Sukhoi Su-27
Encyclopedia
The Sukhoi Su-27 (NATO reporting name
: Flanker) is a twin-engine supermanoeuverable
fighter aircraft
designed by Sukhoi
. It was intended as a direct competitor for the large United States fourth generation fighters, with 3530 kilometres (1,906 nmi) range, heavy armament, sophisticated avionics and high manoeuvrability. The Su-27 most often flies air superiority missions, but is able to perform almost all combat operations. Complementing the smaller MiG-29
, the Su-27's closest US counterpart is the F-15 Eagle.
There are several related developments of the Su-27 design. The Su-30
is a two-seat, dual-role fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep interdiction missions. The Su-33 ‘Flanker-D’
is a navy fleet defence interceptor for use on aircraft carrier
s. Further versions include the side-by-side 2-seat Su-34 ‘Fullback’
strike variant and the Su-35 ‘Flanker-E’
improved air defence fighter.
's "F-X" program, which resulted in the F-15 Eagle. The Soviet leadership soon realised that the new American fighter would represent a serious technological advantage over existing Soviet fighters. What was needed was a better-balanced fighter with both good agility and sophisticated systems. In response, the Soviet General Staff issued a requirement for a Perspektivnyy Frontovoy Istrebitel (PFI, literally "Perspective Frontline Fighter", roughly "Advanced Frontline Fighter"). Specifications were extremely ambitious, calling for long range, good short-field performance (including the ability to use austere runways), excellent agility, Mach 2+ speed, and heavy armament. The aerodynamic design for the new aircraft was largely carried out by TsAGI
in collaboration with the Sukhoi design bureau.
When the specification proved too challenging and costly for a single aircraft in the number needed, the PFI specification was split into two: the LPFI (Lyogkyi PFI, Lightweight PFI) and the TPFI (Tyazholyi PFI, Heavy PFI). The LPFI program resulted in the Mikoyan MiG-29
, a relatively short-range tactical fighter, while the TPFI program was assigned to Sukhoi OKB, which eventually produced the Su-27 and its various derivatives. The TPFI program is similar to the American F-X program, which resulted in the F-15 Eagle, while the LPFI program is similar to the Lightweight Fighter program, which spawned the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the Northrop YF-17, which itself led to the F/A-18 Hornet
.
design), which first flew on 20 May 1977. The aircraft had a large delta wing, clipped, with two separate podded
engines and a twin tail
. The ‘tunnel’ between the two engines, as on the F-14 Tomcat
, acts both as an additional lifting surface and hides armament from radar. While being developed, it was spotted by a spy satellite
at the Zhukovsky flight test center near the town of Ramenskoe, resulting in the temporary codename of 'Ram-K'. It was believed that the Ram-K was being developed in two versions: a swing-wing
fighter similar in function to the Grumman F-14 and a two-seat fixed wing interceptor aircraft
which in fact turned out to be the unrelated Mikoyan MiG-31
.
The T-10 was spotted by Western observers and assigned the NATO reporting name
'Flanker-A'. The development of the T-10 was marked by considerable problems, leading to a fatal crash on 7 May 1978. Extensive redesigns followed, and a heavily revised version, the T-10S, made its first flight on 20 April 1981. This, too, had considerable developmental problems, leading to another fatal crash on 23 December 1981.
The production Su-27 (sometimes Su-27S, NATO designation 'Flanker-B') began to enter VVS operational service around 1984, although manufacturing difficulties kept it from appearing in strength until 1986. The Su-27 served with both the V-PVO and Frontal Aviation. In V-PVO service it was primarily an interceptor aircraft, supplanting older aircraft like the Sukhoi Su-15
. Although the Su-27 has some capacity to carry air-to-ground weapons, in Frontal Aviation it was primarily tasked with fighting its way past enemy lines to destroy tanker and AWACS aircraft. The Su-27 retains that role in CIS
service, with later marks capable of carrying long-range "AWACS killer" missiles such as the Vympel R-37
and, potentially, the Novator K-100 when it enters production.
From 1986 a special Su-27 designated P-42, rebuilt from the prototype T-10S-3 aircraft and stripped to minimum weight, began to set the first in a series of performance records for rate of climb and altitude, the aircraft setting 27 new class records between 1986 and 1988.
The Su-27's basic design is aerodynamically similar to the MiG-29, but it is substantially larger. It is a very large aircraft, and to minimise its weight its structure has a high percentage of titanium
(about 30%, more than any of its contemporaries). No composite materials were used. The swept wing
blends into the fuselage
at the leading edge extension
s and is essentially a cropped delta (the delta wing with tips cropped for missile rails or ECM
pods). The Su-27 is also an example of a tailed delta wing configuration, retaining conventional horizontal tailplane
s, though it is not a true delta. It has two vertical tailfins
outboard of the engines, supplemented by twofold-down ventral fins for additional lateral stability.
The Su-27’s Lyulka AL-31F turbofan
engines are widely spaced, both for safety reasons and to ensure uninterrupted airflow through the intakes. The space between the engines also provides additional lift, reducing wing loading. Movable guide vanes in the intakes allow Mach 2+
speeds, and help to maintain engine airflow at high alpha
. A mesh screen over each intake prevents debris from being drawn into the engines during take-off.
The Su-27 had the Soviet Union’s first operational fly-by-wire
control system, developed based on Sukhoi OKB’s experience in the Sukhoi T-4
bomber project. Combined with relatively low wing loading
and powerful basic flight controls, it makes for an exceptionally agile aircraft, controllable even at very low speeds and high angles of attack. In airshow
s the aircraft has demonstrated its manoeuvrability with a Cobra (Pugachev’s Cobra) or dynamic deceleration – briefly sustained level flight at a 120° angle of attack. Thrust vectoring has also been tested (and is incorporated on later Su-30MK and Su-37 models), allowing the fighter to perform hard turns with almost no radius, incorporate vertical somersaults into level motion and limited nose-up hovering.
The naval version of the ‘Flanker,’ the Su-27K (or Su-33
), incorporates canards for additional lift, reducing take-off distances (important because the aircraft carrier has no catapults
). These canards have also been incorporated in some Su-30s, the Su-35, and the Su-37.
In addition to its considerable agility, the Su-27 uses its substantial internal volume for a large internal fuel capacity. In an overload configuration for maximum range, it can carry 9,400 kg (20,700 lb) of internal fuel, although its manoeuvrability with that load is limited, and normal load is 5,270 kg (11,620 lb).
The Su-27 is armed with a single 30 mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1 cannon in the starboard wingroot, and has up to 10 hardpoint
s for missiles and other weapons. Its standard missile armament for air-to-air combat is a mixture of Vympel R-73
(AA-11 Archer), Vympel R-27 (AA-10 'Alamo') weapons, the latter including extended range and IR guided models. More advanced Flanker variants (such as Su-30, −35, −37) may also carry Vympel R-77
(AA-12 Adder) missiles.
The Su-27 has a high-contrast tuneable HUD
and a Helmet mounted display
capability.
N001 Zhuk
coherent pulse-Doppler radar
with track-while-scan and look-down / shoot-down capability. The fighter also has an OLS-27 infrared search and track (IRST)
system in the nose just forward of the cockpit
with a 80–100 km range, which also incorporates a laser rangefinder. This system can be slaved to the radar, or used independently for "stealthy" attacks with infrared
missiles (such as the R-73 and R-27T/ET). It also controls the cannon, providing greater accuracy than a radar sighting mode.
The radar proved to be a major developmental problem for the Su-27. The original Soviet requirement was very ambitious, demanding a multi-target engagement capability and 200 km range against "bomber
s" (16 m² RCS to match a Tu-16). This would be broadly comparable to the 1-ton Zaslon phased array radar used on the MiG-31
.
To achieve this at a reasonable weight, the design team came up with a radar using electronic scanning for elevation and mechanical scanning for azimuth. Unfortunately, it proved too much for the Soviet microelectronics industry in the 1970s to achieve, and by 1982, the original Myesch program had to be abandoned and a less capable alternative array was selected. To make up the lost time, many matured technologies from the N019 Topaz radar, including an enlarged version of the twist-cassegraine array, on the MiG-29 was used, and as a result, the resulting N001 radar shared the same TS100 signal processor used on N019 Topaz radar, while N001V, the successor of N001, shared the same TS101M signal processor with N019M, the successor of N019. The radar only achieved a 140 km detection range versus the Tu-16, and could only engage a single target. Even then, the radar was initially beset by reliability problems and this caused the N001 to be accepted for service in 1991, half a decade after the Su-27 first entered service in 1986.
The first of the N001 series radar, the Tikhomirov (NIIR)
N001 (NATO ‘Slot Back’), is a pulse-Doppler
set with track-while-scan capability, but its processor is relatively primitive, making it vulnerable to false alarms and blind spots, as well as being more difficult to use. Over the years, under the chief designer of N001 radar, Professor Viktor Konstantinovitch Grishin, the N001 radar has been upgraded many times, resulting in derivatives including N001V, N001VE, N001VEP, all of which are in service, including those exported Flankers. Professor V.K. Grishin was the chief designer of Zaslon S-800 passive phased array radar on MiG-31, and the expertise would later contribute to the design of the replacement phased array radars for the N001 series.
It was apparent that there was limited room for improvement in the N001 series radar, and the Su-30 and Su-35/37 aircraft have the vastly superior Tikhomirov (NIIR) 'Bars' (Panther) N011M with a passive electronically scanned array
, improving range, multiple target capability, and sensitivity. The Bars (Panther) radar is scheduled to be replaced by an even more capable successor, Irbis (Snow leopard)-E phased array radar in the near future. Tikhomirov (NIIR)’s competitor, Phazotron
(NIIP) also offered a similar radar with a passive electronically scanned array.
While the Su-27 and its immediate descendants (Su-35 and −37) have outstanding manoeuvrability and performance, the airframe design lacks stealth features, so the radar cross section
(RCS) is large. To reduce the RCS, a process called "plasma stealth
" has been proposed which would create a charged plasma cloud which would be hard for radar to penetrate. This process is theoretically possible but very difficult to do so in practice. A Russian plasma stealth device had been tested on a Su-27IB by June 2002; But this has been widely disputed.
against Georgian forces. One fighter was reported shot down by an S-75 Dvina
on 19 March 1993.
In the 2008 South Ossetia War
, Russia used Su-27s to gain airspace control over Tskhinvali
, the capital city of South Ossetia.
) missions, suppression of air defense, and providing escort for fighters on bombing and reconnaissance missions. In the War in Somalia (2006-present), the EtAF used their Su-27s to deadly effect, bombing Islamist garrisons and patrolling the airspace. The Su-27 has replaced the aging Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
as Ethiopia's main air superiority fighter
.
forces on 19 November 2000.
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Around 680 Su-27s were manufactured by the Soviet Union and Russia. This total includes only Su-27s and not later derivative aircraft.
: People's Air and Air Defence Force of Angola
has 7 Su-27s as of December 2010.
: Belarusian Air Force
received 23 Su-27s from Soviet Union. Has 22 in service as of December 2010.
: People's Liberation Army Air Force
had 53 Su-27SK and 16 Su-27UBK fighters in 2009. These were purchased from Russia before signing an agreement in 1998 to licence manufacture the plane as the Shenyang J-11
in China. Approximately 102 J-11 aircraft have been built.
: Eritrean Air Force
received about 8 Su-27SK/27UBs in 2003. Has 6 Su-27s as of December 2010.
: The Ethiopian Air Force
operates 11 Su-27SKs, 3 Su-27Ps, and 4 Su-27UBs.
: Indonesian Air Force
(Tentara Nasional Indonesia: Angkatan Udara) has 2 Su-27SK and 3 Su-27SKM fighters in service as of September 2010.
: The Military of Kazakhstan
operates 30 Su-27s as of December 2010. It has another 12 on order.
: Russian Air Force
had an active fleet of 260 Su-27S/P/UBs, and 54 Su-27SMs in late 2009.
: Syrian Air Force
has acquired 14 Su-27SKs.
: The Ukrainian Air Force
has 65 Su-27s in service as of December 2010.
: The Military of Uzbekistan
has 25 in service.
: Vietnam People's Air Force
has 12 Su-27SKs and 3 Su-27UBKs.
: Two Su-27s were delivered to the United States in 1995, probably for aggressor training. Two more were bought from Ukraine in 2009 by a private company to use as warbirds.
Two Su-27s from the Ukrainian Air Force were demilitarised and sold to Pride Aircraft of Rockford, Illinois, USA. Pride Aircraft modified some of the aircraft to their own desires by remarking all cockpit controls in English and replacing much of the Russian avionics suite with Garmin, Bendix/King, and Collins avionics. The aircraft were both sold to private owners for approximately $5 million each.
The Dutch private training support company ECA Program placed an order with Belarus for 15 unarmed Su-27s (with an option on 18 more) for use in dissimilar air combat training
. Deliveries are due to be completed by the end of 2012.
and Soviet Anti-Air Defence
See Sukhoi Su-30
, Sukhoi Su-33
, Sukhoi Su-34
, and Sukhoi Su-35
for operators of Su-27 derivatives.
".
NATO reporting name
NATO reporting names are classified code names for military equipment of the Eastern Bloc...
: Flanker) is a twin-engine supermanoeuverable
Supermaneuverability
Supermaneuverability is the quality of aircraft defined as a threshold of attitude control exceeding that which is possible by pure aerodynamic maneuverability; in other words, a controlled loss of control beyond normal abilities...
fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
designed by Sukhoi
Sukhoi
Sukhoi Company is a major Russian aircraft manufacturer, headquartered in Begovoy District, Northern Administrative Okrug, Moscow, famous for its fighters...
. It was intended as a direct competitor for the large United States fourth generation fighters, with 3530 kilometres (1,906 nmi) range, heavy armament, sophisticated avionics and high manoeuvrability. The Su-27 most often flies air superiority missions, but is able to perform almost all combat operations. Complementing the smaller MiG-29
Mikoyan MiG-29
The Mikoyan MiG-29 is a fourth-generation jet fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union for an air superiority role. Developed in the 1970s by the Mikoyan design bureau, it entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1983, and remains in use by the Russian Air Force as well as in many other...
, the Su-27's closest US counterpart is the F-15 Eagle.
There are several related developments of the Su-27 design. The Su-30
Sukhoi Su-30
The Sukhoi Su-30 is a twin-engine, two-seat military aircraft developed by Russia's Sukhoi Aviation Corporation. It is a multirole fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep interdiction missions.The Su-30 started out as an internal development project in the Sukhoi Su-27 family...
is a two-seat, dual-role fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep interdiction missions. The Su-33 ‘Flanker-D’
Sukhoi Su-33
The Sukhoi Su-33 is an all-weather carrier-based air defence fighter designed by Sukhoi and manufactured by KnAAPO. It is a derivative of the Su-27 "Flanker" and was initially known as the Su-27K. The aircraft was first used in operations in 1995, aboard the carrier Admiral Kuznetsov...
is a navy fleet defence interceptor for use on aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s. Further versions include the side-by-side 2-seat Su-34 ‘Fullback’
Sukhoi Su-34
The Sukhoi Su-34 is a Russian twin-seat fighter-bomber. It is intended to replace the Sukhoi Su-24.- Beginnings and testing :The Su-34 had a somewhat muddied and protracted beginning...
strike variant and the Su-35 ‘Flanker-E’
Sukhoi Su-35
The Sukhoi Su-35 is a single-seat, twin-engined supermaneuverability multirole fighter. It is a derivative of the Su-27 'Flanker', and was initially known as the Su-27M. More than a dozen of these were built with some used by the Russian Knights aerobatic demonstration team...
improved air defence fighter.
Background
In 1969, the Soviet Union learned of the U.S. Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
's "F-X" program, which resulted in the F-15 Eagle. The Soviet leadership soon realised that the new American fighter would represent a serious technological advantage over existing Soviet fighters. What was needed was a better-balanced fighter with both good agility and sophisticated systems. In response, the Soviet General Staff issued a requirement for a Perspektivnyy Frontovoy Istrebitel (PFI, literally "Perspective Frontline Fighter", roughly "Advanced Frontline Fighter"). Specifications were extremely ambitious, calling for long range, good short-field performance (including the ability to use austere runways), excellent agility, Mach 2+ speed, and heavy armament. The aerodynamic design for the new aircraft was largely carried out by TsAGI
TsAGI
TsAGI is a transliteration of the Russian abbreviation for Центра́льный аэрогидродинами́ческий институ́т or "Tsentralniy Aerogidrodinamicheskiy Institut", the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute....
in collaboration with the Sukhoi design bureau.
When the specification proved too challenging and costly for a single aircraft in the number needed, the PFI specification was split into two: the LPFI (Lyogkyi PFI, Lightweight PFI) and the TPFI (Tyazholyi PFI, Heavy PFI). The LPFI program resulted in the Mikoyan MiG-29
Mikoyan MiG-29
The Mikoyan MiG-29 is a fourth-generation jet fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union for an air superiority role. Developed in the 1970s by the Mikoyan design bureau, it entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1983, and remains in use by the Russian Air Force as well as in many other...
, a relatively short-range tactical fighter, while the TPFI program was assigned to Sukhoi OKB, which eventually produced the Su-27 and its various derivatives. The TPFI program is similar to the American F-X program, which resulted in the F-15 Eagle, while the LPFI program is similar to the Lightweight Fighter program, which spawned the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the Northrop YF-17, which itself led to the F/A-18 Hornet
F/A-18 Hornet
The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to dogfight and attack ground targets . Designed by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, the F/A-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and...
.
Design phase
The Sukhoi design, which was altered progressively to reflect Soviet awareness of the F-15's specifications, emerged as the T-10 (Sukhoi's 10th delta wingDelta wing
The delta wing is a wing planform in the form of a triangle. It is named for its similarity in shape to the Greek uppercase letter delta .-Delta-shaped stabilizers:...
design), which first flew on 20 May 1977. The aircraft had a large delta wing, clipped, with two separate podded
Nacelle
The nacelle is a cover housing that holds engines, fuel, or equipment on an aircraft. In some cases—for instance in the typical "Farman" type "pusher" aircraft, or the World War II-era P-38 Lightning—an aircraft's cockpit may also be housed in a nacelle, which essentially fills the...
engines and a twin tail
Twin tail
A twin tail is a specific type of vertical stabilizer arrangement found on the empennage of some aircraft. Two vertical stabilizers — often smaller on their own than a single conventional tail would be — are mounted at the outside of the aircraft's horizontal stabilizer...
. The ‘tunnel’ between the two engines, as on the F-14 Tomcat
F-14 Tomcat
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental program following the collapse of the F-111B project...
, acts both as an additional lifting surface and hides armament from radar. While being developed, it was spotted by a spy satellite
Spy satellite
A spy satellite is an Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications....
at the Zhukovsky flight test center near the town of Ramenskoe, resulting in the temporary codename of 'Ram-K'. It was believed that the Ram-K was being developed in two versions: a swing-wing
Swing-wing
A variable-sweep wing is an aeroplane wing that may be swept back and then returned to its original position during flight. It allows the aircraft's planform to be modified in flight, and is therefore an example of a variable-geometry aircraft....
fighter similar in function to the Grumman F-14 and a two-seat fixed wing interceptor aircraft
Interceptor aircraft
An interceptor aircraft is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically to prevent missions of enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Interceptors generally rely on high speed and powerful armament in order to complete their mission as quickly as possible and set up...
which in fact turned out to be the unrelated Mikoyan MiG-31
Mikoyan MiG-31
The Mikoyan MiG-31 is a supersonic interceptor aircraft developed to replace the MiG-25 "Foxbat". The MiG-31 was designed by the Mikoyan design bureau based on the MiG-25.-Development:...
.
NATO reporting name
NATO reporting names are classified code names for military equipment of the Eastern Bloc...
'Flanker-A'. The development of the T-10 was marked by considerable problems, leading to a fatal crash on 7 May 1978. Extensive redesigns followed, and a heavily revised version, the T-10S, made its first flight on 20 April 1981. This, too, had considerable developmental problems, leading to another fatal crash on 23 December 1981.
Sukhoi Su-15
The Sukhoi Su-15 was a twin-engined supersonic interceptor developed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s to replace the Sukhoi Su-11, which was becoming obsolete as the United States and Britain introduced newer and more capable strategic bombers...
. Although the Su-27 has some capacity to carry air-to-ground weapons, in Frontal Aviation it was primarily tasked with fighting its way past enemy lines to destroy tanker and AWACS aircraft. The Su-27 retains that role in CIS
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
service, with later marks capable of carrying long-range "AWACS killer" missiles such as the Vympel R-37
Vympel R-37
The Vympel R-37 is a Russian air-to-air missile with an extremely long range. It has also had the names K-37, Izdeliye 610 and R-VD , and the NATO codename 'Andi'.It was designed to shoot down AWACS and other C4ISTAR aircraft whilst keeping the launch platform out of range of any fighters...
and, potentially, the Novator K-100 when it enters production.
From 1986 a special Su-27 designated P-42, rebuilt from the prototype T-10S-3 aircraft and stripped to minimum weight, began to set the first in a series of performance records for rate of climb and altitude, the aircraft setting 27 new class records between 1986 and 1988.
Design
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
(about 30%, more than any of its contemporaries). No composite materials were used. The swept wing
Swept wing
A swept wing is a wing planform favored for high subsonic jet speeds first investigated by Germany during the Second World War. Since the introduction of the MiG-15 and North American F-86 which demonstrated a decisive superiority over the slower first generation of straight-wing jet fighters...
blends into the fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
at the leading edge extension
Leading edge extension
A leading edge extension is a small extension to an aircraft wing surface, forward of the leading edge. Different kinds of extensions have been used for different reasons.-Leading edge slats:...
s and is essentially a cropped delta (the delta wing with tips cropped for missile rails or ECM
Electronic countermeasures
An electronic countermeasure is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar or other detection systems, like infrared or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting information to an enemy...
pods). The Su-27 is also an example of a tailed delta wing configuration, retaining conventional horizontal tailplane
Tailplane
A tailplane, also known as horizontal stabilizer , is a small lifting surface located on the tail behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyroplanes...
s, though it is not a true delta. It has two vertical tailfins
Vertical stabilizer
The vertical stabilizers, vertical stabilisers, or fins, of aircraft, missiles or bombs are typically found on the aft end of the fuselage or body, and are intended to reduce aerodynamic side slip. It is analogical to a skeg on boats and ships.On aircraft, vertical stabilizers generally point upwards...
outboard of the engines, supplemented by twofold-down ventral fins for additional lateral stability.
The Su-27’s Lyulka AL-31F turbofan
Turbofan
The turbofan is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used for aircraft propulsion. A turbofan combines two types of engines, the turbo portion which is a conventional gas turbine engine, and the fan, a propeller-like ducted fan...
engines are widely spaced, both for safety reasons and to ensure uninterrupted airflow through the intakes. The space between the engines also provides additional lift, reducing wing loading. Movable guide vanes in the intakes allow Mach 2+
Mach number
Mach number is the speed of an object moving through air, or any other fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound as it is in that substance for its particular physical conditions, including those of temperature and pressure...
speeds, and help to maintain engine airflow at high alpha
Angle of attack
Angle of attack is a term used in fluid dynamics to describe the angle between a reference line on a lifting body and the vector representing the relative motion between the lifting body and the fluid through which it is moving...
. A mesh screen over each intake prevents debris from being drawn into the engines during take-off.
The Su-27 had the Soviet Union’s first operational fly-by-wire
Fly-by-wire
Fly-by-wire is a system that replaces the conventional manual flight controls of an aircraft with an electronic interface. The movements of flight controls are converted to electronic signals transmitted by wires , and flight control computers determine how to move the actuators at each control...
control system, developed based on Sukhoi OKB’s experience in the Sukhoi T-4
Sukhoi T-4
-See also:-External links:**...
bomber project. Combined with relatively low wing loading
Wing loading
In aerodynamics, wing loading is the loaded weight of the aircraft divided by the area of the wing. The faster an aircraft flies, the more lift is produced by each unit area of wing, so a smaller wing can carry the same weight in level flight, operating at a higher wing loading. Correspondingly,...
and powerful basic flight controls, it makes for an exceptionally agile aircraft, controllable even at very low speeds and high angles of attack. In airshow
Airshow
An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows"....
s the aircraft has demonstrated its manoeuvrability with a Cobra (Pugachev’s Cobra) or dynamic deceleration – briefly sustained level flight at a 120° angle of attack. Thrust vectoring has also been tested (and is incorporated on later Su-30MK and Su-37 models), allowing the fighter to perform hard turns with almost no radius, incorporate vertical somersaults into level motion and limited nose-up hovering.
Sukhoi Su-33
The Sukhoi Su-33 is an all-weather carrier-based air defence fighter designed by Sukhoi and manufactured by KnAAPO. It is a derivative of the Su-27 "Flanker" and was initially known as the Su-27K. The aircraft was first used in operations in 1995, aboard the carrier Admiral Kuznetsov...
), incorporates canards for additional lift, reducing take-off distances (important because the aircraft carrier has no catapults
Aircraft catapult
An aircraft catapult is a device used to launch aircraft from ships—in particular aircraft carriers—as a form of assisted take off. It consists of a track built into the flight deck, below which is a large piston or shuttle that is attached through the track to the nose gear of the aircraft, or in...
). These canards have also been incorporated in some Su-30s, the Su-35, and the Su-37.
In addition to its considerable agility, the Su-27 uses its substantial internal volume for a large internal fuel capacity. In an overload configuration for maximum range, it can carry 9,400 kg (20,700 lb) of internal fuel, although its manoeuvrability with that load is limited, and normal load is 5,270 kg (11,620 lb).
Hardpoint
A hardpoint, or weapon station, is any part of an airframe designed to carry an external load. This includes a point on the wing or fuselage of military aircraft where external ordnance, countermeasures, gun pods, targeting pods or drop tanks can be mounted.-Rail launchers:Large missiles and...
s for missiles and other weapons. Its standard missile armament for air-to-air combat is a mixture of Vympel R-73
Vympel R-73
The Vympel R-73 developed by Vympel machine-building design bureau, is the most modern Russian short-range air-to-air missile.-Development:...
(AA-11 Archer), Vympel R-27 (AA-10 'Alamo') weapons, the latter including extended range and IR guided models. More advanced Flanker variants (such as Su-30, −35, −37) may also carry Vympel R-77
Vympel R-77
The Russian R-77 Missile is a medium range, air-to-air, active radar-guided missile system. It is the Russian counterpart to the American AIM-120 AMRAAM missile, thus gaining a nickname: Amraamski....
(AA-12 Adder) missiles.
The Su-27 has a high-contrast tuneable HUD
Head-Up Display
A head-up display or heads-up display is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints...
and a Helmet mounted display
Helmet mounted display
A helmet mounted display is a device used in some modern aircraft, especially combat aircraft. HMDs project information similar to that of head-up displays on an aircrew’s visor or reticle, thereby allowing him to obtain situational awareness and/or cue weapons systems to the direction his head...
capability.
Radar and sensors
The Su-27 is equipped with a PhazotronPhazotron
JSC Phazotron , is Russia's largest developer of military radars and avionics. Named after one of the major projects and the most important one it was involved in, the first cosmotron in the former-USSR, it was first formed in 1917 to produce aviation instruments...
N001 Zhuk
Zhuk radar
The Zhuk are a family of Russian all-weather multimode airborne radars developed by NIIR Phazotron for multi-role combat aircraft such as the MiG-29 and the Su-27. The latest versions are also known as the Sokol.- Description :...
coherent pulse-Doppler radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
with track-while-scan and look-down / shoot-down capability. The fighter also has an OLS-27 infrared search and track (IRST)
Infra-red search and track
An infra-red search and track system is a method for detecting and tracking objects which give off infra-red radiation such as jet aircraft and helicopters. IRST is a generalized case of Forward Looking Infra-Red , i.e. from Forward-Looking to allround situational awareness...
system in the nose just forward of the cockpit
Cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft. Most modern cockpits are enclosed, except on some small aircraft, and cockpits on large airliners are also physically separated from the cabin...
with a 80–100 km range, which also incorporates a laser rangefinder. This system can be slaved to the radar, or used independently for "stealthy" attacks with infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
missiles (such as the R-73 and R-27T/ET). It also controls the cannon, providing greater accuracy than a radar sighting mode.
The radar proved to be a major developmental problem for the Su-27. The original Soviet requirement was very ambitious, demanding a multi-target engagement capability and 200 km range against "bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
s" (16 m² RCS to match a Tu-16). This would be broadly comparable to the 1-ton Zaslon phased array radar used on the MiG-31
Mikoyan MiG-31
The Mikoyan MiG-31 is a supersonic interceptor aircraft developed to replace the MiG-25 "Foxbat". The MiG-31 was designed by the Mikoyan design bureau based on the MiG-25.-Development:...
.
To achieve this at a reasonable weight, the design team came up with a radar using electronic scanning for elevation and mechanical scanning for azimuth. Unfortunately, it proved too much for the Soviet microelectronics industry in the 1970s to achieve, and by 1982, the original Myesch program had to be abandoned and a less capable alternative array was selected. To make up the lost time, many matured technologies from the N019 Topaz radar, including an enlarged version of the twist-cassegraine array, on the MiG-29 was used, and as a result, the resulting N001 radar shared the same TS100 signal processor used on N019 Topaz radar, while N001V, the successor of N001, shared the same TS101M signal processor with N019M, the successor of N019. The radar only achieved a 140 km detection range versus the Tu-16, and could only engage a single target. Even then, the radar was initially beset by reliability problems and this caused the N001 to be accepted for service in 1991, half a decade after the Su-27 first entered service in 1986.
The first of the N001 series radar, the Tikhomirov (NIIR)
Tikhomirov Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design
JSC V.V. Tikhomirov Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design is a joint stock company, one of the major Russian enterprises in the development of weaponry control systems for fighter planes and mobile medium range anti-aircraft SAM defense vehicles.The institute was created on March 1,...
N001 (NATO ‘Slot Back’), is a pulse-Doppler
Doppler radar
A Doppler radar is a specialized radar that makes use of the Doppler effect to produce velocity data about objects at a distance. It does this by beaming a microwave signal towards a desired target and listening for its reflection, then analyzing how the frequency of the returned signal has been...
set with track-while-scan capability, but its processor is relatively primitive, making it vulnerable to false alarms and blind spots, as well as being more difficult to use. Over the years, under the chief designer of N001 radar, Professor Viktor Konstantinovitch Grishin, the N001 radar has been upgraded many times, resulting in derivatives including N001V, N001VE, N001VEP, all of which are in service, including those exported Flankers. Professor V.K. Grishin was the chief designer of Zaslon S-800 passive phased array radar on MiG-31, and the expertise would later contribute to the design of the replacement phased array radars for the N001 series.
Passive electronically scanned array
A passive electronically scanned array , contrary to its active counterpart AESA, is a phased array which has a central radiofrequency source , sending energy into phase shift modules, which then send energy into the various emitting elements in the front of the antenna...
, improving range, multiple target capability, and sensitivity. The Bars (Panther) radar is scheduled to be replaced by an even more capable successor, Irbis (Snow leopard)-E phased array radar in the near future. Tikhomirov (NIIR)’s competitor, Phazotron
Phazotron
JSC Phazotron , is Russia's largest developer of military radars and avionics. Named after one of the major projects and the most important one it was involved in, the first cosmotron in the former-USSR, it was first formed in 1917 to produce aviation instruments...
(NIIP) also offered a similar radar with a passive electronically scanned array.
While the Su-27 and its immediate descendants (Su-35 and −37) have outstanding manoeuvrability and performance, the airframe design lacks stealth features, so the radar cross section
Radar cross section
Radar cross section is a measure of how detectable an object is with a radar. A larger RCS indicates that an object is more easily detected.An object reflects a limited amount of radar energy...
(RCS) is large. To reduce the RCS, a process called "plasma stealth
Plasma stealth
Plasma stealth is a proposed process to use ionized gas to reduce the radar cross section of an aircraft. Interactions between electromagnetic radiation and ionized gas have been extensively studied for many purposes, including concealing aircraft from radar as stealth technology...
" has been proposed which would create a charged plasma cloud which would be hard for radar to penetrate. This process is theoretically possible but very difficult to do so in practice. A Russian plasma stealth device had been tested on a Su-27IB by June 2002; But this has been widely disputed.
Operational history
Russia
The Su-27 has seen limited action since it first entered service. These aircraft were used by the Russian Air Force during the 1992–1993 war in AbkhaziaWar in Abkhazia (1992–1993)
The War in Abkhazia from 1992 to 1993 was waged chiefly between Georgian government forces on one side and Abkhaz separatist forces supporting independence of Abkhazia from Georgia on the other side. Ethnic Georgians, who lived in Abkhazia fought largely on the side of Georgian government forces...
against Georgian forces. One fighter was reported shot down by an S-75 Dvina
S-75 Dvina
The S-75 Dvina is a Soviet-designed, high-altitude, command guided, surface-to-air missile system...
on 19 March 1993.
In the 2008 South Ossetia War
2008 South Ossetia war
The 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other....
, Russia used Su-27s to gain airspace control over Tskhinvali
Tskhinvali
Tskhinvali , is the capital of South Ossetia, a disputed region which has been recognised as an independent Republic by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Nauru, and is regarded by Georgia and the rest of the world as part of the Shida Kartli region within Georgian sovereign territory.It is located...
, the capital city of South Ossetia.
Ethiopia
Ethiopian Su-27s reportedly shot down five Eritrean MiG-29s and damaged another one in February 1999 and destroyed another two in May 2000. The Su-27s were also used in CAP (Combat Air PatrolCombat air patrol
Combat air patrol is a type of flying mission for fighter aircraft.A combat air patrol is an aircraft patrol provided over an objective area, over the force protected, over the critical area of a combat zone, or over an air defense area, for the purpose of intercepting and destroying hostile...
) missions, suppression of air defense, and providing escort for fighters on bombing and reconnaissance missions. In the War in Somalia (2006-present), the EtAF used their Su-27s to deadly effect, bombing Islamist garrisons and patrolling the airspace. The Su-27 has replaced the aging Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek by Polish pilots due to...
as Ethiopia's main air superiority fighter
Air superiority fighter
An air superiority fighter is a type of fighter aircraft intended to gain air superiority in a war, by entering and seizing control of enemy airspace. Air superiority fighters are designed to effectively engage enemy fighters, more than other types of aircraft...
.
Angola
The Su-27 entered Angolan service in mid-2000. It is reported that one Su-27 in the process of landing, was shot down by SA-14 MANPADs fired by UNITAUNITA
The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola is the second-largest political party in Angola. Founded in 1966, UNITA fought with the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola in the Angolan War for Independence and then against the MPLA in the ensuing civil war .The war was one...
forces on 19 November 2000.
Soviet-era
- T10 ("Flanker-A"): Initial prototype configuration.
- T10S: Improved prototype configuration, more similar to production spec.
- P-42: Special version built to beat climb time records. The aircraft had all armament, radar and paint removed, which reduced weight to 14,100 kg. It also had improved engines.
- Su-27 Preproduction series built in small numbers with AL-31 engine
- Su-27S (Su-27 / "Flanker-B"): Initial production single-seater with improved AL-31F engine. The "T10P"
- Su-27P (Su-27 / "Flanker-B"): Standard version but without air-to-ground weapons control system and wiring and assigned to Soviet Air Defence Forces units. Often designated Su-27 without -P.
- Su-27UB ("Flanker-C"): Initial production two-seat operational conversion trainer.
- Su-27SK: Export Su-27 single-seater.
- Su-27UBK: Export Su-27UB two-seater.
- Su-27K (Su-33Sukhoi Su-33The Sukhoi Su-33 is an all-weather carrier-based air defence fighter designed by Sukhoi and manufactured by KnAAPO. It is a derivative of the Su-27 "Flanker" and was initially known as the Su-27K. The aircraft was first used in operations in 1995, aboard the carrier Admiral Kuznetsov...
/ "Flanker-D"): Carrier-based single-seater with folding wings, high-lift deviceHigh-lift deviceIn aircraft design, high-lift devices are moving surfaces or stationary components intended to increase lift during certain flight conditions. They include common devices such as flaps and slats, as well as less common features such as leading edge extensions and blown flaps.-Purpose:Aircraft...
s, and arresting gearTailhookA tailhook, also arresting hook or arrester hook, is a device attached to the empennage of some military fixed wing aircraft...
, built in small numbers. They followed the "T10K" prototypePrototypeA prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
s and demonstrators. - Su-27M (Su-35Sukhoi Su-35The Sukhoi Su-35 is a single-seat, twin-engined supermaneuverability multirole fighter. It is a derivative of the Su-27 'Flanker', and was initially known as the Su-27M. More than a dozen of these were built with some used by the Russian Knights aerobatic demonstration team...
/Su-37Sukhoi Su-37The Sukhoi Su-37 is an experimental single-seat, supermaneuverable multirole jet fighter, designed by Sukhoi. A further development of the original Su-27 'Flanker', it was modified from the first-generation Su-35 prototypes...
, Flanker-E/F): Improved demonstrators for an advanced single-seat multirole Su-27S derivative. These also included a two-seat "Su-35UB" demonstrator.
Post-Soviet era
- Su-27PD: Single-seat demonstrator with improvements such as inflight refuelling probe.
- Su-27PU (Su-30Sukhoi Su-30The Sukhoi Su-30 is a twin-engine, two-seat military aircraft developed by Russia's Sukhoi Aviation Corporation. It is a multirole fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep interdiction missions.The Su-30 started out as an internal development project in the Sukhoi Su-27 family...
): Two-seat limited production machine with improvements such as inflight refuelling probe, fighter direction avionics, new flight control system, and so on. - Su-30MSukhoi Su-30The Sukhoi Su-30 is a twin-engine, two-seat military aircraft developed by Russia's Sukhoi Aviation Corporation. It is a multirole fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep interdiction missions.The Su-30 started out as an internal development project in the Sukhoi Su-27 family...
/ Su-30MK: Next-generation multirole two-seater. A few Su-30Ms were built for Russian evaluation in the mid-1990s, though little came of the effort. The Su-30MK export variant was embodied as a series of two demonstrators of different levels of capability. Versions include Su-30MKA for AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, Su-30MKI for India, Su-30MKKSukhoi Su-30MKKThe Sukhoi Su-30MKK is a modification of the Su-27 SK manufactured since 1999 by KnAAPO and Shenyang Aircraft Corporation. It is considered an upgraded version of Sukhoi Su-30. It was jointly developed by Russia and China, similar to the Su-30MKI. It is a heavy class, all-weather, long-range...
for the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, and Su-30MKM for Malaysia. - Su-27SM (Flanker-B Mod. 1): Upgraded Russian Su-27S, featuring technology evaluated in the Su-27M demonstrators.
- Su-27SKM: Single-seat multirole fighter for export. It is a derivative of the Su-27SK but includes upgrades such as advanced cockpit, more sophisticated self-defense electronic countermeasures (ECM) and an in-flight refuelling system.
- Su-27UBM: Comparable upgraded Su-27UB two-seater.
- Su-27SM2: 4.5-gen block upgrade for Russian Su-27, featuring some technology of the Su-35BM; it includes Irbis-E radar, and upgraded engines and avionics.
- Su-32 (Su-27IB): Two-seat dedicated long-range strike variant with side-by-side seating in "platypus" nose. Prototype of Su-32FN and Su-34Sukhoi Su-34The Sukhoi Su-34 is a Russian twin-seat fighter-bomber. It is intended to replace the Sukhoi Su-24.- Beginnings and testing :The Su-34 had a somewhat muddied and protracted beginning...
'Fullback'. - Su-27KUB: Essentially an Su-27K carrier-based single-seater with a side-by-side cockpit, for use as a naval carrier trainerTrainer (aircraft)A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate in-flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristics and a simplified cockpit arrangement—allows...
or multirole aircraft. - Su-35BM/Su-35S: Also dubbed "The Last Flanker" is latest development from Sukhoi Flanker family. It features newer avionics and new radar.
Operators
: People's Air and Air Defence Force of Angola
People's Air and Air Defence Force of Angola
The National Air Force of Angola is the air branch of the Armed Forces of Angola.FAN was established, after the independence of Angola from Portugal, on January 21, 1976 as the People's Air and Air Defence Force of Angola and initially made use of the...
has 7 Su-27s as of December 2010.
: Belarusian Air Force
Belarusian Air Force
The Belarussian Air Force is the air force of the Armed Forces of Belarus, formed in 1992 from the 26th Air Army of the Soviet Air Forces which had been serving in the Byelorussian SSR.- Organization :...
received 23 Su-27s from Soviet Union. Has 22 in service as of December 2010.
: People's Liberation Army Air Force
People's Liberation Army Air Force
The People's Liberation Army Air Force is the aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army, the military of the People's Republic of China...
had 53 Su-27SK and 16 Su-27UBK fighters in 2009. These were purchased from Russia before signing an agreement in 1998 to licence manufacture the plane as the Shenyang J-11
Shenyang J-11
The Shenyang J-11 with NATO reporting name: Flanker B+ is a single-seat, twin-engine jet fighter based on the Soviet-designed Sukhoi Su-27 air superiority fighter produced by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation...
in China. Approximately 102 J-11 aircraft have been built.
: Eritrean Air Force
Eritrean Air Force
The Eritrean Air Force is the official aerial warfare service branch of the Eritrean Defence Forces and is one of the three official uniformed military brances of the State of Eritrea.-History:...
received about 8 Su-27SK/27UBs in 2003. Has 6 Su-27s as of December 2010.
: The Ethiopian Air Force
Ethiopian Air Force
The Ethiopian Air Force is the air arm of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces and is tasked with protecting the air space, providing support to the ground forces as well as assisting during national emergencies.- Early years :...
operates 11 Su-27SKs, 3 Su-27Ps, and 4 Su-27UBs.
: Indonesian Air Force
Indonesian Air Force
The Indonesian Air Force is the air force branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.The Indonesian Air Force has 34,930 personnel equipped with 110 combat aircraft including Su-27 and Su-30.-Before Indonesian independence :...
(Tentara Nasional Indonesia: Angkatan Udara) has 2 Su-27SK and 3 Su-27SKM fighters in service as of September 2010.
: The Military of Kazakhstan
Military of Kazakhstan
The Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan , is the name of the unified armed forces of Kazakhstan...
operates 30 Su-27s as of December 2010. It has another 12 on order.
: Russian Air Force
Russian Air Force
The Russian Air Force is the air force of Russian Military. It is currently under the command of Colonel General Aleksandr Zelin. The Russian Navy has its own air arm, the Russian Naval Aviation, which is the former Soviet Aviatsiya Voyenno Morskogo Flota , or AV-MF).The Air Force was formed from...
had an active fleet of 260 Su-27S/P/UBs, and 54 Su-27SMs in late 2009.
- Russian Naval AviationRussian Naval AviationThe Russian Naval Aviation , is the air arm of the Russian Navy...
. 279th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment is based at Severomorsk-3Severomorsk-3Severomorsk-3 is a naval air base in Murmansk Oblast, Russia located 28 km east of Murmansk...
with the Northern FleetNorthern FleetThe Red Banner Northern Fleet is a unit of the Russian Navy that has access to the Barents and Norwegian Seas, the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, and is responsible for the defense of northwestern Russia. It was established in 1937 as part of the Soviet Navy...
. Equipped with Su-25UTGs, and Su-33s.
: Syrian Air Force
Syrian Air Force
The Syrian Air Force is the Aviation branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. It was established in 1948.-History:The end of World War II led to a withdrawal of the United Kingdom and France from the Middle East, and this included a withdrawal from Syria...
has acquired 14 Su-27SKs.
: The Ukrainian Air Force
Ukrainian Air Force
The Ukrainian Air Force is a part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Ukrainian Air Force Command and headquarters are located in the city of Vinnytsia....
has 65 Su-27s in service as of December 2010.
: The Military of Uzbekistan
Military of Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan's armed forces form the state organisation charged with the defence of Uzbekistan. They are reported to be the largest in Central Asia...
has 25 in service.
: Vietnam People's Air Force
Vietnam People's Air Force
The Vietnam People's Air Force is the air force of Vietnam. It is the successor of the former North Vietnamese Air Force and the absorbed Republic of Vietnam Air Force following the re-unification of Vietnam in 1975.-Beginning-1964 :The first Vietnamese aircraft were two trainers, a de Havilland...
has 12 Su-27SKs and 3 Su-27UBKs.
: Two Su-27s were delivered to the United States in 1995, probably for aggressor training. Two more were bought from Ukraine in 2009 by a private company to use as warbirds.
Private ownership
According to the FAA there are 2 privately owned Su-27s in the U.S.Two Su-27s from the Ukrainian Air Force were demilitarised and sold to Pride Aircraft of Rockford, Illinois, USA. Pride Aircraft modified some of the aircraft to their own desires by remarking all cockpit controls in English and replacing much of the Russian avionics suite with Garmin, Bendix/King, and Collins avionics. The aircraft were both sold to private owners for approximately $5 million each.
The Dutch private training support company ECA Program placed an order with Belarus for 15 unarmed Su-27s (with an option on 18 more) for use in dissimilar air combat training
Dissimilar air combat training
Dissimilar air combat training was introduced as a formal part of US air combat training after disappointing aerial combat exchange rates in the Vietnam War.Traditionally, pilots would undertake air combat training against similar aircraft...
. Deliveries are due to be completed by the end of 2012.
Former operators
: Soviet Air ForceSoviet Air Force
The Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Военно-воздушные силы or Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces...
and Soviet Anti-Air Defence
See Sukhoi Su-30
Sukhoi Su-30
The Sukhoi Su-30 is a twin-engine, two-seat military aircraft developed by Russia's Sukhoi Aviation Corporation. It is a multirole fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep interdiction missions.The Su-30 started out as an internal development project in the Sukhoi Su-27 family...
, Sukhoi Su-33
Sukhoi Su-33
The Sukhoi Su-33 is an all-weather carrier-based air defence fighter designed by Sukhoi and manufactured by KnAAPO. It is a derivative of the Su-27 "Flanker" and was initially known as the Su-27K. The aircraft was first used in operations in 1995, aboard the carrier Admiral Kuznetsov...
, Sukhoi Su-34
Sukhoi Su-34
The Sukhoi Su-34 is a Russian twin-seat fighter-bomber. It is intended to replace the Sukhoi Su-24.- Beginnings and testing :The Su-34 had a somewhat muddied and protracted beginning...
, and Sukhoi Su-35
Sukhoi Su-35
The Sukhoi Su-35 is a single-seat, twin-engined supermaneuverability multirole fighter. It is a derivative of the Su-27 'Flanker', and was initially known as the Su-27M. More than a dozen of these were built with some used by the Russian Knights aerobatic demonstration team...
for operators of Su-27 derivatives.
Notable accidents
- 9 September 1990: a Soviet Su-27 crashed at the SalgaredaSalgaredaSalgareda is a comune in the Province of Treviso in the Italian region Veneto, located about 30 km northeast of Venice and about 20 km east of Treviso...
airshow in 1990 due to pulling a loop at too low an altitude. The pilot, Rimas A.A. Stankevičius and a spectator were killed. - December 1998: An Ethiopian Su-27 crashed during a night-flying exercise, killing a pilot.
- 6 January 1999: An Ethiopian Air ForceEthiopian Air ForceThe Ethiopian Air Force is the air arm of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces and is tasked with protecting the air space, providing support to the ground forces as well as assisting during national emergencies.- Early years :...
Su-27, piloted by a Russian pilot, crashed during test flights. The pilot ejected safely.
- 27 July 2002: A UkrainianUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
Su-27 crashed while performing an aerobatics presentation. It crashed into the crowd and an Il-76 on static display, killing 85 spectators. Both pilots ejected and suffered only minor injuries. - 15 September 2005: A Russian Air Force Su-27P crashed in Lithuania after it strayed out of its air corridor while it was flying from St Petersburg to Russia's Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad due to a mechanical failure. The Su-27 was armed with at least 4 air-to-air missiles. The pilot ejected and was taken in Lithuanian custody. The incident led to an international debate between Lithuania, Russia and NATO.
- 29 July 2008: crashed on a training flight in PrimoryePrimorsky KraiPrimorsky Krai , informally known as Primorye , is a federal subject of Russia . Primorsky means "maritime" in Russian, hence the region is sometimes referred to as Maritime Province or Maritime Territory. Its administrative center is in the city of Vladivostok...
Territory, Russia. 1 pilot was killed but the other survived.
- 16 August 2009: While practising for an airshow, two Su-27s of the Russian KnightsRussian KnightsThe Russian Knights is an aerobatic demonstration team of the Russian Air Force. Originally formed on April 5, 1991 at the Kubinka Air Base as a team of six Sukhoi Su-27s, the team was the first to perform outside the Soviet Union in September 1991 when they toured the United Kingdom...
collided in mid-air during a test flight 5 km from Zhukovsky Airfield, south-east of Moscow, killing the Knights' leader, Igor TkachenkoIgor TkachenkoIgor Valentinovitch Tkachenko was a Russian military pilot with the rank of Colonel, Russian Knights group leader, Kubinka Airbase Chief of the 237th Guards Aviation Showing Center of the Russian Air Force. He was killed in a mid-air collision whilst practicing for the 2009 MAKS Airshow.- Awards...
. One of the jets crashed into a house and started a fire. This resulted in injuries to five people on the ground. The pilots were training for the 2009 MAKS AirshowMAKS AirshowMAKS is an International Air Show held near Moscow, Russia on Zhukovskiy LII air field. The first show, Mosaeroshow-92, was held in 1992. Since 1993, it was renamed to its current name and is held on odd years .MAKS is an important event in Russian business...
. A probe into the crash has been launched; it is thought the accident may have been caused by a "flying skill error", according to the Russian Defense Ministry. - 30 August 2009: A Belarus Air Force Su-27UBM crashed at the 2009 Radom Air ShowRadom Air ShowThe Radom Air Show is a biannual celebration in the city of Radom, Poland, which began in 2000...
in Poland. The Su-27 crashed after exiting a loop, possibly due to an engine failure from a bird strike. Both pilots died after opting to stay with the aircraft to steer it away from spectators.
- 6 April 2011: A Russian Air Force Su-27SM crashed during a training drill near the city of Vladivostok in Russia's Far East. The pilot ejected unhurt.
Specifications (Su-27S)
Su-27S armament
- 30 mm GSH-30 Cannon, 150 rounds
- 6 × Medium-Range R-27R, R-27ER, R-27T, R-27ET
- 4 × Short-Range R-73EVympel R-73The Vympel R-73 developed by Vympel machine-building design bureau, is the most modern Russian short-range air-to-air missile.-Development:...
- FAB-250
- FAB-500
- RBK-250
- RBK-500
- B-8
- B-13
- S-24
- S-25S-25 rocketThe S-25 is a Russian air-to-ground rocket launched from aircraft. It is launched from the O-25 pod which can hold one rocket.-Variants:*S-25*S-25-O with radio proximity fuze*S-25-OFM for use against hardened targets*S-25L laser guided variant...
Su-27SM armament
- 6 x Vympel R-77Vympel R-77The Russian R-77 Missile is a medium range, air-to-air, active radar-guided missile system. It is the Russian counterpart to the American AIM-120 AMRAAM missile, thus gaining a nickname: Amraamski....
advanced medium-range missile - 4 x KAB-500br and KAB-500L Guided Bombs
- 4 x Kh-29 Kedge
- 4 x Kh-31 Krypton
- 10 x Kh-35
Popular culture
The Su-27 is in a starring role in the SSI flight simulator game "Su-27 Flanker" and sequel "Lock On: Modern Air CombatLock On: Modern Air Combat
Lock On: Modern Air Combat or LOMAC, known in Russia as Lock On, is a modern combat flight simulation developed by Eagle Dynamics and published by Ubisoft in Europe and 1C Company in Russia; it is considered as a survey simulator by its creators. It contains 8 flyable aircraft and over 40...
".