The R-73E air-to-air missile is designed to engage air targets (fighters, bombers, military transport aircraft) in dogfight from any direction, day or night, against the earth background and in a heavy ECM environment. It is used on fighters, bombers and attack aircraft.

Its high agility is achieved through the use of a unique combined gas/aerodynamic control system enabling thrust vectoring.

The missile attacks a target within the off-boresight angles of ± 45˚ at line-of-sight rates of up to 60 deg/s. It is capable of intercepting targets flying at speeds up to 2,500 km/h and altitudes of 0.02 to 20 km.