The Su-26 Flanker served as the backbone of the Russian Air Force well into the early 2000s.
Out of all the Soviet-era military equipment Russian Forces use today, the Su-27 fighter is arguably the most significant. The twin-engine, supersonic, supermaneuverable jet designed by Sukhoi during the Cold War was the embodiment of Soviet aerial power for years. In fact, many later aircraft developed by the USSR and Russia were derived at least in part from the Su-27. The age-old jet is currently being flown by both Moscow and Kyiv in their ongoing war, demonstrating the platform’s retained relevance in the modern threat climate.
The Origin Story of the Su-27
When the Soviets first received word of the U.S. Air Force’s F-X program in the late 1960s, the race to produce a near-peer fighter erupted. Since the F-15 Eagle would represent a great technological and capability leap over existing Soviet fighters once introduced to service, Soviet engineers got to work to develop a “better balanced fighter” that could retain an edge. The Su-27 officially reached operational capacity in the mid-1980s and debuted in the West at the 1989 Paris Air Show. Designated by NATO as the “Flanker,” the jet was initially fielded as the “T-10” in its conception phase. Sukhoi went up against Mikoyan and Yakolev to secure the contract to develop the aircraft and eventually beat out its competition.
Specs and Capabilities
Even though the collapse of the USSR would bring about the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, the Flanker would continue serving as the backbone of the Russian Air Force well into the early 2000s. Equipped with a 30mm GSh-310 gun with 150 rounds of ammunition and a host of missiles, rockets, and bombs, this front-line fighter is armed to the teeth. According to Airforce Technology, the Flanker can carry an array of air-to-air missiles, including the AA-10A, medium-range missiles like the R-27TI, and close-combat air-to-air missiles with infrared homing: “Ordnance for air-to-ground missions includes 100kg, 250kg and 500kg freefall and retarded aerial bombs; 500kg incendiary devices; 25kg and 500kg RBK cluster bombs; and C-8, C-13 and C-25 unguided aerial missiles.”
A pair of Saturn AL-31F turbofan engines power the fighter, each producing over 27,500 pounds of thrust with afterburners. These engines give the Russian jet a top speed exceeding Mach 2.35 (times the speed of sound) and a combat radius of 930 miles. The Su-27 also sports advanced avionics. Its fly-by-wire control system, sophisticated for its time, enhances the fighter’s agility. Over the years, several new Flanker variants were fielded, including the specially-modified Su-27K naval type.
Following the collapse of the USSR, the Soviet’s Flanker fleet was dispersed among multiple new states, with the majority split between Russia and Ukraine. Both Kyiv and Moscow have been utilizing their respective Su-27 fleets amid the ongoing invasion. While the Ukrainian Air Force’s Flanker variants have fewer advantages than their Russian counterparts, the fighters still provide reliable capabilities.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: Konwicki Marcin / Shutterstock.com
