Exploring the Capabilities of Russia’s Su-27 Fighter Jet

By Maya Carlin, Warrior Contributor

The White House recently agreed to allow Ukrainian pilots to train on F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets, highlighting the role airframes are playing in the ongoing Russian invasion. 

In late May, Moscow claimed that it scrambled an Su-27 fighter to “prevent violations” of the state border by a pair of American strategic bombers flying over the Baltic Sea.

The Pentagon responded that the two B-1 bombers were participating in a planned exercise in Europe, marking the latest in a series of incidents surrounding Russian, American and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) airframes since the onset of the war.

Russia’s Sukhoi Su-27 has patrolled the skies over Russia and Ukraine for years, initially under the purview of the Soviet Union and now as a fighter for both Moscow and Kyiv.

A brief overview of the Su-27’s history

Designed to effectively counter America’s fourth-generation F-14 Tomcat and F-15 Eagle platforms, the Su-27’s origin story dates back to the Soviet Union. When the former USSR discovered the U.S. Air Force was developing the F-15 under its “F-X” program, Soviet engineers went to work to design its own indigenous fighter. The Russian company Sukhoi developed its T-10 prototype in the late 1970’s, which strongly resembled the F-15’s specifications.

Designated by NATO as “Flanker-A,” the T-10 airframe suffered from several significant issues during its development stage, including the fatal crash of its second prototype. By the mid-1980’s, however, the platform entered service with the USSR and was officially unveiled to the West at the 1989 Paris Air Show. Eventually, the Flanker-A would become the Su-27. The Sukhoi defense giant competed against two other recognizable Soviet companies, Mikoyan and Yakolev.

The Flanker-A’s specs and capabilities

Over the years, the Su-27 has evolved into several newer variants, including the Su-34 fighter bomber and the fourth-generation plus Su-35.