Ukraine Reverts to 1970s R-60 Missiles as R-73 Stocks Deplete in Anti-Drone Campaign

Ukrainian MiG-29 fighters are now deploying obsolete R-60 air-to-air missiles—designed in the 1970s and considered outdated since 2022—as stocks of the more effective R-73 heat-seeking missile run critically short. The shift signals that Ukraine's air-to-air munition supply has been exhausted faster than anticipated, forcing pilots to use inferior weapons against high-speed Russian Geran and Banderol drones.

The R-73 shortage exposes a deeper constraint: Ukraine's air-to-air munition supply was designed for a peer air-to-air fight (F-16 vs. fighter), not a sustained campaign against unmanned cruise missiles. Geran and Banderol drones are cheap, fast, and numerous; the R-73 is expensive ($300,000 per unit) and finite.

Ukraine has already stretched the missile onto ground-based air defense (Osa systems) and robotic boats, cannibalizing inventory faster than any ally can replenish it. If F-16s hit the same wall, the air force's only response is to request additional interceptor drones or accept higher attrition of port and power infrastructure. Neither option is cost-effective or strategically sustainable.

WHY IT MATTERS

Ukraine's air defense now faces a binding constraint on the only platform that can reliably intercept 700 km/hr Russian cruise missiles: the MiG-29's missile inventory.

The R-73 was designed for close-range fighter engagements and performs well against fast targets; the R-60 lacks the maneuverability and accuracy for that role, forcing pilots to rely on cannon fire or accept higher intercept failure rates. If the R-73 shortage extends to F-16s—which the article flags as already documented—Ukraine loses its primary counter to Geran and Banderol strikes on ports and power plants. Watch whether NATO allies announce emergency R-73 procurement or production restart (Russia still manufactures them); silence past mid-September suggests the supply line is closed and Ukraine will operate with degraded air-defense capability for the duration.

WHAT THIS DOESN’T TELL US

How many R-73 missiles did Ukraine begin the war with, and what is the current monthly burn rate? The article cites finite Soviet-era stocks and expanded use on ground systems, but does not provide inventory figures or consumption rates needed to estimate when F-16 stocks face the same depletion.

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