The Russian attack planes in Syria

In Afghanistan Su-25 showed phenomenal survivability.

The flying tank

At the first stage of any operation on suppression of the concentrated strengths of the opponent the main loading lays down on bombing aircraft. It is represented in Syria by the front Su-24M bombers and strike fighters of Su-34. Attack planes of Su-25CM help them with it. However it not their direct profile. Though they also are capable to use the same high-precision weapon, as bombers in airstrikes, but take it aboard less – 4400 kgs against 8000 kgs from Su-24M and Su-34. Besides and fighting radius at them it is essential less. They are capable to work not further than for 320 kilometers from airfield at low flight, at high flight this size increases to 600 kilometers. Even more range increases in a case of use of pendant fuel tanks. But the sense is thus lost to send attack planes to solve bombing problems as useful bombing loading is reduced.

After carrying out powerful shock air operation when the most part of infrastructure of the opponent will be destroyed, there should come a phase of overland offensive operation in which the Syrian army will take part. And here at 12 Russian attack planes of Su-25CM work on a profile will begin. They should support ground forces, working at low heights, suppressing weapon emplacements, armored machinery and a manpower congestion.

Considering "biography" Su-25, can seem that its updating of CM recalled to Syria, is very elderly. Su-25, called "Rook", made the first flight in 1975, and 6 years later it was taken advantage. However at the same flight characteristics Su-25CM is already other plane relating not to the third generation, and to generation 4 +. He made the first flight in 1999, and is taken advantage in 2006.

The new attack plane differs from "ancestor" that on it the new avionics is established. It essentially improves accuracy of use of arms, navigation and flight qualities, security from anti-aircraft weapons of the opponent and survivability.

Though at "pure" Su-25 survivability absolutely phenomenal. It for an attack plane working at small heights on subsonic speeds and that is called over a battlefield, the extremely important indicator. Designers of Sukhoi Design Bureau managed to make the plane which compare to the flying tank.

For essential increase of survivability of the car a number of receptions was used. The cabin of the pilot is armor the sheets of the titan connected on welded technologies. Also in a cabin bulletproof glass is applied. Thanks to it the pilot was guaranteed protected at hit in a cabin of a 20-millimetric shell. All main units of the plane are also protected by the reservation. The increased survivability was reached also at the expense of duplication of knots, units, pipelines and the power supply network.

Su-25 began the fighting biography on the Afghan war where became the main striking power of the Soviet Air Force. At the expense of high efficiency of their bombing attacks, these cars were supplied with high-precision arms first of all. The others – by a residual principle.

They had a phenomenal survivability. Any attack plane was not lost because of death of the pilot or from explosion of a fuel tank. 90 damages were the share of each brought-down attack plane on the average. Cases when Su-25 came back to base with 150 holes are known. Such indicators last century was not at other Soviet and foreign planes of destructive and attack aircraft.

In July, 1987 the attack plane came to base with an one-and-a-half-meter hole in a board at which the rocket carried the right engine, a flame whipping from a motor-compartment burned a fire-prevention partition, the electrofittings and энергоузлы completely burned out, and for 95 % fused drafts of management of an elevator.

On Su-25 of lieutenant P. Golubtsov the rocket half tore off a tail, onboard worked nothing except engines. Brakes did not operate also, and after landing the plane was rolled out of a strip on a minefield, where the pilot had to wait sappers to get out of the damaged car. By the plane of lieutenant Burakov the rocket demolished at the roots almost all Kiel, it landed «on элеронах». At other plane explosion pulled out wing nearly a quarter.

The major A. of fishermen held on to airfield by the plane with the choked engine which has been filled in with kerosene from punched tanks, issechenny splinters a lamp, completely refused hydrosystem and not issued chassis. In a cabin any device did not work, and the pilot with the person filled in with blood conducted the plane blindly, on teams of the workmate. Having sat down on a belly, the pilot rushed aside from the plane, and having only convinced that explosion does not threaten the car, returned and switched off the engine.

New quality of the old plane

Su-25 is "skeleton" of Su-25CM on which increased new "meat". The matter is that aircraft factories do not let out this new updating of an attack plane from scratch. The base model undertakes and deep modernization is carried out it. But thus the power plant remains former – two TRD R-95Sh with draft on 4500 kgfs proved the high reliability and survivability. In new updating at old engines the working resource is raised.

On "skeleton" increase a new complex of the onboard equipment "Panther" from the high-efficiency onboard COMPUTER, the radar-tracking aim Spear complex, the aim and navigation Leopard complex, equipment of radio-electronic fight and counteraction. Thanks to new avionics fighting possibilities of the plane essentially raised. It is capable to work at any time under any weather conditions. The high-precision weapon uses various ways of prompting: inertial, from satellite signals, television, laser, radar-tracking, infra-red. Thanks to clever avionics it was possible to raise in two-three times accuracy of use of svobodnopadayushchy bombs and uncontrollable rockets.

Corrected bombs KAB-500 enter into a unit of fire of Su-25CM and KAB-1500, air-air guided missiles R-60, R-27, R-77 small and average range, air surface rocket H-25 and H-29 with range to 40 km and accuracy of hit of 2-4 m. Demolition, fragmental and armor-piercing air bombs and blocks of uncontrollable rockets belong to uncontrollable arms from S-5 (calibre of 55 mm) to S-25 (calibre of 340 mm).

Essentially possibilities of new system of safety of the plane which treat both intellectual means of radio-electronic fight, and the cartridge with shot thermal traps "grew up". But it is necessary to recognize that they unable to resist to PZRK "Stinger" available for terrorists which head of homing works at once in two ranges – infra-red and ultra-violet. Thermal traps to deceive them are not capable. All hope of skill of the pilot and phenomenal survivability of the attack plane recognized best in world.

In the 80th years designers already solved this problem, having created specially for Su-25 station of optiko-electronic suppression "Bulk carrier". But Su-25 did not pull it energetically – in "Bulk carrier" the powerful tsezivy lamp creating hindrances for GSN of "Stinger" and other rockets with IK-navedeniyem is used. There was an attempt to use station on a new attack plane of Su-25T. But it did not go to a series.

However at the end of the zero years of special design bureau "Zenith" and Sukhoi Design Bureau created new station of optiko-electronic suppression which assume to place on Su-25TM. In it the sapphire lamp is used, and the system was developed on the basis of heliport of optiko-electronic suppression of "Prezident S". In this connection it is not unreasonable to assume that on Su-25CM this station is established and passes tests in fighting conditions.

Thus it is necessary to consider that Su-25CM is not absolutely pure attack plane, and the multipurpose car. Now it use in Syria as a front bomber, and it works for terrorists inaccessible to air defense heights. It is capable to be and by support plane, being armed with air-air rockets.

LTH Su-25CM

Length of the plane – 15,05 m
Height – 4,80 m
Scope of a wing – 14,52 m

Mass of the empty – 9400 kg
The maximum take-off weight – 19 000 m

Draft of the engine – 2-4500 kgfs
The maximum speed at the earth – 975 km/h
The maximum speed at height – 990 km/h
Reracing range – 2000 km
Fighting radius of action at height – 650 km
Fighting radius of action at the earth – 320 km
Practical ceiling – 10 000 m

Crew – 1

Number of external suspension brackets – 10
Fighting loading – 4400 kg
Artillery arms – double-barreled down 30-mm.