Russia’s Su-27: A Success Story in the Cold War But Not Over Ukraine – Russia’s Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker fighter was designed to be superior to American F-15 Eagles and F-14 Tomcats.
The Flanker jet was considered a technological marvel toward the end of the Cold War 40 years ago. The Su-27 was large for a fighter but surprisingly maneuverable. It could carry an enviable amount of weapons and enjoyed a reputation of high capability for the cost.
However, the Su-27 has endured a mixed record in Ukraine. Russia has never really achieved air superiority in the skies against Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s air force. The Su-27 was supposed to be a workhorse versus Ukrainian war birds and dominate what were believed to be enemy pilots with less training, experience, and ability.
History of the Su-27
The Su-27 was introduced to the Russian Air Force in 1985, but the original work on the fighter began in 1969. By the mid-1970s the fighter began to take shape and Russian designers and engineers thought they would have a hit to overawe the Americans during the Cold War. First flight was in 1977. The United States was developing the F-15 and the F-14 during the 1970s and the Su-27 slowly came to fruition to challenge those fighters.
Powerful Engines Pushed Out Commendable Speed
The fourth-generation Su-27 gained a reputation for reliability and power. It had twin turbofan engines and two vertical stabilizers. It could fly a speedy MACH 2.35, which was considered a feat of engineering for that era. This long-range interceptor had a surprising ceiling of 59,000 feet and a range of 1,800 miles.
Heavily-armed for Multiple Roles
The armaments consisted of high-powered air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles plus conventional dumb bombs and cluster bombs with a 30mm gun for close-in dogfights. But the Su-27 could remain far from targets too and fire stand-off missiles out of the range of enemy munitions.
Leading-edge Design Made for Greater Range and Avionics
The larger size of the Su-27 enabled space for bigger fuel tanks for better range. This spaciousness revealed the most modern and sophisticated avionics system at the time. Aviastar.org further described the Su-27’s design. “The leading-edge extension was supposed to ensure required high-lift characteristics during the aerodynamic focus shifting at supersonic speeds and generate vortice increasing wing, tail unit, and control surface efficiency.”
The Su-27’s navigation system allowed the fighter to reach ground targets quickly and efficiently. This gave the fighter a close air support role in addition to its prowess at dog fighting and stand-off missile launches at long-range targets.
Was It Better Than F-14 and F-15?
The Flanker’s sensors and communication system were seen as superior to the F-15 and F-14. Fire control systems were also believed to be better than those American fighters. The Su-27’s high speed also gave it an interceptor role which was important during the Cold War as both the Americans and the Soviets patrolled in each other’s Air Defense Identification Zones.
One-Quarter of the Fleet
By the late 1980s, the Su-27 comprised 25 percent of the entire Soviet air force fleet. Its high-performance characteristics made pilots confident in close-in combat and allowed them to eliminate targets on the ground.
The Su-27 is an exciting airplane. The Soviet engineers took their time in its development and did not cut any corners. It is a prominent air superiority fighter with great speed and agility. Pilots had a modern cockpit for the era and could use its speed to challenge the F-15 and F-14. The twin engines were powerful enough to generate the thrust for excellent maneuvers that would have been necessary in combat. If one engine went out during a flight, the other had ample thrust and survivability to make it home safely.
Su-27 Flanker: What Is the Verdict?
The Su-27 should be seen as a successful Cold War fighter. It is a testament to Soviet designers and engineers who were always trying to innovate to keep up with American advances in fighter development.
It proved to be a long-lasting airframe that is still being flown by the Ukrainian Air Force. The Su-27 inspired further fighter development, such as various MiG models that eclipsed the performance of the Flanker, so it gave way to a new generation of designers to move past the Cold War and show that the Russian air force was still a factor that American engineers had to contend with.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
