R-73 short-range aircraft missiles at the Asian Aerospace 2002 international show underway in Singapore, Arsenal Designer General Anatoly Lysenko told Interfax-Military News Agency on Friday.
The operational principle of the homer is based on locking on aircraft's infrared emission; this provides for automatic tracking of the target, changing angle velocity and sighting line and feeding control signals to the missile.
The R-73 is to be fitted on MIG-29 Fulcrum and SU-27 Flanker tactical fighters for intercepting and dog-fighting highly- maneuverable manned and unmanned aircraft at night and in day in aggressive jamming environment from any directions. The aircraft can also effectively destroy hostile air targets in the rear and forward hemispheres as well as against the ground. The missiles can be used to destroy automatic drifting aerostats.
The highly-sensitive infrared homer of the R-73 makes the missile one of the world's short-range all-aspect assets capable of engaging aircraft in chasing and head-on modes.
In addition to that, the Arsenal design bureau is exhibiting a helmet-mounted target designation system. The asset is an efficient optic and electronic system used to detect targets and determine their co-ordinates. The data from the system is fed to the armament control unit or to the armament itself, for instance, to missile homers.
Arsenal is the leading enterprise in the CIS specializing in developing and producing helmet-mounted target designation systems. The design bureau is the only enterprise representing Ukraine at the Asian Aerospace 2002.