9K127 Vikhr

Description

The 9K127 Vikhr missile with fins folded and deployed (scale is approximate)

The 9K127 Vikhr is a Russian beam-riding air-to-ground missile. It was introduced in Update 1.93 "Shark Attack".

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

• Ka-50
• Ka-52
• Mi-28NM
• Su-25T
• Su-39

General info

Missile characteristics
Mass	47 kg
Guidance	Beam-riding
Maximum speed	600 m/s
Missile guidance time	28 secs
Launch range	10 km
Guaranteed launch range	8 km
Explosive mass	5.7 kg TNTeq
Armour penetration	800 mm
Warhead type	HEAT (tandem)

Effective damage

The 9K127 Vikhr beam-riding missile is equipped with a HEAT (High-Explosive Anti-Tank) warhead that has a very small blast radius. Although this missile has a lower explosive mass than its competitors, it can still penetrate most medium to heavy armour.

Comparison with analogues

• AGM-114B Hellfire - While possessing a longer range, and a higher speed than the Hellfire, the Vikhr lacks the advanced Lock-On After Launch capability, requiring constant optical tracking and guidance.
• PARS 3 LR - The PARS-3 very similar to the Hellfire in most ways, but has a shorter range, at 7.0 km, and slower speed, at 290 m/s.
• HOT-3 - It outdoes the HOT-3 in most fields, but is significantly outclassed in penetration potential, as well as post-penetration damage by the HOT-3.
• BGM-71D TOW-2 - It has comparatively lacklustre capabilities, outranged by some 6.25 km and with almost half the speed of the Vikhr. The TOW-2 only outdoes it in terms of availability, and the number which can be equipped at a time, the TOW-2 with 16 missiles, and the Vikhr with 12.
• 9M120 Ataka - It is almost a direct upgrade in a sense. It is slightly faster, has a considerably longer range, and has 50 mm more penetration than the Ataka.

Usage in battles

This can be used to great effect at long distance against tanks, helicopters, and any other slow-moving targets. This missile also has an unlisted secondary ability; the proximity fuse.

The proximity fuse can make fighting other helicopters and some aircraft quite easy.

It can also be used in conjunction with the 9M39 Igla missile, to bait an attacking jet into evading your Igla, losing all of their energy, and then attacking with your Vikhr when they are vulnerable. This tactic can also be used against helicopters, as they tend to have flares or IRCMs, the Vikhr missile is not affected by either.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Maximum range of 10 km
• Very high speed relative to other missiles (600 m/s)
• Effectively a dual-purpose missile
• Tandem-charge HEAT warhead
• Proximity fuse allows for air-to-air engagements
• Out-ranges most SAM systems, with the notable exception of the MIM146 (10 km), VT-1 (12 km) and the 95Ya6 (20 km)
• Does not appear on radar warning receivers

Cons:

• Lacks the more sophisticated laser-guidance systems of the Hellfire and PARS 3 missiles

History

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Media

Videos

Best guided missiles discusses the 9K127 Vikhr at 3:51 - War Thunder Official Channel

See also

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• reference to the article about the variant of the weapon;
• references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.

External links

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• topic on the official game forum;
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