The combat experience gained in recent decades clearly demonstrates that air supremacy is the key to victory. Aviation has become a means capable of turning the tide of a war even in the event of multiple enemy superiority in tanks, artillery and manpower. However, modern jet aircraft capable of developing supersonic speeds and delivering high-precision strikes at long distances from home airfields, due to their high cost, are not affordable for most developing countries.
During World War II, the price of a fighter was comparable to the cost of manufacturing a medium tank, and planes, like tanks, were built in thousands of copies. However, already in the 60s, as the speed and altitude of flight increased, the introduction of complex radio-technical systems into the avionics and the transition to guided weapons, the price of jet combat aircraft rose sharply. However, we also need to add here the very high cost of pilot training. This inevitably affected the number of built supersonic machines. The creation and serial production of truly modern combat aircraft has become a very expensive pleasure, available to very few. In this regard, some states are following the path of international cooperation and the creation of consortia. This is especially typical for Western European countries that want to maintain at least some independence from the United States and support their own scientific and industrial potential.
The first "European fighter" was the Aeritalia G.91. Few people remember about this aircraft now, but in the mid-50s it won the competition to create a new NATO light fighter-bomber, bypassing British and American aircraft. The G.91 was built in Italy and the Federal Republic of Germany; the last fighter-bombers of this type were decommissioned in the early 90s.
Aeritalia G. 91
The Italian-German G.91 was followed by the Panavia Tornado, created jointly by Italy, Great Britain and Germany - its production began in the early 80s and the Eurofighter Typhoon - in operation since 2003. Given the excessive cost of R&D, European countries chose to unite and share technological and financial risks. However, the "spreading" of development in different countries, designers and the military, who had their own views on the technical appearance and the main area of application, inevitably affected the result. As a result, France left the project, deciding to create its own combat aircraft, independently of other European states. For the sake of fairness, it should be said that the European Typhoon fighter, which first took off in March 1994, does not surpass the modernized 4th generation aircraft in its characteristics.
Only France with Dassault Rafale and Sweden with Saab JAS 39 Gripen are still building their own fighters. However, in the Swedish light fighter the share of foreign components and assemblies is very large, and Sweden is not able to produce "Gripen" without foreign components. As for France, the Rafale is likely to be the last French model. Aging Europe, despite its declared independence, is more and more politically, economically and technologically dependent on its “overseas partner”.
China took a different path. Unable to create modern samples of aviation technology, in the 70s and 80s in the PRC, obsolete Soviet-designed aircraft received from the USSR in the mid-late 50s were built in large quantities. Until the second half of the 90s, the bulk of the PLA Air Force's combat strength was made up of Chinese copies of the Il-28, MiG-19 and MiG-21. China, yielding in quality to the USSR and the United States, contained a very significant fleet of obsolete combat aircraft. The situation began to change in the early 90s, when, after the normalization of relations with our country, the PRC was supplied with technical documentation and assembly kits for Su-27 fighters. Russian aid has made it possible to significantly raise the level of the Chinese aircraft industry, and now Chinese fighters are already competing with us in the world arms market. Explosive economic growth, the absence of any restrictions on unlicensed copying and huge money invested in their own projects, all this brought China to the level of advanced aviation countries.
In the past, the main suppliers of combat aircraft to developing countries were the USSR, the USA and France. Until now, aircraft built during the Cold War are taking off: MiG-21, MiG-23, F-4, F-5, Mirage F1 and Mirage III. Both in the USSR and in Western countries, export modifications of fighters with simplified avionics were created, intended for operation in countries with a low level of development. The Americans went further in this, creating the "export" F-5 fighter, which did not stand out for its high flight characteristics, but was simple, reliable and unpretentious at a relatively low cost. During the war in Southeast Asia, the United States also adopted a number of light anti-guerrilla combat aircraft. Subsequently, some of them - the jet A-37 and the twin-engine turboprop OV-10 were very popular in the countries of the Third World.
Today, neither in Russia, nor in the United States, nor in France, such aircraft are no longer being built, and modern fighters are rarely "affordable" for developing countries, even if there are funds for their purchase. The example of South Africa is very indicative, having bought a batch of JAS-39 Gripen, in South Africa they suddenly found that the budget did not have funds for their operation. The cost of a flight hour of one of the most inexpensive 4th generation fighters exceeds $ 10,000. At the moment, out of 26 received fighters, only 10 are regularly taken to the air, and the rest are "in storage".
After the end of the Cold War and the relaxation of international tensions, many countries began to get rid of their surplus arsenals. On the world arms market, modern combat aircraft in good technical condition were offered at very reasonable prices. In the 90s, Russia, along with new export modifications, actively traded used MiG-29, Su-25 and Su-27. Ukraine and Belarus did not lag behind Russia in this. Typical buyers of Soviet-made combat aircraft were poor African countries with internal problems with various kinds of rebels or unresolved territorial disputes with neighbors. So, in the late 90s - early 2000s, during the Ethiopian-Eritrean war, Su-27 fighters delivered from Russia and Ukrainian MiG-29s converged in the African sky.
In the early 2000s, after receiving large orders from the PRC and India, deliveries of new aircraft received priority in Russian arms exports. Unlike used fighters that did not bring much profit, trade in new aircraft allowed, in addition to replenishing the budget, to support their own enterprises and retain specialists. In addition, by the beginning of the 2000s, the Russian Air Force had already run out of "extra" combat aircraft, and the aircraft still suitable for long-term operation needed repair and modernization. The operation of the modernized fighters built in the USSR made it possible to hold out until new aircraft models entered service. Nevertheless, the second-hand trade continues. Despite the fact that the fleet of combat aircraft in its own Air Force was reduced to a critical level, Belarus sold the remaining front-line Su-24M bombers to Sudan a few years ago, and Ukraine, before the beginning of the well-known events, supplied there MiG-29s that had undergone refurbishment.
In the 2000s, the two-seater Russian Su-30 fighter of various modifications became a hit of sales; its export production exceeded deliveries to its own Air Force many times over in terms of the number of aircraft built. Despite the high cost (the price of the Su-30MKI exceeds $ 80 million), more than 400 ready-made fighters and assembly kits have been delivered abroad. The Su-30s were operated by the Air Forces of Algeria, Angola, Venezuela, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, China, Malaysia and Uganda. Unfortunately, not all countries from this list paid with "real money", some of which Russia supplied fighters on credit, and it is unlikely that these funds will be able to be returned in the foreseeable future.
F-16 fighters in storage in Arizona
Members of the North Atlantic Alliance sold their used aircraft on a much smaller scale. After the collapse of the USSR and the minimization of the threat of a global war, in the 90-2000s, it was often easier for European countries to write off used combat aircraft than to bother with their repair and modernization. In addition, unlike the former Soviet republics, the NATO countries "with experience" were much more scrupulous about the issue of supplying arms to authoritarian regimes and countries in a state of armed conflict with their neighbors. In this regard, Hungary and Bulgaria showed less restraint, and they bought Soviet-made aircraft, due to their lower cost and maintainability, much more willingly. NATO members were much freer to exchange surplus weapons within the bloc. Thus, Romania received 12 F-16 fighters, which had previously flown in the Portuguese Air Force, and Hungary became the first foreign user of JAS-39, having paid about $ 1 billion for leasing 14 aircraft. Although Sweden is not formally a member of NATO, it maintains active military-technical cooperation with the countries of the alliance. An almost inexhaustible source of flying second-hand is the Davis Monten aircraft storage facility in Arizona. In 2014, Indonesia began to receive refurbished and upgraded F-16C / D Вlock 25s, which were previously in storage.
Indonesian F-16C
As the resource of the still flying MiG-21, Skyhawks and Kfirov depletes, the military of the Third World countries think about how to replace them. At the moment, Russia does not have a modern low-cost single-engine combat aircraft that meets the cost-effectiveness criterion. And deliveries of even used American F-16s are not always possible for political reasons. In this regard, the JF-17 Thunder, created in the early 2000s by the Chinese company Chengdu Aircraft Corporation with the financial support of Pakistan, is of great interest to potential buyers. In China, this aircraft is designated FC-1. In 2009, the PRC and Pakistan signed an agreement on the joint construction of the JF-17 Thunder fighter.
JF-17 Thunder Pakistan Air Force
The JF-17 traces its ancestry back to the Sino-American Super-7 fighter jet. Work on this project was carried out in the 80s, when communist China and the United States were "friends" against the USSR. "Super-7" was a deep modernization of the J-7 fighter (Chinese MiG-21), from which it differed by an enlarged wing with slats and overhangs, lateral unregulated air intakes, and a flashlight with improved visibility. The fighter was supposed to be equipped with modern avionics: AN / APG-66 radar, ILS, modern communications. In terms of its combat characteristics, the Super-7 was supposed to approach the F-16A fighter.
After the events in Tiananmen Square, Sino-American military-technical cooperation was curtailed, and Russia became the main partner in the creation of a new Chinese fighter. Experts from the OKB im. A. I. Mikoyan. The single-engine light fighter "33" was supposed to complement the MiG-29 and occupy the niche of the MiG-21 on the foreign market. The Russian engine RD-93 was chosen as the power plant for the JF-17, which is a modification of the RD-ZZ used on the MiG-29 fighter. At the moment, a copy of the RD-93 - WS-13 has been created in the PRC. It is with this engine made in China that JF-17 is supposed to be exported to "third countries".
A Chinese-Pakistani light fighter with a normal take-off weight of just over 9 tons fit well into the niche vacated by the Soviet MiG-21. Its export price is $ 18-20 million. For comparison, the American F-16D Block 52 fighter is on sale for $ 35 million.
Aircraft under construction in the PRC are equipped with radar, avionics and missile defense systems made in China. Pakistani-assembled fighters should be equipped with European-designed radar and avionics weapons. Negotiations on this issue are underway with representatives of France, Italy and Great Britain. Reasonable cost and good flight performance make the JF-17 attractive for poor countries. It is known that Azerbaijan, Zimbabwe, Kuwait, Qatar and Sri Lanka showed interest in the JF-17.
Quite often, jet trainers Aero L-39 Albatros are used for operations against irregular armed formations. Aircraft of this type were built by the Czech company Aero Vodochody until 1999. It has been delivered to more than 30 countries, more than 2,800 units were built in total.
L-39 Albatros
L-39 has a top speed of 900 km / h. With a maximum take-off weight of 4700 kg, it can carry 1100 kg of combat load, as a rule, these are uncontrolled means of destruction - free-fall bombs and NAR. The low cost of used vehicles, $ 200-300 thousand, makes them attractive to buyers with limited funds, but, in turn, very high operating costs and the absence of ground-to-ground guided aircraft munitions in the armament range is a sales limiting factor.
With an export targeting to the United States, Textron has created the Scorpion combat jet. On December 12, 2013, the Scorpion made its maiden flight from the runway at McConell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas. This jet is assembled primarily from components used in the manufacture of civilian aircraft, which should reduce its cost. As the creators of the aircraft hope, it will occupy an empty niche between light turboprop and expensive jet combat aircraft.
Textron airland scorpion
The Scorpion is a two-seater aircraft with a high-lying straight wing and two turbofan engines. The empty weight of the aircraft is 5.35 tons, the maximum take-off is a little over 9 tons. According to the calculated data, the attack aircraft will be able to develop a speed of more than 830 km / h in horizontal flight. Six points of suspension can accommodate 2800 kg of payload. The capacity of the fuel tanks with a volume of about 3000 liters should be enough for 5 hours of patrolling at a distance of 300 km from the base airfield. The cost of an hour of flight is expected at $ 3,000, which, with an estimated price of the aircraft itself of $ 20 million, should make it a good seller. The US National Guard is showing an interest in purchasing the Scorpion light jet combat aircraft.
However, jet aircraft for many Third World countries are too expensive to operate and require well-equipped airfields with capital runways. The capabilities of modern jet fighters and attack aircraft are often overkill for use in low-intensity conflicts and fighting guerrillas. For this reason, turboprop machines, originally created for training purposes, have become widespread. In a number of countries, until recently, transport aircraft converted into bombers were actively used in hostilities (more details here: Antonov Bombers).
The concept of an attack reconnaissance aircraft combining the functions of an air command post deserves a separate mention. As part of this concept, Alliant Techsystems created the Cessna AC-208 Combat Caravan counterinsurgency aircraft based on the light transport and passenger Cessna 208 Grand Caravan.
AC-208 Combat Caravan
The aircraft is equipped with advanced avionics, allowing it to conduct reconnaissance, observation, coordinate the actions of ground forces and issue target designations to other combat aircraft at any time of the day. In addition to all this, operators of the AC-208 Combat Caravan optoelectronic systems have the ability to independently deliver high-precision strikes using AGM-114M / K Hellfire air-to-ground missiles. The aircraft can patrol in the air for about 4.5 hours. The maximum speed is about 350 km / h. Operation from unpaved airfields with a runway length of at least 600 meters is possible. The cockpit and some parts of the aircraft are covered with ballistic panels. Aircraft of this type are actively used by the Iraqi Air Force in combat operations against the formations of the "Islamic State".
On the basis of the AT-802 agricultural aircraft, the American company Air Tractor has created the AT-802U light anti-guerrilla attack aircraft (more details here: Combat agricultural aviation).
With a maximum speed of 370 km / h, this two-seater aircraft can hang in the air for up to 10 hours and carry a combat load weighing up to 4000 kg. Light attack aircraft AT-802U have been "baptized by fire" over the jungle of Colombia and in a number of anti-terrorist operations in the Middle East, where they have proven themselves well.
AT-802U
The AT-802U has a lot in common with the Archangel BPA, built on the basis of the Thrush 710 agricultural aircraft. The AT-802 and Thrush 710 are variants of the same aircraft designed by Leland Snow. Unlike the AT-802U, the combat "Archangel" is equipped with more advanced avionics. This aircraft uses a reconnaissance and sighting system that allows you to strike with high-precision ammunition, without entering the zone of destruction of MZA and MANPADS. In this regard, there is no small arms and cannon armament on the "Arkhangel".
Archangel BPA Block III
The Archangel BPA attack aircraft can carry 12 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, 16 70-mm Cirit missiles, 6 JDAM or Paveway II / III / IV guided bombs on six hardpoints of the Archangel BPA attack aircraft. The Archangel in the shock version is capable of carrying more weapons on external suspension than any other aircraft of the same weight category. He can conduct an independent search and destruction of small groups of militants when the use of other aircraft is irrational from the point of view of combat effectiveness or inexpedient for economic reasons.
During the design of the Archangel, much attention was paid to increasing the aircraft survivability over the battlefield. In addition to the introduction of a complex of passive protection means in the form of protecting fuel tanks and pressurizing them with nitrogen, reducing the thermal signature, booking the engine and cockpit with composite ballistic materials, a container suspension with laser equipment is provided to blind the MANPADS homing head.
But the most actively used in hostilities against all sorts of insurgents in recent decades have been light turboprop vehicles, the initial purpose of which was to train and train pilots (more details here: "Tukanoclass").
Due to its low cost, good performance, versatility and high flight data, the Brazilian EMB-312 Tucano from Embraer has become a real bestseller among turboprop trainers. As you know, demand creates supply, based on the EMB-312 Tucano trainer, taking into account the experience of combat use and achievements in the field of modern sighting and reconnaissance systems and high-precision weapons, serial production of the improved EMB-314 Super Tucano began in 2003. The aircraft received a new engine and modern avionics, its armament has become much more powerful, the cockpit and engine are partially covered with Kevlar armor.
EMB-314 Super Tucano
Thanks to the increased flight data, the presence of built-in weapons and advanced search and navigation equipment, the Super Tucano is effectively used not only as a light attack aircraft, but also as a reconnaissance aircraft and fighter to intercept light aircraft carrying drugs illegally.
Another direction in the field of counterinsurgency aircraft was the South African light reconnaissance and attack combat aircraft AHRLAC (Advanced High Performance Reconaissance Light Aircraft) - this can be translated as "High performance light reconnaissance and combat aircraft."
The AHRLAC aircraft was created by the South African firms Paramount Group and Aerosud as a versatile low-cost alternative to UAVs. It made its maiden flight on July 26, 2014, and its first public display took place on August 13, 2014 at Wonderboom Airport.
Light reconnaissance and strike combat aircraft AHRLAC
AHRLAC has a very unusual appearance and is a cantilever high-wing aircraft with one Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66 turboprop engine with a capacity of 950 hp. The aircraft features a reverse sweep of the wing, a spaced tail unit and a pusher propeller at the rear of the fuselage. All this provides excellent forward and downward visibility from the two-seater cab. The maximum speed is 500 km / h, and the duration of the air patrol can exceed 7 hours.
Despite the futuristic design, the South African aircraft in the future may become in demand on the global arms market. From it, it is possible to use a wide range of controlled and uncontrolled weapons. A 20mm cannon is used as a built-in weapon. The six outer nodes can carry aviation ammunition weighing and measuring up to 500 pound (227 kg) bombs. The total weight of the combat load in different sources varies from 800 to 1100 kg. The lower fuselage consists of many interchangeable conformal modular units equipped with a variety of sensor systems such as infrared and optical cameras, synthetic aperture radars, electronic reconnaissance and electronic warfare systems. According to the information published at the presentation of the aircraft, its price should be within $ 10 million. The developer announced his intention to build several dozen aircraft per year. At the moment, AHRLAC is undergoing a set of tests, and if the declared characteristics are confirmed, then the aircraft really has a good chance of commercial success.
In the very near future, hundreds of combat aircraft built in the 70s and 80s are to be decommissioned in the countries of Asia, Africa and Central and South America. Obviously, when purchasing new combat aircraft, the emphasis will be on reducing the price of both the aircraft itself and the flight hour. Therefore, a significant part of the new combat aircraft will be turboprop attack aircraft. At the moment, there is no inexpensive light "export" fighter in our country. This niche could be occupied by a combat aircraft created on the basis of the Yak-130 trainer, but so far no progress has been seen in this direction. It is clear that for Rosoboronexport, billions of dollars in deals for the supply of supersonic fighters are of much greater interest, but it is also unwise to give up market share. As you know, the buyer of weapons in the future is in a certain dependence on the seller, because without spare parts, consumables and technical support, modern aircraft cannot fly. Thus, even "penny" deals always bring political dividends.
