Russian Jet Downed: Ukraine's F-16 AIM-120 Missile vs Russia's R-37M Monster, Which is Deadlier?

A statement by US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, that a Ukrainian F-16 had shot down a Russian fighter jet has reopened the debate on the capabilities of Washington and Moscow’s air-to-air missiles. During a US Senate Appropriations Committee hearing in Washington on Tuesday (21/7/2026), Caine said the event was the first air-to-air victory achieved by Ukraine’s F-16 fleet. However, he did not specify the type of Russian aircraft destroyed, the date and location of the engagement, the firing distance, or the missile used. The statement was subsequently linked to a Ukrainian Air Force claim that a Russian Su-35 was shot down in the eastern sector on 8 July 2026. However, Ukraine at the time also did not explain the platform or weapon used to destroy the fighter jet. There is no open-source evidence confirming the two events are the same incident. Consequently, the F-16 victory cannot yet serve as proof that the Western AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM, has defeated the Russian R-77-1 or R-37M in a direct duel. The F-16 can indeed carry the AIM-120. However, Ukraine and the US have not confirmed that this was the missile fired. The specific AIM-120 variant possibly used is also unknown. Nevertheless, the incident provides a strong news peg to compare the three weapons now shaping long-range air combat: the AIM-120 as the primary missile for Western fighter jets, the R-77-1 as its Russian counterpart in the medium class, and the R-37M as a very long-range interceptor weapon. The AIM-120 and R-37M are not in the same class. A comparison between the AIM-120 and the R-37M must be made carefully, as the two are not entirely designed for the same task. The AIM-120 is a medium-to-long-range air-to-air missile designed to engage fighter jets and various beyond-visual-range air targets. Its more equivalent Russian counterpart is actually the R-77-1. The R-37M is in a heavier class. This missile was developed primarily to attack high-value targets from very long distances, such as airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft, command planes, reconnaissance aircraft, and electronic warfare planes. The weapon can still be used to hunt fighter jets, but its size, range, and usage patterns differ. Thus, the question of which missile is ‘deadlier’ cannot be answered simply by comparing a single range figure.