The Su-24 charcoal a able long-range, low-level bang advance aircraft with absolute all-weather attention advance capability. With its capricious geometry beat addition and side-by-side cockpit, the Su-24 is accordingly compared with the US General Dynamics F-111. The aircraft was never advised or acclimated as a cardinal bomber, however, a actuality blocked by such comparisons. The Su-24 is added broadly agnate to the Anglo-German-Italian Tornado.
The Fencer was advised to alter the Yak-28 in the all-weather low-lever appropriate bang and advance roles. It was advised to backpack free-fall TN-1000 and TN-1200 nuclear bombs, and a array of accustomed free-fall bombs, rockets and guided air-to-surface missiles to advance anchored and adaptable targets with define accuracy. While optimized as a supersonic adviser the aircraft was additionally advised to accept a accessory accurate assay role, and to alter the Brewer in the cyberbanking warfare role.
The architecture of what became the Sukhoi Su-24 began in the aboriginal 1960s. Sukhoi, however, alone its antecedent architecture (an enlarged, twin-engined aircraft based about on the Su-7 configuration, but with a bike cockpit) in favour of the admixture Delta T6. This featured fuselage-mounted lift jets for added STOL performance. The lift jets were abundant and bulky, however, and the T6 was redesigned six months later.
The consistent T-6-21G ancestor had no lift jets (leaving added amplitude for ammunition and weapons) but did affection a VG beat wing. This was added to advance abandonment and landing performance. The aircraft fabricated its beginning flight during May 1970 and was ordered into assembly as the Su-24 in astern 1970.
The assembly Su-24 entered frontline account in 1973. The Su-24 was deployed with the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany in 1979, and in Poland. From 1984 the Su-24 saw alive account in Afghanistan.
The aboriginal Su-24 underwent slight changes in agreement during production, and this led NATO's ASCC to accredit three advertisement names (Fencer-A through to -C). The aircraft was fast and abiding at low level, and could backpack an absorbing warload (though alone at the amount of range) but its avionics were astern and unreliable. The aircraft was appropriately never as able as Western advance aircraft.
The bigger Su-24M Fencer-D was a abundant more good aircraft, and entered account in 1986. The Su-24M alien upgraded avionics, with abstracted Orion-A advanced advance and Relief Terrain Following Radars. It additionally had a Kaira 24 laser and TV analysis arrangement which gave PGM compatibility. The Fencer-D had a retractable refuelling delving aloft the nose, and could backpack a associate refuelling abundance on the center-line. At atomic 670 Su-24s accept absolutely been built. The all-embracing absolute is apparently amid 900 - 1 200. Fencer-Bs, -Cs, -Ds and -Es abide in wide-spread advanced band use in Russia, and assorted above Soviet states. Downgraded, non-nuclear able consign Su-24MKs accept been delivered to Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Libya and Syria.
A proposed backup for the ageing Su-24s is a fresh Su-34 all-embracing interdictor, which is a acquired of the Su-27 air ahead fighter. It has been accustomed to account with the Russian air force, about due to allotment restrictions alone few of these fresh aircraft are operational.
Technical Specifications:
Origin: Russia
Type: bang and advance aircraft
Max Speed: 1,250 kt / 1,439 mph
Max Range: 1,050 km / 650 miles
Dimensions: amount 17.63 m / 57 ft 10 in breadth 24.53 m / 80 ft 5.75 in acme 4.97 m / 16 ft 3.75 in
Weight: abandoned 19,000 kg / 41,888 lb max. abandonment 39,700 kg / 87,520 lb
Powerplant: two 11250-kg (24,802-lb) afterburning advance Lyul'ka AL-21 F-3A turbojets
Armament: one 23-mm GSh-23-6 six-barrel cannon; accouterment for 8000 kg (17,635 Ib) of disposable stores, including nuclear weapons, AAMs, ASMs, guided bombs, bombs, array bombs, dispenser weapons, large-calibre rockets, rocket-launcher pods, bead tanks and ECM pods, agitated on nine alien hardpoints
Operators: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Iran, Kazakhstan, Libya, Russia, Syria, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
