The United States has also been exploring similar options to increase the total number of missiles the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter stealth fighters can carry internally for many of the same reasons.
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In September, defense contractor Raytheon unveiled the Peregrine, a missile derived from the company's AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM, but half the size. In the early 2010s, Lockheed Martin has pitched a similar weapon, the Cuda. The U.S. Air Force also has an in-house effort, called the Small Advanced Capabilities Missile (SACM), exploring options for a small air-to-air missile, as well as the Miniature Self-Defense Munition (MSDM), which is focused on developing a miniature air-launched self-defense anti-missile interceptor.
As is the case with Peregrine and Cuda, Vympel's compact missile could also offer a way for existing Russian fighter jets to increase their magazine depth, as well. Of course, the smaller missiles may have less range or other performance limitations when compared to the full-size R-77 or other larger missiles, but they would still enable Su-57s or other fighters to then carry a greater mix of weapons. If it does turn out that the new missile has the same variety of guidance options as the existing R-77s, it could also allow a single aircraft to have more options for engaging targets using different types of countermeasures or that are stealthy by design.
It's not clear how long Vympel has been working on this new missile, but the development of the Su-57 stretches all the way back to 2002. There may be new emphasis on the design within the company now that the Russian government has announced plans to buy 76 of these advanced combat jets over the next eight years.
The Kremlin is still actively courting potential foreign partners to join the program and help defray at least some of the costs. Being able to present a more complete arsenal to go along with an export variant of the Su-57, or show that weapons for the aircraft that are still in development are increasingly mature, could help sweeten the deal.