Sukhoi Su-25

Twin Jet

The Sukhoi Su-25 is a Soviet-designed single-seat, twin-engine jet built specifically for close air support — the Eastern Bloc's answer to the American A-10 Thunderbolt II. First flown in 1975 and entering service with Soviet forces in 1981, the Su-25 earned the NATO reporting name "Frogfoot" and quickly proved itself in Afghanistan, where its armored cockpit, redundant systems, and ability to operate from austere forward airstrips made it a formidable ground-attack platform. The aircraft features a titanium bathtub around the pilot rated to withstand 23mm cannon fire, self-sealing fuel tanks, and engines mounted high and wide to reduce infrared signature and improve survivability against MANPADS. Designed for low-altitude operations in contested airspace, the Su-25 carries up to 9,700 pounds of ordnance on ten hardpoints, including rockets, bombs, cluster munitions, and the GSh-30-2 twin-barrel 30mm cannon. Its twin Tumansky R-195 turbojets produce modest thrust but are deliberately simple and maintainable in field conditions. The aircraft's straight wings and robust landing gear allow operations from unprepared strips as short as 1,300 feet, a critical capability for forward deployment. Maximum speed is around 590 knots at sea level, with a combat radius of approximately 340 nautical miles on a typical ground-attack mission. The Su-25 has seen extensive combat across four decades, from Afghanistan and Chechnya to Georgia, Syria, and Ukraine, operated by more than a dozen air forces worldwide. Variants include the two-seat Su-25UB trainer and the upgraded Su-25SM with modern avionics and precision-guided munitions capability. Despite its age, the type remains in active frontline service, valued for its ruggedness, heavy payload, and ability to deliver ordnance accurately in close proximity to friendly forces — the defining mission of the close air support specialist.