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| SU-24 (aircraft) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Su-24 |
| Caption | Su-24M of the Russian Aerospace Forces |
| Type | Tactical bomber/attack aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Sukhoi OKB |
| First flight | 1967 |
| Introduced | 1974 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary user | Russian Aerospace Forces |
| Developed from | Su-17 |
| Number built | ~1,400 |
SU-24 (aircraft) The Su-24 is a twin-engine, all-weather, supersonic, variable-sweep wing tactical bomber developed by Soviet Union era design teams at Sukhoi under the direction of Pavel Osipovich Sukhoi. Designed to perform low-level penetration strikes with terrain-following capability, the Su-24 entered service in the mid-1970s and has served with the Soviet Air Forces, Russian Aerospace Forces, and export customers including Syrian Arab Air Force, Iraqi Air Force, and Algerian Air Force. The type influenced later strike designs and participated in conflicts from the Soviet–Afghan War to post-Soviet regional wars.
Development began in the 1960s as a response to NATO air defense advances and requirements set by the Ministry of Aviation Industry (Soviet Union). Sukhoi's OKB produced a prototype to compete with contemporaries such as designs from Tupolev and Ilyushin for a supersonic, low-altitude interdiction platform. The program incorporated lessons from the Vietnam War and strategic analyses by the General Staff of the Soviet Armed Forces, emphasizing terrain-following radar, integrated navigation systems, and a two-seat side-by-side cockpit to enhance crew coordination. Flight testing from 1967 to 1974 refined the variable-sweep wing mechanism, powered by engines derived from developments at Lyulka and Saturn design bureaux, before induction into the Soviet Air Forces.
Airframe: The Su-24 features a variable-geometry wing, robust landing gear for unprepared runways, and extensive fuel capacity augmented by internal tanks and external pylons. Powerplant: Twin turbojet engines with afterburners provide high subsonic and transonic dash capability; later models used upgraded turbofans from NPO Saturn. Avionics: The aircraft integrates a terrain-following radar developed by specialists at Tikhomirov NIIP, an attack navigation system linked to inertial navigation produced by Zvezda and radio navigation aids interoperable with GLONASS in modern upgrades. Cockpit and crew: A pilot and a weapons systems officer sit in tandem with ejection seats from Zvezda for improved survivability. Weapons and payload: The internal and underwing stores include unguided bombs, cluster munitions, anti-radiation missiles tied to Raduga design bureau developments, air-to-surface guided missiles from Tactical Missile Corporation (Russia), and precision-guided munitions when integrated with targeting pods.
The Su-24 rapidly became a frontline strike asset for the Soviet Air Forces during the late Cold War, deploying to Warsaw Pact allies and Soviet fronts across Europe and Asia. It saw combat deployment during the Soviet–Afghan War where it conducted interdiction and close air support missions under harsh environmental conditions. Post-1991, successor states including Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus retained fleets; Russia conducted operations in Chechnya, Georgia in 2008, and Ukraine in 2014-era operations. Export operators employed the type in regional conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa, adapting doctrine developed by Soviet Air Doctrine and later Russian tactical aviation concepts.
Major production variants included initial attack versions and the Su-24M with upgraded navigation and weapons systems. Reconnaissance and electronic warfare derivatives were developed by integrating sensor suites from OKB Vega and KRET. Modernization programs by Russian Aerospace Forces contractors produced Su-24M2 and Su-24MR upgrades with digital avionics, data-links, and compatibility with modern guided munitions provided by companies such as Tactical Missile Corporation (Russia) and GosNIIAS. Export customers received tailored avionics and weapons packages from state export agencies like Rosoboronexport.
Primary current operator: Russian Aerospace Forces. Former and export operators include Soviet Air Forces, Ukrainian Air Force, Belarusian Air Force, Syrian Arab Air Force, Iraqi Air Force, Libyan Air Force, Algerian Air Force, Kazakhstan Air Defense Forces, Azerbaijan Air Force, and Ethiopian Air Force. Training, maintenance, and logistics support have involved institutions such as the Gagarin Air Force Academy and industrial plants in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Novosibirsk.
Su-24s conducted combat sorties in Afghanistan, during the Iran–Iraq War when supplied to Baghdad-era forces, and in intrastate conflicts in the Caucasus and post-Soviet theaters. During the Syrian Civil War, Su-24s were used by Syrian Arab Air Force and supported by Russian Aerospace Forces for strike missions. Notable incidents include shoot-downs and losses from surface-to-air missile engagements by units associated with Afghan mujahideen supported by Central Intelligence Agency era assistance, losses to MANPADS and integrated air defenses linked to S-300 and SA-6 Gainful type engagements, and the internationally noted 2015 shoot-down of a Su-24 by a Turkish Air Force F-16 near the Turkey–Syria border, prompting diplomatic crises involving NATO and Russia–Turkey relations.
Survivability features include reinforced airframe sections, redundant systems, and ejection seats from Zvezda. Defensive countermeasures evolved from flares and chaff dispensers to onboard electronic countermeasure suites produced by KRET and avionics hardening against radar-guided threats. Integration of helmet-mounted displays and radar warning receivers from suppliers in Moscow and Saint Petersburg improved pilot situational awareness. Tactical employment shifted toward standoff delivery of precision weapons and cooperative suppression of enemy air defenses using anti-radiation missiles and support from platforms such as Su-34 and Su-35 in combined-arms strike packages.
Category:Variable-sweep-wing aircraft Category:Sukhoi aircraft