The Vympel R-37M, exported as RVV-BD, is a Russian very-long-range air-to-air missile for engaging aircraft and cruise-missile targets from fighter and interceptor aircraft. Rosoboronexport lists inertial navigation with radio correction and active radar terminal homing, while RUSI ties the missile to Russian MiG-31, Su-35, and Su-30 long-range air-combat tactics in Ukraine and cautions that publicly confirmed kills remain limited.
RUSI documents Russian R-37M use in Ukraine from MiG-31BM and Su-35S patrols in 2022, and later described regular R-37M firing by Russian Su-35s, Su-30s, and MiG-31s while cautioning that confirmed air-to-air kills remained limited.
Role detailsRUSI identifies the R-37M as a very-long-range air-to-air missile used from Russian fighter and interceptor patrols over Ukraine.
| Carrier | Carrier type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Long-range interceptor | RUSI reported MiG-31BM combat air patrols using R-37M missiles against Ukrainian aircraft and later included MiG-31s among the Russian fighters regularly firing R-37M missiles in the war. Sources: RUSI: Russian Air War and Ukrainian Requirements for Air Defence, RUSI: The Evolution of Russian and Chinese Air Power Threats |
 | Multirole fighter | RUSI reported Su-35S combat air patrols alongside MiG-31BM patrols in Ukraine and later described Su-35s as regular R-37M firing platforms. Sources: RUSI: Russian Air War and Ukrainian Requirements for Air Defence, RUSI: The Evolution of Russian and Chinese Air Power Threats |
 | Multirole fighter | RUSI's 2026 air-power assessment lists Russian Su-30s among the fighter types regularly firing R-37M missiles during the war in Ukraine. Sources: RUSI: The Evolution of Russian and Chinese Air Power Threats |
The strongest public evidence separates three questions: the RVV-BD export designation, the R-37M Russian-service designation used in Ukraine reporting, and the limited public record of confirmed air-to-air kills.
| Evidence area | What the sources support | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| Export product | Rosoboronexport markets RVV-BD as a long-range air-to-air guided missile and publishes the guidance, warhead, launch-weight, target-set, and export-range figures used in the specifications. | Export marketing data may not fully describe every Russian Aerospace Forces service configuration. |
| Ukraine-war use | RUSI identifies R-37M use by Russian fighter and interceptor patrols against Ukrainian aircraft during the Russia-Ukraine War. | Those sources support the conflict-use row, not a precise missile expenditure count. |
| Effect assessment | RUSI's 2026 air-power paper treats R-37M as a significant standoff threat but says Russian long-range air-to-air firing produced only a handful of air-to-air kills over four years. | The page avoids treating range figures or launch reports as confirmed kill claims. |
Sources: Rosoboronexport: RVV-BD Long-Range Air-to-Air Guided Missile; RUSI: Russian Air War and Ukrainian Requirements for Air Defence; RUSI: The Evolution of Russian and Chinese Air Power Threats.
The Commons image used for this entry identifies an RVV-BD missile displayed at the 2013 MAKS air show near Moscow.
Sources: MAKS Airshow 2013 RVV-BD image
RUSI's air-war report described Russian fighter patrols using R-37-family very-long-range missiles against Ukrainian aircraft during the full-scale invasion.
Sources: RUSI: Russian Air War and Ukrainian Requirements for Air Defence
A later RUSI air-power paper described regular R-37M firing by Russian Su-35s, Su-30s, and MiG-31s, while noting only a handful of air-to-air kills over four years of conflict.
Sources: RUSI: The Evolution of Russian and Chinese Air Power Threats
