General

Developer: The P. Suhoi Design Bureau

SU-25K (commercial models (a) and (b)) has been produced by the Plant commercially since 1984. Over 210 aircrafts have been built up to present.

SU-25K (model a) was exported to the countries to Warsaw Agreement and Su-25K (model b) was exported to the developing countries. At present, it is included in the armaments of Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Macedonia, North Korea, Angola, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Georgia, Congo, Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, Gambia and other countries.

Designation

Designation of the army fighter is to render direct support of infantry and to destroy small-size moving and immovable targets on the battlefield at night and by day, in terms of visual vision.

Typical enemies of the aircraft are as follows:

·         Tactical missiles and artillery at firing positions, at marches and in the areas of concentration

·         Tanks and motorized infantry in fighting or pre-fighting or marching state, at the points of support and in the areas of concentration

·         Management elements of infantry, army tactical aviation

·         Army aviation helicopters (airplanes) on squares and in the air

·         Fire sections and anti-aircraft means.

Tactical-technical characteristics

Briefly about the aircraft

The aircraft is a subsonic monoplane with low height and for 1-person crew. Its active service has been increased and its maneuvering specifications are favorable at low speeds.

The aircraft may be exploited from concreted runaway and ground airfields, as well as from the airfields located in high mountains (at 3000 m above sea level).

The cockpit is armored and is equipped with conditioning and ventilation systems. The cockpit is equipped with an oxygen caddy for the pilot and an ejection seat.

The radio equipment of the aircraft provides a pilot’s communication to the overhead objects and aircrafts in every range of operational height and radius of the aircraft and transfer of the identification signals. The aircraft is equipped with short range and long range radio navigation systems allowing flying and landing at any time during the day and night, both in favorable and unfavorable meteorological conditions.

The sight system of the aircraft enables to destroy the target in terms of visual vision.

The weapon control system may be used to prepare and select the weapon and the mode of its application, as well as to control explosives and other elements of the aviation weapon in terms of different loads of the aircraft.

A filming equipment and photo-control device installed on the aircraft serve the purpose of controlling the results of gun firing and missile launch.

The aircraft safety system includes the apparatus identifying the functioning radar stations, automatic machine identifying passive infrared defects and dipole scatterers.

The most important peculiarities of the aircraft are:

·         Higher life cycle than that of the aircrafts of front aviation at the expense of a complex of special means

·         Powerful missile, bombing and artillery armament

·         Little time necessary for preparation for a repeated flight, even in case the variant of armament is changed

·         Relative simplicity of piloting techniques

·         High exploitation produceability of the aircraft

·         Capability of carrying out independent military actions even from the ill-equipped airfield

·         High reliability of equipment, aggregates and systems

·         Favorable vision from the pilot’s cockpit.