AA-11 Archer
Short-range IR missile (WVR, helmet-cued)
Highly agile short-range infrared missile that surprised the West on introduction: thrust-vectoring and a large off-boresight envelope, coupled to a helmet sight, make it deadly in close combat (WVR). Standard on virtually all Russian fighters.
Learn more in the AirDefense Academy →Dimensionsfor imagery analysis
- Missile (L × Ø, span)
- 2.93 m × Ø 165–170 mm, span 510 mm; 105 kg
- Dimension source
- Wikipedia; WEG (ODIN)
General
- Type
- Within-visual-range (WVR), short
- Guidance
- Infrared (passive), high off-boresight
- Notable
- Thrust-vectoring + helmet sight
Performance
- Max range
- ≈ 16 NM (30 km)
- Speed
- ≈ Mach 2.5
- Platform
- Virtually all VKS fighters
Threat
- Effect
- Dominant in the merge — look-and-shoot
- Countermeasure
- Avoid the close fight, flares/DIRCM
- Threat level
- High within visual range
News archive 3
Analysed reports from the RU Mil Tracker about this system, newest first. Archive since 2026-07-17.
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«How Much Will Shershen Air Defense System Cost, and What About Its New Missiles?» (Defense Express)
Defense Express describes Shershen, a Ukrainian modular short-range surface-to-air missile system intended to engage aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, UAVs and precision-guided munitions, including under heavy electronic warfare. According to the developers, its radar detects targets out to 85 km and tracks up to 24 at once; depending on the missile,…
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Ukraine scales up counter-measures against jet-powered Shaheds: small air defence missiles due in October, a new Nika missile heading into testing, Spys interceptor test and German funding for tens of thousands of interceptor drones
During German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to Kyiv on 4 October, President Zelensky said Ukraine will start using small air defence missiles against Russian jet-powered drones in the second half of October. According to Militarnyi, he said there are several types, that they are not yet in use, and that production could be scaled up quickly if the inter…
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Ukraine unveils indigenous Shershen SAM with R-120K missile and Ai-Petri anti-glide-bomb EW system at MSPO 2026
At the MSPO 2026 defence exhibition in Kielce, Poland, Ukrainian company Radionix presented its modular "Shershen" (Hornet) air-defence system, built around the Perun command-and-control vehicle, the Athena surveillance/tracking radar (detection range roughly 85 km) and four Borei launchers per battery. A more detailed report from The War Zone (TWZ, 10 Sept…