55 years ago, the government of the USSR adopted a decree on the creation of the latest front-line bomber. In the Soviet Union, the machine was named Su-24, and in the NATO codification - Fencer ("Fencer").

At the Sukhoi Design Bureau, the prototype aircraft was developed under the factory code T-6. Detailed design of the Su-24 was completed at the end of 1966.

On June 30, 1967, under the control of test pilot Vladimir Ilyushin (the son of the legendary Soviet aircraft designer Sergei Ilyushin), the Su-24 made its first run across the airfield, and on July 2, the pilot lifted the car into the sky.

It was assumed that the Su-24 will take part in the air parade at Domodedovo, which was supposed to take place on July 9, 1967, but due to a small emergency during the flight, it was decided to abandon this idea. 

Conceptual solutions

The Su-24 project was launched by the Soviet military in order to get rid of the shortcomings that its predecessor, the Su-7B fighter-bomber, entered service in 1961, had. The USSR Ministry of Defense expected to receive from the Sukhoi Design Bureau specialists a modification of this aircraft, capable of destroying small targets and performing combat missions in any weather conditions.

However, the modernization of the Su-7B faced serious difficulties - the layout of the fighter-bomber did not allow accommodating the entire amount of necessary equipment.

  • One of the variants of the prototype Su-24
  • © PJSC "Company" Sukhoi "

Also, Soviet engineers needed to develop a completely new sighting and navigation system (PNS), which would provide maximum automation of all basic flight modes and combat use. These works were carried out by the OKB-794 team (Leningrad) under the leadership of aircraft designer Evgeny Zazorin.

To satisfy the demands of the military, in 1962, engineers from the Sukhoi Design Bureau set about creating a fundamentally new aircraft, designated C-6. The vehicle had a traditional aerodynamic configuration with a moderately swept trapezoidal wing.

The aircraft cockpit was intended for tandem accommodation of the pilot and navigator-operator. In 1963, Sukhoi Design Bureau specialists built a full-scale model of the S-6, but the USSR Air Force commission did not accept the aircraft project due to the lack of a modern PNS.

Later, the military adjusted the tactical and technical requirements for the vehicle. In particular, the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union ordered the development of a low-altitude attack aircraft with a shortened take-off and landing function and the ability to prolong supersonic flight to overcome the enemy's air defense zone.

Based on these requirements, the Sukhoi Design Bureau proposed an aircraft with a new version of the cockpit layout, which provided for a shoulder-to-shoulder landing scheme for pilots. The flight performance of the aircraft was planned to be ensured by the installation of two cruise turbojet engines of the R-27F-300 type and four lifting units of the RD36-35 type, which ensured a short takeoff and landing.

To test the combined power plant and control methods for the future "Fencer" in the OKB, a flying laboratory T-58VD was built on the basis of the Su-15 fighter-interceptor. This machine flew in 1966-1969 under the control of test pilot Yevgeny Solovyov.

Subsequently, it was decided to abandon lifting motors, and the R-27F-300 motors were replaced with samples of the AL-21F family developed by Arkhip Lyulka. Also, the designers equipped the bomber with a variable sweep wing, which significantly improved take-off and landing characteristics.

A positive role in the successful implementation of the new aircraft project was played by the work completed in OKB-794 on the sighting and navigation system, which was named "Puma". The PNS consisted of the Orion-A radar station and the Relief specialized radar, designed to provide automation of flight around the terrain at low and ultra-low altitudes.

  • One of the first modifications of the Soviet Su-24
  • © PJSC "Company" Sukhoi "

The Su-24 was adopted by the Air Force by a decree of the USSR government on February 4, 1975. In addition to free-falling ammunition, the Fencer's arsenal includes guided weapons with laser and television guidance: Kh-25, Kh-29L / T, Kh-58 and R-60 missiles, as well as adjustable aerial bombs weighing 500 and 1500 kg.

In 1977, an upgraded version of the Su-24M bomber took off. This modification of the "Fencing" was put into service in 1983. According to the materials of PJSC "Sukhoi", in terms of combat effectiveness, the updated aircraft surpassed the base model by 1.5-2 times.

Based on the existing technological groundwork, Soviet engineers developed the Su-24 in versions of a reconnaissance aircraft and jammer. In the second half of the 1980s, the designers of the Sukhoi Design Bureau presented an export modification of the Fencing Machine under the designation Su-24MK. These vehicles were delivered to Algeria, Libya, Iran, Iraq and Syria.

"Keeping pace with the times"

At present, the Su-24M is operated in the Russian Aerospace Forces with the SVP-24 Hephaestus sighting and navigation system, the use of which has tripled the accuracy of bombing and missile strikes. In addition, it allows the crew to navigate in difficult weather conditions and with limited visibility.

According to the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), the Su-24M is still unmatched in its class in terms of altitude range, speed performance, combat payload and hitting accuracy. Therefore, the Fencer remains a highly demanded machine and is undergoing constant modernization.

The service ceiling of the Su-24M is 11 km, the combat radius is up to 560 km, and the maximum speed at the ground is 1400 km / h. Eight points of the aircraft's suspension allow placing up to 8 tons of missile and bomb weapons on it.

According to experts, the Su-24M showed its outstanding combat capabilities in the Afghan campaign (1979-1989) and the Syrian operation, which began on September 30, 2015. The basis of the Russian air wing stationed five years ago at the Khmeimim airbase was made up of Fencers and modernized Su-25 Grach attack aircraft.

“The Su-24M has not lost its relevance, including for economic reasons. Equipped with the Hephaestus complex, our bomber is an inexpensive and highly effective means of destruction. As the Syrian campaign has shown, the Fencer is capable of using unguided ammunition left in warehouses after the end of the Cold War with high precision, "Dmitry Kornev, founder of the Military Russia portal, told RT.

According to the expert, the Su-24M plays the role of a "workhorse" in the Russian Aerospace Forces in low-intensity conflicts, that is, in hostilities against illegal armed groups. In the event of a collision with a high-tech enemy, the Russian army will most likely use more modern aircraft platforms, Kornev argues.

“Of course, in the ranks of the Aerospace Forces there have long been more advanced aircraft, sharpened for the use of guided weapons. However, the capabilities of such vehicles for the same Syria, where the enemy does not have air defense systems, seem redundant. In the end, mass production and combat use of new aircraft is expensive. Therefore, Su-24 and Su-25, successfully tested in Afghanistan, were thrown into battle in Syria, and they coped with their tasks, ”explained Kornev.

  • Front-line bomber Su-24M takes off from the airfield
  • RIA News
  • © Nina Padalko

In a commentary on RT, Honored Pilot of the Russian Federation, Major General Vladimir Popov, drew attention to the fact that the designers of the Sukhoi Design Bureau have laid a huge modernization potential in their brainchild. As the expert predicts, the Su-24M will be operated in the Aerospace Forces for at least another 15 years.

“I myself had to fly a lot on it (Su-24 - RT ). I can say that the difference between the first and subsequent versions of this car is huge. More advanced equipment has now been installed, and the bombing accuracy has been significantly improved. It can be seen that the designers are keeping pace with the times, ”Popov said.

The analyst named the aircraft's flight characteristics as the main advantage of the Su-24M. According to him, the bomber is capable of maneuvering at an altitude of 200-300 m in mountainous conditions, while maintaining a speed of 900-1200 km / h. According to Popov, no other aircraft of the Russian aviation can perform such turns.

“The key feature of the Su-24 is the ability to fly at extremely low altitude with a rounding of the terrain, and not only during the day when the horizon is visible. Also striking is the vehicle's ability to lift several one and a half into the air (bombs weighing 1.5 tons - RT ). This aircraft has incredible firepower. Yes, the Su-24 is a veteran, but I am sure that it will serve our country for a long time to come, ”Popov summed up.