OVERVIEW: The AA-7 Apex D (aka R-24T) missile is a solid-fuel, medium-range, IR homing air-to-air-missile.  It uses a 35 kg radar-fused expanding rod warhead.  


DETAILS:

The R-24T is an improvement over the R-23T.  Like the earlier missile, it as a "Look down" capability.  Its TGS-23T4 liquid nitrogen-cooled IR seeker was more sensitive than the seeker in the Apex B, giving it a true "all aspect" capability. Like the earlier R-23T, The Apex D must be locked on to the target before launching, either by the launching aircraft's radar or IRST.  

Like the earlier R-23T, The Apex D must be locked on to the target before launching, either by the launching aircraft's radar or IRST.   

The AA-7 has a "snap up / down" capability of 4000 meters above or below the launch altitude. The R-24T was more manuverable than than the earlier R-23T, and was capable of egaging targets maneuvering at 7 G.  It could also engage targets as low as 40 meters in altitude.  The missile warhead was also improved, increasing the kill radius of 10 m.  
 

Specifications:
 
Weight: 		 235 kg 
Length: 		 4.2m 
Diameter: 		 0.223 m (missile)  
Wingspan: 		 1.0 m 
Speed:			 2000 knots; Mach 3; (1029 m/s)
Range:			 2-6.5 nm (4-12 km)(fwd quarter); 0.7-10.7 nm (1.3-20 km) (rear 			quarter); 19 nm (35 km) (max range of missile)
Kill probability:	 0.7 


NOTES: IOC January 1981.  Out of service in 1997.
 

SOURCES: Jane's Air-Launched Weapons, "AA-7 'Apex' (R-23, R-24)" 09 November 2001; "Aircraft Missile R-24 (K-24)." Missilery.info | Missile Database. Descriptions and Specifications. Accessed September 2, 2021. https://en.missilery.info/missile/r24 ; Pike, John. "AA-7 APEX R-23 / R-24." GlobalSecurity.org. Last modified February 6, 2018. https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/aa-7.htm ; "R-23 (missile)." Memim.com. Accessed September 2, 2021. https://memim.com/r-23-missile.html; "R-23 (missile)." Military Wiki. Accessed September 2, 2021. https://military.wikia.org/wiki/R-23_(missile) ; "R-23 (missile)." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Last modified November 27, 2004. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R-23_(missile) ; "Vympel R-23 E R-24 (AA-7 Apex)." Aerei Militari | Aeronautica Militare | Aviazione Militare. Accessed September 2, 2021. https://www.aereimilitari.org/Armamenti/R-23-Apex.htm.

