AIM-7 Sparrow vs K-13 (missile): Specs Compared

AMissiles

AIM-7 Sparrow

Medium-range, semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile

BMissiles

K-13 (missile)

Short-range infrared homing air-to-air missile

Credit

cliff1066 · CC BY 2.0 · Resized · CC BY 2.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

AIM-7 SparrowLength

3.7 m

Length source ↗

K-13 (missile)R-3R

3.48 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

AIM-7 Sparrowlarger figure on 1 of 1

Diameter+57%

K-13 (missile)larger figure on 0 of 1

None

Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.

Measured figures

Head to head

15 of 60 rows sourced on both sides

3.7m

3.48mR-3R

Length

All recorded figures & sources

3.7 m

Length

Single source

12 ft (3.7 m)^[source]

2.83 m

R-13M

Single source

3.48 m

R-3R

Single source

2.830 m (9 ft 3.4 in) (R-13M) 3.48 m (11 ft 5 in) (R-3R)^[source]

810mmAIM-7A/B

631mmR-13M

WingspanScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

0.81 m

AIM-7A/B

Single source

2 ft 8 in (0.81 m) (AIM-7A/B)^[source]

0.631 m

R-13M

Single source

631 mm (24.8 in) (R-13M)^[source]

200mm

127mm

Diameter+57%

All recorded figures & sources

0.2 m

Diameter

Single source

8 in (200 mm)^[source]

0.127 m

Diameter

Single source

127 mm (5.0 in)^[source]

230kg

90kgR-13M

Mass

All recorded figures & sources

230 kg

Mass

Single source

510 lb (230 kg)^[source]

90 kg

R-13M

Single source

90 kg (200 lb) (R-13M)^[source]

AIM-7A/B: Mach 2.5 AIM-7C/E/F: Mach 4

3,087km/hMaximum; Mach 2.5 (

Speed

All recorded figures & sources

AIM-7A/B: Mach 2.5 AIM-7C/E/F: Mach 4^[source]

3,087 km/h

Maximum; Mach 2.5 (

Single source

Mach 2.5 (3087 km/h)^[source]

Mach 2.5^[source]

70kmOperational; AIM-7F/M/P

0.9–7kmR-3S / R-3R · max

RangeScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

26 km

Operational; AIM-7C

Single source

44 km

Operational; AIM-7D

Single source

50 km

Operational; AIM-7E/E2

Single source

70 km

Operational; AIM-7F/M/P

Single source

AIM-7C: 26 km (14 nmi) AIM-7D: 44 km (24 nmi) AIM-7E/E2: 50 km (27 nmi) AIM-7F/M/P: 70 km (38 nmi)^[source]

1–3.5 km

Operational; Operational range

Single source

2 km

R-3S / R-3R · effective

Single source

Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.

Configuration

Details

AIM-7 Sparrow and K-13 (missile) configuration
Specification	AIM-7 Sparrow	K-13 (missile)
Type	Medium-range, semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile^[source]	Short-range infrared homing air-to-air missile^[source]
Place of origin	United States^[source]	Soviet Union^[source]
In service	1958–present^[source]	1961^[source]
Used by	Australia, Canada, Egypt, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States^[source]	See Operators^[source]
Wars	Vietnam War Iran–Iraq War Gulf War Russo-Ukrainian War^[source]	—
Unit cost	$125,000^[source]	—
Produced	AIM-7D: 1959 AIM-7F: 1976 AIM-7M: 1982^[source]	—
No. built	>70,000^[source]	—
Variants	Sparrow I: AIM-7A Sparrow II: AIM-7B Sparrow III: AIM-7C, AIM-7D, AIM-7E, AIM-7E2/ Skyflash / Aspide , AIM-7F, AIM-7M, AIM-7P, RIM-7M, AGM-45^[source]	—
Warhead	High explosive blast-fragmentation AIM-7C/D/E: 65 pounds (29 kg) AIM-7F/M: 88 pounds (40 kg)^[source]	7.4 kg (16 lb)^[source]
Engine	AIM-7A/B/C – Aerojet 1.8KS7800 solid rocket AIM-7D/E – Rocketdyne MK 38/MK 52 solid rocket AIM-7F/M/P – Hercules MK-58 solid-propellant rocket motor^[source]	solid-fuel rocket engine^[source]
Guidance system	semi-active radar homing^[source]	infrared homing^[source]
Launch platform	Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon Grumman F-14 Tomcat F/A-18 Hornet JA-37 Viggen F-104S Starfighter Tornado F.3 ADV F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Mitsubishi F-2^[source]	MiG-21 , MiG-23 , MiG-19 , MiG-17 Sukhoi Su-17/20/22^[source]
Manufacturer	Raytheon^[source]	Vympel^[source]
Guidance	—	(R-3S) infrared homing ; (R-3R) SARH^[source]
Launch weight	—	(R-3S) 75 kg (166 lb); (R-3R) 93 kg (205 lb)^[source]
Explosive content	—	5.3 kg (11.68 lbs) of TGAF-5 (40% TNT, 40% RDX, 20% Aluminium powder)^[source]
Fuze	—	type 428 proximity fuze and I-107 Contact fuze (R-3R)^[source]
Former operator · Bulgaria	—	Bulgaria^[source]
Former operator · Guinea	—	Guinea^[source]
Reported operators	Reported operator · Australia Reported operator · Canada Reported operator · Egypt Reported operator · Greece Reported operator · Iraq Reported operator · Iran Reported operator · Israel Reported operator · Italy Reported operator · Japan Reported operator · Jordan Reported operator · Kuwait Reported operator · Malaysia Reported operator · Pakistan Reported operator · Saudi Arabia Reported operator · Singapore Reported operator · South Korea Reported operator · Spain Reported operator · Sweden Reported operator · Republic of China Reported operator · Turkey Reported operator · United Kingdom Reported operator · United States Reported operator · Ukraine	Reported operator · Angola Reported operator · Bulgaria Reported operator · Congo Reported operator · Cuba Reported operator · Ethiopia Reported operator · Guinea Reported operator · Libya Reported operator · Nigeria Reported operator · North Korea Reported operator · Peru Reported operator · Sudan

FORCETALLY

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AIM-7 Sparrow

K-13 (missile)

Type

Medium-range, semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile^[source]

Short-range infrared homing air-to-air missile^[source]

Place of origin

United States^[source]

Soviet Union^[source]

In service

1958–present^[source]

1961^[source]

Used by

Australia, Canada, Egypt, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States^[source]

See Operators^[source]

Wars

Vietnam War Iran–Iraq War Gulf War Russo-Ukrainian War^[source]

—

Unit cost

$125,000^[source]

—

Produced

AIM-7D: 1959 AIM-7F: 1976 AIM-7M: 1982^[source]

—

No. built

>70,000^[source]

—

Variants

Sparrow I: AIM-7A Sparrow II: AIM-7B Sparrow III: AIM-7C, AIM-7D, AIM-7E, AIM-7E2/ Skyflash / Aspide , AIM-7F, AIM-7M, AIM-7P, RIM-7M, AGM-45^[source]

—

Warhead

High explosive blast-fragmentation AIM-7C/D/E: 65 pounds (29 kg) AIM-7F/M: 88 pounds (40 kg)^[source]

7.4 kg (16 lb)^[source]

Engine

AIM-7A/B/C – Aerojet 1.8KS7800 solid rocket AIM-7D/E – Rocketdyne MK 38/MK 52 solid rocket AIM-7F/M/P – Hercules MK-58 solid-propellant rocket motor^[source]

solid-fuel rocket engine^[source]

Guidance system

semi-active radar homing^[source]

infrared homing^[source]

Launch platform

Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon Grumman F-14 Tomcat F/A-18 Hornet JA-37 Viggen F-104S Starfighter Tornado F.3 ADV F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Mitsubishi F-2^[source]

MiG-21 , MiG-23 , MiG-19 , MiG-17 Sukhoi Su-17/20/22^[source]

Manufacturer

Raytheon^[source]

Vympel^[source]

Guidance

—

(R-3S) infrared homing ; (R-3R) SARH^[source]

Launch weight

—

(R-3S) 75 kg (166 lb); (R-3R) 93 kg (205 lb)^[source]

Explosive content

—

5.3 kg (11.68 lbs) of TGAF-5 (40% TNT, 40% RDX, 20% Aluminium powder)^[source]

Fuze

—

type 428 proximity fuze and I-107 Contact fuze (R-3R)^[source]

Former operator · Bulgaria

—

Bulgaria^[source]

Former operator · Guinea

—

Guinea^[source]

Reported operators

Reported operator · Australia
Reported operator · Canada
Reported operator · Egypt
Reported operator · Greece
Reported operator · Iraq
Reported operator · Iran
Reported operator · Israel
Reported operator · Italy
Reported operator · Japan
Reported operator · Jordan
Reported operator · Kuwait
Reported operator · Malaysia
Reported operator · Pakistan
Reported operator · Saudi Arabia
Reported operator · Singapore
Reported operator · South Korea
Reported operator · Spain
Reported operator · Sweden
Reported operator · Republic of China
Reported operator · Turkey
Reported operator · United Kingdom
Reported operator · United States
Reported operator · Ukraine

Reported operator · Angola
Reported operator · Bulgaria
Reported operator · Congo
Reported operator · Cuba
Reported operator · Ethiopia
Reported operator · Guinea
Reported operator · Libya
Reported operator · Nigeria
Reported operator · North Korea
Reported operator · Peru
Reported operator · Sudan