In my opinion, it’s about 10 times worse than an AIM-9M.
At the moment, Aim-9M barely works and I consider it barely an upgrade over Aim-9L
In my experience, the AIM-9 is better.
Gaijin has messed up something with IRCCM missiles, and none of them seem to be very reliable at the moment.
I find the IRCCM more consistent and useful.
I’m using the SU-25BM and the R73 and it’s simply useless
Compared to the A-10C and the AIM-9M probably just a skill issue.
Personally I had more problems with counterparts platforms (i.e. A-10C and Aim-9M as mentioned) than other platforms (R-73 missile carriers in general), obviously both aren’t performing at their best but combining head mounted display and good energy retention at low speeds of the A-10 platform, the performance difference will be crystal clear but not meaning it’s performing (at a technical level, not practical) better. This is more like a situation where absence of a secondary tool makes it the main perfoming factor for victory of an specific vehicle: Su-25BM doesn’t have head mounted display but a decently perfoming missile, it will take advantage of short-medium range engagements without needing to engage in a knife duel, however A-10C does have head mounted display plus the Aim-9M, a good counterpart for the R-73 in-game, using the HMD it will have more advantages even at short-medium engagements plus short engagements.
R-73/Magic II work better in rear aspect, 9M/AAM-3 work better in side aspect.
If you can get up close behind your target, R-73 and Magic II will get you a kill like 80% of the time.
Same goes for side aspect 9M/AAM-3.
Even so, Gaijin has most IRCCM missiles gimped to hell atm for some reason, and if the person you’re shooting at actually knows how to defend against IRCCM missiles, it lowers your chance of hitting.