picture 180036

Another project from the final months of the war with Iran was less sophisticated: it saw the reworking of all the remaining stocks of R-3S and R-3R air-to-air missiles; their guidance sections were removed and a 130mm artillery shell installed instead. Such weapons were deployed as heavy unguided rockets by Mi-8 helicopters of the Iraqi Army Aviation Corps and their range of more than 2,000 metres enabled them to target Iranian anti-aircraft positions with relative precision, yet without entering the range of enemy air defences. As far as is known, helicopter crews of the IrAAC used BD3-60-21 launch rails to mount R-3S/R missiles on their helicopters. (Artwork by Tom Cooper)