War and death are not scary in movies - heroes die from a neat little hole in the heart. The dirt, blood and horrors of a real war always remain behind the scenes. But it was for real combat that the Soviet Su-17 fighter-bomber was created. "Sukhie" flew where there was no official TV coverage, where there was no way to distinguish strangers from their own, and the conditions required to strike enemy positions with the utmost cruelty. Unlike the ceremonial MiG-29 and Su-27, the "seventeenth" remained unknown to the general public. But his silhouette was well remembered by those on whose head he dropped tons of bombs.
The Su-17 first appeared at the Domodedovo air parade in 1967, where it was immediately noted by NATO observers as the “primary objective” along with the legendary MiG-25 interceptor and Yakovlev's vertical takeoff aircraft. The Seventeenth was the first Soviet aircraft with a variable geometry wing. This wing design improved takeoff and landing characteristics and increased aerodynamic quality at subsonic levels. The Su-7B supersonic fighter-bomber was chosen as the basic design - a deep modernization turned the old proven machine into a third-generation multi-mode combat aircraft.
Three thousand aircraft of this type scattered across both hemispheres of the Earth: at different times, the Su-17 was in service with the Warsaw Pact countries, Egypt, Iraq, Afghanistan and even the distant state of Peru. Forty years after its inception, the "seventeenth" is still in service: in addition to countries such as Angola, North Korea and Uzbekistan, the Su-17 constitute the backbone of the fighter-bomber aviation of Poland, a member of the NATO bloc. The previous 2 years, the Su-17 again spent on the front line - the fighter-bomber aviation (IBA) of the government forces of Libya and Syria periodically subjected the rebel bases to strikes.
The Su-17 fighter-bomber was serially produced for 20 years - until 1990, during this time 4 modifications were created for the USSR Air Force and 8 export modifications (Su-20 and Su-22) with reduced armament and on-board equipment, not counting two combat training options and modifications that turn an attack aircraft into a reconnaissance aircraft. All of them significantly differed from each other in the composition of weapons, avionics and aerobatic characteristics. The two most advanced modifications stood out in particular:
- Su-17M3 - was created on the basis of a combat training version: in place of the instructor's cabin, avionics units and an additional fuel tank appeared.
- The Su-17M4 is the last, largely new modification. The aircraft was optimized for low-altitude flight, the air intake cone was fixed in one position. Widespread automation was introduced, an on-board computer, a laser target illumination system "Klen-PS" and a TV indicator for the use of guided weapons appeared. An automatic system "Uvod" was developed, which monitored the danger zone and determined the optimal time to turn, taking into account the aerobatic capabilities of the aircraft and the zone of destruction of the enemy's anti-aircraft weapons. If the pilot did not respond to the corresponding indication, the system would automatically take the aircraft out of the danger zone.
Despite belonging to fighter aircraft, Su-17s rarely got involved in air battles with enemy aircraft - the Land of Soviets had enough specialized fighters (there were three types of interceptors: Su-15, MiG-25 and MiG-31). The main task of the Su-17 was strikes against ground targets using a wide range of air-to-ground weapons.
The Su-17 received the "baptism of fire" during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war - the Syrian Air Force at that time had 15 aircraft of this type (under the designation Su-20). In view of the general chaos, it is difficult to assess the results from combat use - it is known that the vehicles made several sorties, there were serious losses.
The 1980s saw the peak of the Su-17's combat use: export modifications of the Su-22 were used to suppress the strongholds of the UNITA guerrilla group (these black citizens demanded the liberation of Angola, first from Portugal, then from communism, then it is generally unknown from whom - the civil war continued nearly 30 years).
Libyan Air Force Su-22s stormed ground targets during the First Civil War in the troubled state of Chad (for the last half century, there has been a senseless massacre with short respites for regrouping forces). Two aircraft of this type were shot down over the Gulf of Sidra by US Navy carrier-based interceptors in August 1981.
The Su-20 and Su-22 of the Iraqi Air Force fought for 8 years on the fronts of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), simultaneously getting involved in the suppression of Shiite uprisings in the south of the country. With the outbreak of the Persian Gulf War (1991), many Iraqi fighter-bombers were temporarily deployed to Iran - with the full air superiority of the air force of the multinational forces, they could no longer conduct hostilities. Iran, as usual, did not return the planes, and forty "dry" aircraft were sent to the guard of the Islamic revolution.
The use of the Su-20 during the 1994 civil war in Yemen was noted, at about the same time, on the other side of the Earth, the Peruvian Su-22 entered into an air battle with the Mirages of the Ecuadorian Air Force during the war with the outlandish name of Alto Senepa. The planes were shot down, and both Latin American countries, as usual, declared themselves victorious.
Afghan Swifts
A truly significant event for the Su-17 was the Afghan war. In the very first days after the Soviet troops entered the Shindad airbase (Herat province, north-west of the country), two dozen "dry" 217th aviation regiment of fighter-bombers of the Turkestan military district were deployed. All this was done with such haste that no one had any idea what the new airfield was, what condition it was in, and to whom it belonged. The pilots' fears were in vain - Shindad turned out to be a prepared military base under the control of Soviet troops. The runway 2, 7 kilometers long was in fair condition, while, of course, all navigation and lighting equipment required major repairs and restoration.
In total, on the territory of Afghanistan, there were 4 suitable lanes for the basing of fighter-bombers: the already mentioned Shindad near the border with Iran, the notorious Bagram and Kandahar, and directly the Kabul airport. By the end of 1980, when the hostilities in Afghanistan acquired the scale of a real war, the Su-17 of the Turkestan Military District began to be involved in the strikes.
The "dry" flew a lot and often, performing the whole range of tasks of the front-line fighter-bomber aviation - fire support, the destruction of previously identified targets, "free hunting". 4-5 sorties per day became the norm. Reconnaissance versions, for example, the Su-17M3R, which became the "eyes" of the 40th Army, gained great popularity. The scouts constantly hung in the Afghan sky, controlling the movements of the caravans of the Mujahideen, looking for new targets and carrying out additional reconnaissance of the results of the IBA bombing strikes.
Of particular importance were the night sorties of the Su-17 scouts - in the dark, the movements of dushmans intensified, countless caravans began to move. Comprehensive night reconnaissance of gorges and passes was carried out using thermal imagers and radio-technical systems that took direction finding enemy radio stations. Infrared sensors of the Zima complex (an analogue of the modern American infrared sighting and navigation system LANTIRN, which amplifies the light of the stars by 25,000 times) made it possible to detect even traces of a recently passed car or an extinguished fire at night. At the same time, at any time, the scouts could independently attack the identified target - bombs were always on the suspensions, in addition to the container with photographic equipment.
Another sorrowful task of the Su-17 was aerial mining of dangerous areas and mountain paths - by the time the hostilities ended, the number of mines in Afghan soil was many times greater than the number of Afghan citizens. Air mining was carried out using containers for small-sized cargoes, each of which carried 8 blocks containing 1248 anti-personnel mines. There was no need to talk about the accuracy of the drop - the mining of a given square was carried out at a transonic speed. Such a combat technique not only made it difficult for the dushmans to move, but also endangered the conduct of special operations in the mountains by the forces of Soviet units. Double-edged weapon.
In conditions when every stone and crevice became a shelter for the enemy, the massive use of RBK-type cluster bombs began, destroying all life on an area of several hectares. The mighty FAB-500 showed themselves well: the explosion of a 500-kilogram bomb caused landslides on the mountain slopes, causing the destruction of secret paths, camouflaged warehouses and shelters. 2 NAR blocks (64 unguided S-5 missiles) and two RBK cassettes with fragmentation or ball bombs became a typical version of the combat load. At the same time, each aircraft necessarily carried two 800-liter outboard fuel tanks: in the absence of any natural landmarks and intermittent radio communication (communication with aircraft going between the folds of the mountains was provided by An-26RT repeaters), an increased fuel supply was one of the most important factors, directly affecting the success of a combat mission. The instructions stated that in the event of a loss of orientation, the pilot was obliged to head north and eject after full fuel depletion - at least, there was a possibility that he would be safe on the territory of the USSR.
Unfortunately, fierce hostilities led to losses in attack aircraft - on March 23, 1980, the first Su-17 did not return from the mission. On that day, a pair of "dry ones" struck at the Chigcharan fortress, the direction of the attack towards the ridge from a steep dive. Major Gerasimov's Su-17 was only a few meters short - the plane caught on the top of the ridge and exploded on the reverse side. The pilot died, the wreckage fell into the abyss.
With the increase in the number of anti-aircraft artillery barrels and large-caliber machine guns in the hands of the Mujahideen, each combat sortie turned into a dance with death - by the mid-80s, losses were 20-30 "dry" per year. Three-quarters of the damage the attack aircraft received from small arms fire, DShK and anti-aircraft mining installations, to combat this phenomenon, armor plates were installed on the lower surface of the Su-17 fuselage, protecting the main components of the aircraft: the gearbox, generator, and fuel pump. With the advent of MANPADS, the installation of systems for shooting out heat traps began - by the way, the threat of MANPADS was largely exaggerated - competent counteraction (heat traps, "Lipa", special flight tactics), as well as a relatively small number of anti-aircraft missiles and poor training of dushmans led to the fact that three quarters of the aircraft losses were … from small arms fire, DShK and anti-aircraft mountain installations.
The simple and reliable Su-17 demonstrated completely unique operational characteristics in the unthinkable conditions of the Afghan war: the aircraft engine worked without interruptions during dust storms (here the gas turbine engine of the Abrams tank is immediately remembered), on the most disgusting fuel (pipelines stretched to Shindad from the Soviet borders, were constantly shelled and damaged by local "amateurs" of free fuel). There were cases when damaged Su-17s rolled out of the strip and smashed the entire nose of the fuselage on the ground - they managed to be restored and returned to service by the airbase personnel.
According to the results of the Afghan company, the Su-17M3 in terms of reliability outstripped all other types of aircraft and combat helicopters of the Air Force of the Limited Contingent of Soviet Forces, having an MTBF of 145 hours.
Guillemot
Speaking of the Su-17, one cannot fail to mention its eternal rival and partner - the MiG-27 strike aircraft. Both machines appeared almost at the same time, had identical weight and size characteristics and a common structural element - a wing of variable geometry. At the same time, unlike the "flying tube" of the Su-17, the strike MiG was based on a more modern design of the third-generation MiG-23 fighter.
In the last months of the Afghan war, the Su-17s at the Shindad airfield were replaced by the MiG-27 - this could no longer affect the effectiveness of the airstrikes, the command just wanted to test the MiGs in combat conditions.
At aviation forums between the pilots who flew the Su-17 and MiG-27, every time there are heated discussions on the topic: "What is better - MiG or Su"? The debaters never came to an unambiguous conclusion. There are solid arguments and no less serious accusations from both sides:
"Avionics is the Stone Age" - the former IBA pilot, who apparently once flew on the Su-17M3, is outraged.
“But the spacious cabin and the structural strength of it has no equal” - another participant in the discussion intercepts for his favorite plane
“The MiG-27 is the best. It is more powerful and more modern. We hooked on 4 "five hundred" cars and gained 3000 m for the first orbit over the airfield. Farewell, stinger! " - authoritatively declares the MiG pilot - "Kaira is especially impressive, here the Su-17 was not close."
Then the pilots began to hotly discuss the famous modification of the MiG-27K, equipped with the Kaira-23 laser-television sighting system. Of course, it was an aircraft of a completely different level - at the time of its creation, one of the best fighter-bombers in the world.
“The MiG was equipped with a 30 mm six-barreled cannon! Tore the target to shreds …”someone exclaims.
Come on! The gun is certainly good, but there was no way to use it - in Afghanistan, at the end of the war, we did not fly below 5000 meters. The cannon and ammunition were transported as ballast,”a new participant in the discussion says with restraint.
“Simplicity is the key to success! The Su-17 is more reliable and easier to fly”- the Su-17 fan is not appeased, continuing to list the facts of the incredible resurrection of the destroyed aircraft. - "Maybe for the European theater of operations and preferable to the MiG, but for the Afghan Su-17 was just that!"
In general, the result of the MiG vs Su dispute is quite obvious: the MiG-27 is a more modern strike machine, superior to the "dry" one in a number of characteristics. In turn, the Su-17 is a cruel, merciless killer, designed for the same cruel, merciless and senseless wars.
Epilogue
When in January 1995 Russian tanks were burning on the streets of Grozny, and hostilities on the territory of the Chechen Republic acquired the character of a large-scale war, the Russian command suddenly remembered that it would be nice to involve fighter-bomber aircraft in the strikes. Just a couple of years ago, the Russian Air Force included hundreds of MiG-27 and Su-17 of the latest modifications. Why can't they be seen in the sky now? Where are the planes?
Your ###! - Generals of all stripes swear in their hearts. In accordance with the directive of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces of July 1, 1993, new Commands of Frontline Aviation, Reserve and Personnel Training were formed. In service with Frontline Aviation, only modern aircraft remained, to which the Commander-in-Chief ranked the MiG-29, Su-27, Su-24 and Su-25. In the same year, fighter-bomber aviation was eliminated as a kind of military aviation, its tasks were transferred to bombers and attack aircraft, and all MiG-27s were massively decommissioned and transferred to storage bases.
In view of the urgent need for fighter-bombers, high state commissions went to these "cemeteries of technology" in order to select the most combat-ready machines and return them to service, even under the designation "attack aircraft" or "bomber". Alas, not a single combat-ready MiG-27 could be found - in just a couple of years of "storage" in the open air, without any conservation and proper supervision - all MiGs turned into ruins.
As of 2012, India is the largest MiG-27 operator in the world. 88 aircraft of the MiG-27ML "Bahadur" modification form the backbone of the Indian Air Force's fighter-bomber aviation, and, possibly, will remain in service until the end of this decade.
Interesting facts about the Afghan epic Su-17 are taken from the book by V. Markovsky "Hot Skies of Afghanistan"
