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| Sukhoi Su-20 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sukhoi Su-20 |
| Type | Fighter-bomber / Ground-attack |
| Manufacturer | Sukhoi |
| First flight | 1972 (Su-17 family) |
| Introduced | 1978 |
| Retired | various |
| Primary user | Soviet Air Forces |
| Produced | 1970s–1980s |
| Numberbuilt | approx. 630 (Su-17/20/22 family) |
Sukhoi Su-20 The Sukhoi Su-20 is a variable-geometry wing, fighter-bomber derivative developed by the Soviet Air Forces era design bureau Sukhoi. The type served as a multi-role strike aircraft for Warsaw Pact and allied air arms during the Cold War, operating alongside types such as the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, Tupolev Tu-22, Ilyushin Il-76, and complementing platforms like the Mil Mi-24. The Su-20 participated in regional conflicts and export programs under the auspices of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR and associated foreign procurement agencies.
Development of the Su-20 stemmed from design work at Sukhoy bureau led by chief designers linked to projects like the earlier fixed-wing Sukhoi Su-7 and swing-wing experiments concurrent with the General Dynamics F-111 program's influence on variable-geometry trends. The design incorporated a Lyulka AL-21 family-derived engine arrangement comparable in era to powerplants used on the Mikoyan MiG-23 and Yakovlev Yak-38 research programs, and featured avionics integration influenced by Soviet standards set by organizations including Tikhomirov NIIP and Radiofizika. Structural changes from the single-role Su-17 prototypes included reinforced undercarriage and expanded avionics bays to accommodate navigation and targeting suites analogous to systems fielded on the Sukhoi Su-24 and improvements sought after interactions with Warsaw Pact tactical doctrine planners. Flight testing took place at facilities near Zhukovsky and Komsomolsk-on-Amur, with production tooling and assembly coordinated through Sukhoi's Novosibirsk plant and other industrial partners in the Ministry of Aviation Industry complex.
The Su-20 entered service with the Soviet Air Forces and was exported to client states such as Syria, Iraq, Libya, Czechoslovakia, and Poland where it operated within units alongside aircraft like the MiG-23, Su-22, and Su-24. In combat, Su-20s were employed during the Iran–Iraq War, Lebanese Civil War, Soviet–Afghan War adjunct operations, and regional skirmishes involving Israel and Egypt by allied operators; these deployments saw coordination with air defense systems including the S-75 Dvina and S-125 Neva/Pechora networks. Maintenance, logistics, and attrition challenges were managed through agreements with Soviet military advisors and organizations such as Aeroflot logistics subsidiaries and repair depots modeled after the Goskomvoenprom structure. Post-Cold War redistributions placed examples into storage, sale, or civilian display, influenced by treaties and negotiations brokered by ministries in Russia and former Warsaw Pact states.
The Su-20 is one of several members of a family that includes export and prototype derivatives developed from the Su-17 program; related variants emerged in parallel with the Sukhoi Su-22 export modernization and prototype conversions akin to research airframes linked to the Sukhoi Su-24 development lineage. Export-specific avionics suites were tailored to customers such as Iraq and Libya and paralleled offerings given to operators of the MiG-23MF and MiG-27. Specialized remanufactures incorporated equipment from Soviet suppliers like NPO Vega and Instrument Design Bureau partners, producing upgraded strike-capable configurations for use in tactical reconnaissance and ground-attack missions comparable in role to the Dassault Mirage F1 in other export markets.
Typical Su-20 equipment and performance metrics paralleled contemporaries such as the MiG-23 and F-4 Phantom II in payload and range categories: reinforced airframe with variable-sweep wing, twin underwing and fuselage hardpoints supporting stores similar to those carried by Su-22 and Su-17M ordnance, and an onboard suite permitting navigation and delivery comparable to standards set by Tikhomirov NIIP and NPO Vega products. Engines produced thrust comparable with powerplants used on AL-21F class designs, and flight envelopes were exercised at test ranges shared with projects like the Tupolev Tu-160 test regimes. Defensive and offensive integrations allowed carriage of rockets, bombs, and guided munitions of types fielded across Warsaw Pact arsenals, interoperable with ground-launched assets like the 9K52 Luna-M in joint operations.
Operators included Soviet and allied states with formal procurement via the Soviet Union's export channels: primary users were the Soviet Air Forces, with significant export operators such as Iraq Air Force, Syrian Arab Air Force, Libyan Air Force, Czechoslovak Air Force, and Polish Air Force. Post-Soviet transfer and storage involved facilities and organizations in Russia and successor states, with some airframes passing through intermediaries in export negotiations overseen by ministries of defense and state arms exporters historically connected to Rosoboronexport's predecessors.
Several Su-20 airframes survive in museums and static displays in former operator states and aviation museums such as collections maintained in Moscow, Baghdad museums, and national aviation exhibits in Warsaw and Prague where they are displayed alongside contemporaries like the MiG-21, Su-22, and MiG-23. Restoration and display efforts have involved collaboration with preservation groups tied to institutions such as the Central Air Force Museum and regional historical societies in cities like Kiev and Belgrade where other Cold War aircraft collections are curated.
Category:Sukhoi aircraft Category:Soviet military aircraft