By Guest Contributor
On March 24, during a routine training mission, a Russian Su-25 crashed in the Primorye Krai region of Russia. The pilot ejected safely and was rescued, but the incident adds to a growing list of Su-25 crashes in recent years.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said that the aircraft went down in an uninhabited area near the North Korean border. Initial assessments suggest a technical malfunction was the likely cause, and a commission from the Russian Aerospace Forces has been dispatched to investigate.
The Su-25, a Soviet-era ground attack aircraft, remains a key asset in Russian military operations and is widely used for both combat and training missions.
It is a single-seat (some versions are twin-seat), twin-engine aircraft with a wingspan of 14.36 meters and a fuselage length of 15.33 meters. When fully armed, it has a maximum speed of 950 km/h and a combat radius of approximately 375 km. The aircraft is equipped with a GSh-30-2 30mm cannon and multiple hardpoints capable of carrying bombs, rockets, and air-to-ground missiles. These features make it a versatile and lethal platform for close air support missions.
However, Russia has lost over two dozen Su-25s in the ongoing war. According to the Dutch open-source intelligence blog Oryx, 113 Russian aircraft have been confirmed as destroyed or damaged since the conflict began in February 2022, including 31 Su-25s.
The EurAsian Times has not been able to independently verify the figures and has emailed the Russian Defense Ministry for comments.
Despite these losses, the Su-25 remains a critical component of air operations for both Russia and Ukraine. Russia primarily deploys upgraded Su-25SM and Su-25SM3 variants, which feature improved avionics and electronic warfare systems.
Ukraine, on the other hand, operates older Su-25 models, some of which have been modified with Western-supplied weaponry. Despite its age, the aircraft continues to see extensive use, proving its reliability even in high-intensity warfare. However, as air defense systems have become more advanced, the Su-25’s durability is being tested like never before.
Comparison With Modern Attack Aircraft
The Su-25 is often compared to the American A-10 Warthog, its closest Western equivalent. The A-10 is heavily armored, carries a massive 30mm GAU-8 cannon, and was specifically designed for tank-busting missions.
However, the Su-25 is simpler, cheaper, and easier to maintain. The A-10’s ability to loiter over battlefields for extended periods gives it an advantage in close air support, but the Su-25’s rugged, low-maintenance design allows it to be deployed rapidly in high-intensity conflicts.
As Reuben Johnson, a defense analyst and contributor to 19FortyFive, stated in his piece: The Su-25 is like the old Timex watch advert stating, ‘It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.’ The simplicity of its design ensures ease of maintenance and high availability rates, making it a reliable workhorse even in prolonged, high-intensity conflicts.
Other aircraft that serve in similar roles include Brazil’s Embraer A-29 Super Tucano, China’s Hongdu JL-9, and the now-retired Fairchild A-7 Corsair II of the USAF. While these aircraft have their own strengths, few match the Su-25’s battlefield toughness.
The Super Tucano, for instance, is an effective counterinsurgency aircraft but lacks the heavy armor needed for large-scale warfare. The JL-9, primarily a trainer with limited attack capabilities, does not offer the same level of survivability.
Built For War
From the outset, the Su-25 was designed to survive. NATO designated it the “Frogfoot,” but in Russia, it became known as the “Flying Tank.”
Its cockpit is encased in a titanium “bathtub,” shielding the pilot from machine gun fire, shrapnel, and missile fragments. The Soviet Union had perfected aircraft-grade titanium manufacturing, ensuring the armor provided maximum protection without compromising flight performance.
The aircraft’s engines are mounted separately from the main fuselage, with an asbestos firewall between them. This design significantly increases survivability—if one engine is destroyed, the other can still function, allowing the pilot to return to base. The engine intakes were also positioned to reduce the risk of ingesting debris, further improving battlefield durability.
To minimize fire risks, the Su-25 is equipped with self-sealing, foam-filled fuel tanks. Even when hit, these tanks prevent fuel leaks and explosions, a crucial advantage in low-altitude combat missions where aircraft are exposed to anti-aircraft fire.
Unlike modern multirole fighters, which prioritize speed and maneuverability, the Su-25 was built with battlefield endurance in mind. Many pilots have returned to base with their aircraft severely damaged, having survived hits from MANPADS (Man-Portable Air Defense Systems), anti-aircraft artillery, and even direct missile strikes.
The Su-25’s construction also makes it highly repairable. Unlike modern jets that require specialized maintenance facilities, the Su-25 can be patched up quickly, even on makeshift airstrips close to the front lines. This ability to endure and return to battle has made it invaluable in prolonged conflicts where rapid turnaround times are essential.
Combat-Proven Toughness
The aircraft’s combat history speaks for itself. In Afghanistan during the 1980s, Soviet Su-25 pilots flew multiple sorties per day, often in extreme conditions.
They targeted Mujahideen positions in mountainous terrain, frequently encountering enemy fire. The aircraft proved its resilience by surviving hits from small arms and even early versions of the Stinger missiles supplied by the United States.
In Chechnya during the 1990s, Russian pilots reported returning with bullet-ridden aircraft that remained operational.
The Su-25 was also heavily used in the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, with both sides deploying the aircraft. This led to the rare scenario of Su-25s engaging one another in combat. The Su-25 has played a key role in Syria, where Russian forces have relied on it for ground attack missions.
However, the war in Ukraine has been far more punishing. Since 2022, over 30 Su-25s have been lost, primarily to shoulder-fired missiles and advanced surface-to-air missiles.
Evolution From The Past
The Su-25’s lineage can be traced back to World War II’s Ilyushin Il-2, an aircraft that became a symbol of Soviet air power. Designed by Sergei Ilyushin, the Il-2 was built to withstand damage and deliver devastating attacks on enemy ground forces.
It carried powerful cannons and an array of bombs, including PTAB-2.5 anti-tank munitions that could destroy entire formations of enemy vehicles. Soviet pilots nicknamed it “the hunchback,” while German forces called it “Black Death.” Its ability to take hits and keep flying made it one of the most feared aircraft of the war.
The development of the Su-25 began in the late 1960s when the Soviet Union recognized the need for a dedicated close-air support aircraft to assist ground forces in battle.
Unlike high-speed multirole fighters, this aircraft needed to be heavily armored, highly survivable, and capable of operating from makeshift runways near the frontlines. The task was assigned to the Sukhoi Design Bureau, which had extensive experience in military aircraft development.
By 1968, Sukhoi had begun design studies, which culminated in the creation of the T-8-0 testbed. The first working prototype, designated T-8-1, took its maiden flight on February 22, 1975.
Two Tumansky RD-9B turbojet engines initially powered it, though refinements were made as testing progressed. The T-8-2 was the second prototype, and the T-8-2D incorporated several improvements that would shape the final Su-25 production model. A third prototype, the T-8-3, was also built for further development.
In 1978, production of the Su-25 began at Factory 31 in Tbilisi, Georgia, then part of the Soviet Union. The aircraft was officially introduced into the Soviet Air Force in 1981, marking the beginning of its operational service. It was designed to endure harsh battlefield conditions, with its reinforced airframe, armored cockpit, and redundant systems allowing it to sustain damage and continue flying.
It soon became a key component of Soviet military doctrine, providing close air support in high-intensity combat scenarios. The Su-25’s rugged design and ability to carry a wide array of munitions made it an essential asset for the Soviet Air Force, solidifying its place in military aviation history.
The Future Of Su-25
While the Su-25’s rugged design has kept it relevant, modern warfare is continuously evolving. Advanced air defense systems such as Patriot, NASAMS, and IRIS-T have made low-flying attack aircraft more vulnerable than ever. Unlike stealth aircraft that rely on evasion, the Su-25 depends on its armor to survive, making it an easy target for precision-guided missiles.
Unmanned aerial vehicles, such as the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 and Russian Orion, can loiter over battlefields for extended periods, providing real-time intelligence and precision strikes without risking pilots.
Drones can also carry out missions that would be too dangerous for manned aircraft, such as deep strikes into heavily defended territory. As a result, the role of traditional attack aircraft like the Su-25 is shrinking, with drones increasingly assuming their battlefield responsibilities
Despite these vulnerabilities, the Su-25 continues to serve because of its battlefield resilience, cost-effectiveness, and ease of deployment. However, the question remains: how much longer can it survive on modern battlefields where technology is advancing at a breakneck pace?
- By Guest Contributor
- Mail us at: editor (at) eurasiantimes.com
