The mission of the Su-25 attack aircraft on the Russia-Ukraine battlefield
(Baonghean.vn) - The Russian Ministry of Defense reported and spoke out about the Su-25 attack aircraft destroying military bases of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that within the mission of the Central Group of Forces, squadrons of Su-15 attack aircraft carried out an airstrike on camouflaged enemy equipment and personnel. The pilots used unguided aircraft missiles on the targets. According to the pilots' reports, all designated targets were successfully hit.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Su-25 is designed to destroy small, moving and stationary ground targets in visual line of sight conditions, as well as low-speed air targets. The Su-25 has superior tactical depth and immediate operational capability.
These attack aircraft were adopted by the Soviet Armed Forces in 1987, but in fact their combat journey began much earlier. The Su-25 prototype participated in the war in Afghanistan in 1980. During that war, the Su-25 aircraft carried out a total of about 60,000 combat sorties.
It is worth noting that with the appearance of the Su-25 in the USSR, the attack aviation industry, which had been abolished in the 1950s, was actually revived. The reason was associated with the appearance of a new type of aircraft - fighter-bombers. The Soviet leadership believed that this multi-purpose vehicle could replace attack aircraft.
However, reality has shown that idea to be wrong. In particular, the fighter planes of that time, due to their high operating speed and lack of maneuverability, could not effectively attack small targets on the ground. While attack planes often operated at the front line within the enemy's fire range. Due to their enhanced armor, attack planes had better fire resistance.
As a result, in the late 1960s, the Soviet Union began developing a new attack aircraft, designated the Su-25. The aircraft was designed to operate most effectively at subsonic speeds and maneuver safely even at super-limited angles of attack.
Several new versions have been created based on the Su-25 such as: Su-25UB (combat trainer); Su-25UT (trainer); Su-25UTG; Su-25T (anti-tank aircraft).
In total, during the period from 1981 to 1992, more than 1,320 Su-25 aircraft of all generations were produced, which at various times entered service in 30 countries.
According to analysts, over many years of combat use, the Su-25 has proven its effectiveness and high reliability.
"The Su-25 is really like a warrior on the battlefield. If we compare attack aircraft with army helicopters performing similar tasks, the latter have an advantage in speed, while the former can influence the situation faster. At the same time, attack aircraft have a more specific effect against the enemy than artillery. Therefore, the effectiveness of the Su-25 is very high. It is highly appreciated by ground units," said Vladimir Popov, Honored Pilot of the Russian Federation, Candidate of Technical Sciences.
Aviation historian Nikolai Bodrikhin believes that the Su-25 is the "cheapest possible" aircraft. They are inexpensive to produce. What is also important is that the aircraft can be flown by a pilot who is not even of the highest caliber. These are the main advantages of the Su-25.
There are many rumors that the era of attack aircraft is coming to an end. However, experts say that such a conclusion is too early. For example, in the US, they have not given up on attack aircraft, still operating the A-10 - which has been in use since the mid-1970s./.