upgrade
New life for the Sukhoi Su-25 – Putin’s attack aircraft is being refitted for deadly glide bombs
Russian SU-25 in Syria.
© Vadim Savitsky/ / Picture Alliance
The SU-25 – Frogfoot – was once indestructible, but modern manpads are taking their toll on the ground attack aircraft. Now the latest version is to be updated further. After that, the SU-25 will launch heavy glide bombs from long range, leveling entire blocks of flats.
The Sukhoi Su-25 is used by both sides in the Ukraine war. In Russia it was announced that the robust attack aircraft would be upgraded for smart weapons. The same is happening in Kiev, other successor states of the USSR that use the machine are also adapting it for modern precision weapons.
Developed during the Cold War
The SU-25 bears the NATO name Frogfoot, Frogfoot. It was built during the Cold War as a pure attack aircraft. Other names of the genus are front-line bombers or ground attack aircraft. These machines are designed to attack enemy ground forces directly and on sight. The jet is heavily armored and built to withstand severe damage. Ground attack aircraft have always been armored since the Soviet Ilyushin IL-2 “Sturmovik” (More Deadly than the German Stuka – the Ilyushin IL-2 “Sturmovik”) attack aircraft of World War II. At that time, an innovation was introduced at the Sturmovik. The crew sat in a bathtub made of armored steel. In the 1970s, the idea of a heavy ground attack aircraft was rediscovered by the Americans and Russians. These machines were designed to attack the enemy’s armored spearheads from low altitude. In addition, they had an armament of bombs and rockets, but above all a powerful on-board cannon.
The US counterpart of the SU-25 is the Fairchild-Republic A-10, dubbed the Warthog, Warthog (Warthog – Fairchild-Republic A-10 – the most powerful aircraft in the world). Although designed for similar purposes, both machines differ significantly. The most striking thing is the arrangement of the engines. The A-10’s turbines are mounted above the wings, the wings are designed to protect them from ground fire. The SU-25, however, are conventionally integrated as a pair of twins in the fuselage. Also, since the A-10’s engines are widely spaced, it is easier to extinguish a fire and prevent a fire from spreading to the second engine. The smaller SU-25 is faster and has a longer range.
Too close to the enemy
The pilots sit in a titanium tub, many control systems are duplicated to continue working under fire. The main armament of the SU-25 is a twin 30mm automatic cannon, each with 250 rounds of ammunition. A deadly weapon, though not quite as formidable as the Warthog’s GAU-8/A Avenger 30mm Gatling autocannon. In addition to the cannon, the SU-25 can carry a variety of bombs and missiles at the outstations. In total, she can carry six tons of weapons.
The whole concept of these machines is now obsolete. During the Cold War, these machines were designed to attack and fire directly at enemy troops. In the age of man-portable missile defenses, the scenario has changed. In order to be able to attack infantry with an onboard cannon, an attack aircraft gets deep into the range of the manpads (manpads – the dangerous small missiles that can decide entire wars). A hit in one of the engines is likely despite electronic defense and the use of decoys. The Russians have placed a lot of hopes in a digital targeting system that would allow even stupid unguided bombs to hit their target precisely. This has not proven itself under front-line conditions, if the weapon is used from a greater distance, the accuracy suffers enormously.
The once powerful main weapon, the cannon, is now largely useless. The deputy director general of the state-owned company Rostec Vladimir Artyakov said that the attack aircraft in Ukraine had once again proven its effectiveness on the battlefield. “It is important that the effectiveness of the latest modification of the Su-25SM3 has been significantly improved, the aircraft can, among other things, use high-precision weapons. We will continue to improve this machine, taking into account the experience gained in the field.” The Su-25SM3 can already launch guided missiles like the KAB-500. It can be assumed that the machine will now be modified for the use of very heavy glide bombs.
Old bombs made smart
Russia has been using converted old bombs for several months. Supplied with a kit of gliders and controls, these bombs can be released from the jet, out of range of Kiev air defenses, and hit their targets from long range. Just a few days ago, such a bomb hit a high-rise building used by the Ukrainians in Bakhmut, the explosion cut the building in half. The destructive effect of these bombs is much greater than that of artillery. In addition, the conversion kit is very cheap. So far, only old SU-25s have been refurbished. The production of new models is now to be started in Belarus. A novelty, because no combat aircraft have been manufactured in Belarus to date. Originally, the SU-25 was assembled in Georgia.
Also read:
Warthog – Fairchild-Republic A-10 – the most powerful aircraft in the world
Manpads – the dangerous small missiles that can decide entire wars
Deadlier than the German Stuka – the Ilyushin IL-2 “Sturmovik”