© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com OSPREY COMBAT AIRCRAFT 109 Su-25 ‘FROGFOOT’ UNITS IN COMBAT

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com SERIES EDITOR TONY HOLMES OSPREY COMBAT AIRCRAFT 109 Su-25 ‘FROGFOOT’ UNITS IN COMBAT ALEXANDER MLADENOV

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE SOVIET ‘JET SHTURMOVIK ’ 6

CHAPTER TWO OPERATION ROMB 10

CHAPTER THREE OPERATION EXAMEN 15

CHAPTER FOUR 378th OShAP OPERATIONS 22

CHAPTER FIVE ACTION AFTER SOVIET BREAK UP 59

CHAPTER SIX CHECHNYA AND SOUTH OSSETIA 70

CHAPTER SEVEN EXPORT Su-25s IN COMBAT 81

CHAPTER EIGHT CURRENT CONFLICTS 87

APPENDICES 92 COLOUR PLATES COMMENTARY 93 INDEX 96

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 6 CHAPTER ONE T SHTURMOVIK SOVIET ‘JET predecessors, the legendary piston-enginedIlyushin Il-2predecessors, thelegendary CAS aircraft tobebuiltinlarge numbers, justlikeits World War 2 set ofspecificrequirements affordable foranew-generation andlethal tactics. Savtchenko wasthefirstSoviet toformulatea expert military who specialisedin research intofrontal aviation combat employment Savtchenko, ateacheratthe Soviet AirForce Academy designs,originallyinspiredsome conceptualpreliminary by Ivan Oleg Samoilovich and Yuri Ivashetchkin. In March 1968theyproduced thinking engineersattheSukhoi Design Bureau, ledby chiefdesigners well initsdangerous(COIN) operationsworldwideandperforming role. cost-effective weapon, being widely employed in counterinsurgency known by itsNATO reporting name‘Frogfoot’, proved apowerful and ( tender for the development aircraft of a new for the Soviet powered attackaircraft. This wasinfactanannouncementoftheformal requested thatSukhoi prepare itsproposal turbojet- foranew-generation Army . optimised forlow-level operations.It wasprovisionally namedtheLight development of an all-new, eight-tonne, twin-engined light attack jet its improved derivative, theIl-10. Savtchenko’s novel conceptcalledfor Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily The Su-25 originated in a concept produced by a group of forward- In lateMarch 1969theSoviet ofAviation Ministry formally Industry air-support (CAS)missions.Inair-support the1980sand1990stype,also workhorse, expressly low-level to flyshort-range, battlefieldclose- he Su-25 attack wasdesigned asaneffective andsurvivable , or VVS) in which Sukhoi initially competed © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com Shturmovik and ’ (Sukhoi Company) as 186 sorties to beflown intotal year. Bothstages required asmany finished on30Decemberthatsame the more comprehensive Stage B was completed on30May 1980, and aircraft’s jointState testing effort guise on21June1978. Stage A ofthe the airfor thefirsttimeinitsnew prototype, re-designated T8-1D, took months, theenhancedfirst extensive rework lastingsome18 of warload, range andspeed. After an meet the VVS specificationinterms fuselage redesign inorder to fully however, required re-engining anda performance. The newaircraft, same year, showing apromising type completed inNovember ofthat testing’ (manufacturer’s trials) ofthe extensive useintheso-called ‘factory flight on22February 1975 andsaw The T8-1 prototype madeitsmaiden SOVIET ‘JET SHTURMOVIK ’

The T8-4 prototype, appropriately against the Mikoyan, Yakovlev and design bureaux. The aircraft numbered ‘Red 84’, was the second was required to be simple, affordable, easy to produce and maintain, and example built at the GAZ-31 factory in Tbilisi. It is seen here loaded with to have a high degree of combat survivability. The specification called for two B8M rocket packs, four FAB-250 an all-new jet with a combat-manoeuvring speed of between 300 and 500 250 kg HE bombs and two PTB-800 mph, a normal payload of 1000 kg (2200-lb), a maximum payload of 800-litre external fuel . It took to 3000 kg (6600-lb) and a range at ground level of no less than 465 miles. the air for the first time in September 1979 and actively participated in the Sukhoi’s attack aircraft concept was further improved to meet the Su-25’s extensive flight testing and requirements of the VVS technical specification in terms of speed and evaluation. Retired in 1984, the T8-4 manoeuvrability. Given the internal Sukhoi Design Bureau designation was handed over to the Aviation Institute to serve as a T8, the project successfully passed the first phase of the competition and ground instructional airframe was shortlisted for the second, competing against the Mikoyan Design (Sukhoi Company) Bureau’s MiG-21LSh proposal. All other candidates were rejected on technical grounds. In the event the Sukhoi project was quickly declared the winner in the second phase of the competition, as in 1971 the Mikoyan Design Bureau had decided to discontinue its participation for various internal reasons. At the same time the VVS had insisted that the new attack aircraft have a higher speed than that originally proposed – no less than 750 mph when carrying four underwing B8M rocket pods. The maximum speed proposed by Sukhoi, however, was constrained to 560 mph so as to avoid having to use hydraulic boosters in the aircraft’s control system in order to achieve reasonable control column forces in the pitch and roll axes. In the event the agreed maximum speed was 620 mph, which translated into Mach 0.82 at low level. The first prototype, designated the T8-1, was completed by the end of 1974, and shortly thereafter it was declared ready to begin ground and flight testing. The aircraft made its maiden flight on 22 February 1975, with famous Sukhoi chief test pilot Vladimir Ilyushin at the controls. In May 1977 the Sukhoi Design Bureau unveiled the representative production version of the T8. Compared with the prototypes, the definitive Su-25 (as the aircraft was designated by the VVS) attack jet had a lengthened fuselage, increased-span wings and a taller fin, as well as new Soyuz/Gavrilov R-95Sh non-afterburning turbojets in enlarged nacelles, an armoured ‘bathtub’ for the pilot and a new VPU-17A gun pack with a built-in GSh-30 (AO-17B) 30 mm twin-barrelled cannon. In the summer of 1978 the first production-standard jet, designated T8-3, was completed and rolled out at the production plant at Tbilisi, 7

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 8 CHAPTER ONE fire damage. replacing theoriginaltitaniumunitsthathadproved vulnerableto steel pushrods withgreatly increased resistance tofire were introduced, projectile orby fire ravaging insidethefuselage.In 1986new-design wereruns widelyseparatedtoavoid simultaneousdamageby thesame those connected to the elevators were made dual-redundant. The control fire. The pushrods couldwithstanddirect hitsby 12.7mmrounds, and in caseofmechanical damage by projectiles/high-speed fragmentsor of pushrods gave theSu-25 ahighlevel ofredundancy andhardening aslinkagesforactuationofthecontrol surfaces. of cables The fitment control systemusedlarge-diameter pushrods (upto40mm)instead warhead fragmentscomingfrom above andbehind. headrest thatprovided protection from bullets andhigh-speedmissile 12.7 mm projectiles. The pilot’s K-36L ejection seat had an armoured flat bulletproof windscreen, 70 mm thick, could withstand hits from by upto5020mmor23projectiles withoutdeveloping cracks. The of between 10 mm and 24 mm. These were capable of withstanding hits ‘bath’ forthepilotmadefrom welded titaniumalloy plateswithathickness per centoftheaircraft’s normaltakeoffweight, some 1100kg(2430-lb). andengines,accountingfor11.5enhanced protection fortheairframe mid-1987 –theso-called10thSeries production standard –hadvastly normal takeoffweight, or600kg(1320-lb),whileSu-25s builtafter built before mid-1987,accountedforsome7.5percentoftheaircraft’s features, asincorporatedinthedesignofbasicaircraftsurvivability arms fire andhigh-speedmissilewarheadfragments. The combat system redundancy toachieve sufficientresistance inaneffort tosmall- The T8’s robust structure incorporatingextensive wasavery airframe untilAprilcommissioned into 1987,however.VVS service launched intolarge-scaleproduction. The aeroplane wasnotformally flight test programme in December 1980, and the following year it was in the thenSoviet republic ofGeorgia. The typecompleteditsexpanded The airframe haddamage-resistantThe airframe load-bearingmembersandthe featuresThe principalincludedadeeparmouredcombat survivability COMBAT SURVIVABILITY FEATURES © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com U-UAP via Authorrounds (U-UAP) HE/tracer orarmour-piercing/tracer fragmentation/HE, fragmentation/ mixed ammunition, comprising loaded theweapon’s magazine with VVS andRuAFarmours usually Su-25 was beingflown inawar zone, multi-storey building. When the randomly selected windows ofa pilot couldshootatwillinto accuracy. For instance, awell-trained certain occasions, thanksto itshigh be anirreplaceable weapon on remarked thatthe VPU-17A proved to Seasoned ‘Frogfoot’ pilotshave roundsfire perminute. of3000 rounds –theweapon hasarate of 30 mmtwin-barrel gunand250 gun-pack, which containsaGSh-30 An Su-25UBpilotfires the VPU-17A The R-95Sh engines were also widely separated, being five SOVIET ‘JET SHTURMOVIK ’ feet apart, and 5 mm thick stainless-steel screens were installed between them and the fuselage to prevent simultaneous damage of both engines from a single warhead detonation, or a hit by a high-speed projectile. The screens also prevented fire from a damaged engine spreading to the good one. Reticulated polyurethane foam, for explosive wave and fire suppression, occupied some 70 per cent of the volume of the fuel tanks. The tanks were lined with 20 mm thick double-layer porous resin protectors to prevent large fuel leaks when punctured by projectiles or high-speed fragments. The collector was also protected by 8 mm steel plating on the bottom and rear walls, while its side walls were made from 18 mm aluminium alloy plating. In 10th Series aircraft only, extensive fire protection was provided by means of heat insulation screens housed in the tail, engine nacelles and internal bays adjacent to the fuel tanks, as well as a two-stage fire extinguishing system inside the engine bays. All the basic items of equipment relating to the flight controls and fuel system were armour protected. The enhanced protection package, introduced in mid-1987 on 10th Series Su-25s, included 17 mm of titanium plating This Su-25 sports a classical under the belly to protect the fuel lines feeding the engines, and a 1970s-vintage blue-grey cockpit filled 17 mm-thick titanium plate on the starboard engine cowling to shield with conventional ‘steam gauge’ analogue instruments, switches and the oil tank and its pump control unit. The ASO-2V chaff/flare selectors. Pilots described it as being dispenser units next to the fin were also provided with 5 mm armour roomy, comfortable and well laid out screens to protect against high-speed missile warhead fragments from ergonomically (Andrey Zinchuk behind. Finally, additional 18 mm armour plates were scabbed on to collection via Author) the hatches of the nose equipment bays. PRODUCTION DATA As many as 630 Su-25s (given the NATO reporting name ‘Frogfoot-A’) were built for the VVS between 1979 and 1991 at the -based factory known during Soviet times as Aviation Plant No 31 (GAZ-31), named after leading Bulgarian communist Georgy Dimitrov and now known as Tbilisi Aerospace Manufacturing (TAM). Within this number was a batch of 50 Su-25BMs with improved navigation equipment and powered by increased-thrust Tumanski R-195 engines. The factory also completed 185 Su-25Ks for export during this period. Around 160 of these were delivered to customers abroad through to 1989, with the remainder being taken on strength by the VVS. An additional 110 Su-25UB/UBK ‘Frogfoot-B’ two-seaters rolled off the line at the aviation plant in Ulan-Ude (U-UAP) in . In the 1980s a batch of 12 Su-25T specialised ‘tankbusters’ was built at TAM for test and evaluation purposes. In the 1990s and 2000s the factory, now in the independent state of Georgia, is known to have produced a few Su-25UM two-seaters, using incomplete Su-25T airframes. An additional 15 to 20 classic Su-25 ‘Frogfoot-As’, powered by uprated R-195 turbojets, were also delivered. 9

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 10 CHAPTER TWO E the T8s, togetherwithmore technicalpersonnel despatchedby thedesign evaluation teamatthecrowded airfield. to conceal the camouflage presencenets in an effort of the test and revetmentsimmediately hiddenwithinearthen thathadbeen covered by and ValeriyMuzika. supplied by the VVS’s Scientific Research Institute, Vladimir Solovyov from Sukhoi, AlexanderIvanov andNikolay Sadovnikov, andtwomore The next day the prototypes flight to Shindand. the last flew leg of the ferry Krasnovodsk and Mari, the jets staying overnight at the latter location. therole ofgroupperformed leader. Two refuelling stopswere made,at the aircraft maintainedcloseformationwitha Tupolev Tu-16 bomberthat flightfromDuring Akhtubinsk,whichcommencedon 17April, theferry 18 April 1980, less than six monthsafterthe Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The twomodifiedprototypes were deployed toShindand on airfield OPERATION the aircraft’s maidenflight. Thus the promising ‘Frogfoot’ received its baptism of fire just five years after oftheso-calledStageintegral part BoftheSu-25’s flighttestprogramme. documentation. completedin-theatreThe sorties were considered tobean conditions are referred toinofficialSukhoi Design Bureau and VVS was carriedoutunderso-called‘peculiar conditions’, asreal-world war kerosene vapours rounds. intheevent ofahitby incendiary filling the fuel tanks with reticulated foam to prevent explosion of the andinstallationofupdatedmissionavionics, test instrumentation before theirdeployment toAfghanistanincludedremoval ofsome ofthe and to up to 5g in manoeuvring. Modifications made to the prototypes and maintainabilityinreal-world operationalconditions. and flight/navigation equipment, overall effectiveness of weapons delivery, weapons sightingequipmentwould be evaluated, aswouldtheirordnance phase codenamedOperation in Afghanistantoundergothedemandingcombatemployment testing T8-3, were promptly modifiedby Sukhoi anddeployed toShindand airfield the DmitriyUstinov. Two prototypes, the T8-1D andthe initiative waspersonallypromoted by theMinister ofDefence, Marshal of of Defence had decided that it should be tested in combat. In fact this technical, flightandcombatemployment specifications,theSoviet Ministry A significant number of Sukhoi testengineerswere also deployed with After landingatShindand, andstillsecret thenew prototypes were The crews involved in the operation included two test pilots drawn Fast-track fieldevaluation andtestingofthe T8 duringOperation Both the T8-1D and T8-3 were limitedtoamaximumspeedof560mph Akhtubinsk toprove attackaircraft thatthenew metrequired tests, conductedby the VVS ScientificResearch Institute at ven before the T8 hadcompletedStage Aofexhaustive jointState DEPLOYMENT Romb © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com (Rombus). Once in-theatre, theaircrafts’ ROMB Romb

The T8-1D was one of two ‘Frogfoot’ OPERATION prototypes deployed to Afghanistan during Operation Romb, the latter taking place between 18 April and 6 June 1980 from Shindand airfield.

Romb was an initiative promoted by ROMB the Minister of Defence, Marshal of the Soviet Union Dmitriy Ustinov. Two prototypes, the T8-1D and the T8-3, were promptly modified by Sukhoi for despatch to Afghanistan to undergo the demanding combat employment testing phase, evaluating the accuracy of the sighting equipment, a wide range of unguided ordnance, the flight/ navigation equipment and the aircraft’s overall maintainability and bureaux responsible for the development of the aircraft’s navigation and reliability in real-world operational sighting equipment. The commanding officer of Operation Romb, Maj conditions (Sukhoi Company) Gen Vladimir Alfyorov, then Deputy Chief of the VVS’s Scientific Test Institute (Flight Test Centre), recalled; ‘Despite the high levels of secrecy surrounding the deployment to Shindand, the personnel involved in the operation went about their work with great enthusiasm. They were all united by a common objective – to test and evaluate the brand-new jets in real-world combat conditions so as to reveal any design shortcomings of the equipment and weapons. This method of field testing was undertaken so to allow the VVS to avoid the huge losses that it could have suffered in a future large-scale conflict should the aircraft have had major shortcomings. ‘The T8 was a state-of-the-art attack aircraft from a class that had been absent in our fleet since World War 2. It was intended to be, and eventually became, the baseline aircraft of the Soviet Union’s frontal attack aviation force, boasting high performance – its top speed was 620 mph, the maximum war load reached four tonnes and the combat radius stretched to 218 miles. Furthermore, the T8 was capable of employing all air-to- ground ordnance approved for use by the VVS. It was able, for instance, to takeoff with eight underwing pylons loaded with eight 500 kg (1110-lb) or 32 100 kg (220-lb) bombs, as well as up to 256 57 mm rockets [housed in eight 32-round packs]. The T8 could also employ laser-guided air-to- surface [ASMs] as well as air-to-air missiles [AAMs] on the outermost wing pylons. ‘The T8 featured a purposely designed combat survivability package, comprising a welded titanium armoured bathtub for the pilot, explosion- proof fuel tanks, dual-redundant and protected flight control runs and engines separated from the fuselage by armour plating. In addition, the pilot wore a protective vest, armoured arm protectors and an armoured helmet.’ The first T8 familiarisation sorties in Afghan skies were flown on 21 April 1980. Initially, only test and evaluation flights were carried out in a bid to explore the accuracy of the aircraft’s sighting system when employing a wide range of unguided ordnance that had already been cleared for the type. During the first test and evaluation sorties from Shindand it was discovered that the T8’s sighting system suffered from a systematic error when calculating aiming solutions for both bomb drops and rocket firings against targets at high elevation – exceeding 3280 ft above sea level. The root cause for this error was the failure to incorporate the data on the 11

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 12 CHAPTER TWO aim was to detonate Mujahedeen OFAB-100-120 andeightFAB-500 bombsinsixpasses. Their primary above thecaves andsealedthemupwithfallingrocks anddebris. the cave entrances,whilefive ofthebombshadimpactedground just 660 ft.Afterthemissionpilotsreported fourdirect rocket hitsinto attack passes. The T8s begantheirattacksat5250ftandpulledout packs containingatotalof256S-557mmprojectiles in12shallow-dive 100 kghigh-explosive/fragmentation bombsandeightUB-32Mrocket Farakh. The first mission saw the ‘Frogfoots’ expend eight OFAB-100-120 in acave complexintheLuarkoh Valley, some 18milesfrom thecityof againstMujahedeenmission, loggingatotaloffoursorties fightershiding in anuninhabitedmountainousarea. The nextdaythe T8s repeated the ground, theyeventually decidedtoreturn tobase,dropping theirbombs target area. Having failedtoestablishcontactwith thetroops onthe reported communicationsproblems withground forces intheassigned bombs dropped duringthefirsthad missed. into asteepslope. The targetswere hitonthesecondmission,asall concrete-penetrating bombs to destroy hardened firing positions built missions, theaircraft dropping eightFAB-500TS andfourBetAB-500U opposition groups. The intwo T8s amassedatotaloffourcombatsorties troops encountered stiff resistance from well entrenched armed local again despatchedtobombtargetsintheChakhcharanarea afterSoviet mission report.’ Only aftertheyhadadrinkdid theysitdown towritetheirpost- their stress by using a bottle of brandy taken from my personal reserve. recalled thefirstreal-world combatemployment ofthe T8; DivisionInfantry involved inCOINoperations.Maj Gen Alfyorov Muzika, were taskedwithproviding CASforunitsofthe5thMotorised Chakhcharan area. The T8s, flown by AlexanderIvanov and Valeriy were atamaximumdistanceof199milesfrom Shindand, inthe (Afghan armedoppositionfighters). The targetsordered fordestruction was beingusedas astoragedepotforexplosives and ammunition.It later explosioninsideoneofthecaves that to have causedalargesecondary nearby cave complexwere also targeted.Adirect bombhitwasreported although enemyfightersoccupying hardened defensive positions ina when they provided CAS for Soviet troops fighting the the firsttimeon29April, amere 11daysaftertheirarrival atShindand, only test and evaluation sorties. The T8 prototypes were usedin anger for as acalibratedtarget. 6660 ftabove sealevel. Astonering82ftindiameterwassetuptoserve firing range located some 35 miles from at an elevation the airfield of involvingevaluation the sorties T8’s ordnance were atasmall performed eliminated thesystematicerror andimproved accuracy. Allthetestand sighting system was promptly modifiedalgorithms, with which new dropping solution. After this problem had been discovered the T8’s target’s altitudeabove sealevel whencalculatingtherocket-firing/bomb- During thesecondcombatmissionthat daythepairdropped eight On 7May, oftheday, duringthesecondcombatsortie bothpilots More combat missions followed on 30 April, when the T8 pair was pilotsreturned excited, from themissionvery soIhadtorelieve‘The However, theOperation Romb teamwasnotrestricted toperforming © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com mines planted in a narrow gorge, Mujahedeen

transpired that this particular complex was OPERATION a well-equipped Mujahedeen logistics camp used to support anti-government operations across the province.

On 9 May the T8 prototypes flew two ROMB more combat sorties each in the Farakh region. There were no forward air controllers (FACs) in the area, and the infantry units on the ground attempted some makeshift methods for directing the aircraft by firing small arms and artillery in the direction of the enemy in the hope that the pilots would spot the tracers aimed at the enemy positions that were to be attacked. The lack of proper FAC support during the CAS missions flown in the previous days had significantly reduced the T8s’ combat effectiveness, and this had prompted Maj Gen Alfyorov to spend a lot of time setting up better coordination and cooperation with the troops in the field. On 11 May the T8s conducted two more combat missions against targets situated 22 miles east of Farakh. As usual, the targets were in a mountainous area, but this time the location of the enemy positions was pinpointed by the reconnaissance battalion of the 5th Motorised Infantry Division. Each T8 Operation Romb’s CO, Maj Gen was armed with four FAB-500 high-explosive (HE) bombs and four Vladimir Alfyorov, then Deputy Chief 20-round B8M pods loaded with 80 mm rockets. The second mission of the of the VVS’s Scientific Test Institute (Flight Test Centre) congratulates day, again to attack targets in the same area, saw the use of four BetAB-500 VVS test pilot Valeriy Muzika (right) concrete-penetrating bombs and eight FAB-500TS bombs with hardened upon returning from his first T8 forward bodies to destroy well-protected enemy positions. Both types of combat sortie in Afghanistan on 29 bomb were used to good effect to destroy a hardened heavy machine gun April 1980 (I’ldar Bedredtinov archive via Author) nest and close the entrances of selected caves in the area that were occupied by enemy snipers. That same day the T8s were also called upon to perform two more test and evaluation sorties in the vicinity of Shindand. On 12 May a lone T8, piloted by VVS test pilot V Muzika, performed an evaluation sortie at the aircraft’s maximum combat radius, supported by an Antonov An-12 transport aircraft that was used as a radio relay platform and two Mil Mi-8 helicopters for combat search and rescue (C-SAR) assistance. OPERATION ROMB RESULTS During the 50-day evaluation period of Operation Romb the two T8 prototypes reportedly amassed 56 test and evaluation and 44 real-world combat sorties, logging 98 hours 11 minutes total flying time. Of these sorties, 30 were analysed as part of the type’s state testing and evaluation effort. All of the test and evaluation sorties were completed by 16 May, which allowed the aircraft to continue flying real-world combat missions against the armed opposition forces until 5 June 1980. 13

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 14 CHAPTER TWO engine nacelleswasalsohighlighted. forward. The ineffectiveness of the petal-type airbrakes fitted on the to maximumpower ratingafterthethrottle levers were pushedfully Romb, however, such as thetime the R-95Sh engines tookto go from idle of theSu-25 wasalsoacknowledged by theground forces.’ heavyweight configuration. The remarkable effectiveness weapons delivery combat ordnance, demonstrating benign handling characteristics in this proved more aerobatics with1000kgof thancapableofperforming within 33ftofthebombsight’s aimingmark onthetarget. The aircraft in Operation Romb , recalled; aiming accuracy, asSukhoi testpilotAlexanderIvanov, whoparticipated bombs, aswell as32100kgOFAB-100-120 fragmentation/HEbombs. flown withamaximumcombatloadofeight500kgFAB-500M62 HE achievements reported duringOperation employed onseveral occasionstogoodeffect.Amongthemostnotable cluster bombs. BetAB-500 concrete-penetration bombs were also kg (550-lb)and500(1110-lb)free-fall bombs,aswell asRBK-250-275 57 mm,80240mmand250rockets and100kg(220-lb),250 and takeoff landing characteristics. bomb androcket delivery, combinedwithunsurpassedmanoeuvrability terrain. rugged accuracyin The jethadalsodemonstratedsatisfactory the CASrole effectively inahot-and-high operationalenvironment over aircraft’s positive showing in combatproving that the T8 could perform Overall, Operation Romb Some were shortcomings notedby thetestpilots during Operation 500kgbombs,whendropped by theSu-25,‘The usually impacted The T8 demonstrated excellent and good hot-and-high performance The weapons included usedduringtheevaluation andcombatsorties was judgedtohave beenasuccess,withthe © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com Romb were thecombatsorties

Bedredtinov archive via Author) such astheSu-17 andMiG-21(I’ldar Soviet jetsdeployed to Afghanistan, suited to theCAS role thanallother attack aircraft was much better clearly demonstrated thatthenew Romb. The 50-day test andevaluation upon theirreturn from Operation Scientific Test Institute in Akhtubinsk (right) are officially greeted atthe Solovyov (left) and Valeriy Muzika Soviet Air Force test pilots Vladimir Each holdingabouquetofflowers, OPERATION EXAMEN OPERATION EXAMEN

he first combat unit of the rejuvenated attack aviation fleet of the VVS’s frontal aviation branch was 80th OShAP (Otdel’niy T Shturmovoy Aviatsionniy Polk – Independent Attack Aviation ), assigned to the Trans-Caucasian Military District. Formed in February 1981, this two-squadron regiment was stationed at Sital-Chai airfield in today’s , not far from the capital, Baku. The regiment immediately began work-ups for its scheduled combat deployment to Afghanistan, as the initial cadre of pilots had already been sent to the Lipetsk-based 4th Combat Training and Aircrew Conversion Centre in February 1981 for the theoretical part of the Su-25 conversion-to-type. Its first ‘Frogfoots’ were taken on strength on 14 April. 80th OShAP was tasked with training air- and groundcrews following an accelerated schedule that allowed the regiment to deploy a squadron- size combat unit to Afghanistan as soon as possible. Once in-theatre the unit would undertake a formal large-scale evaluation of the Su-25 in real-world combat conditions. This event was codenamed Operation Examen (Exam). By May 1981 80th OShAP had a fleet of 11 production-standard Su-25s and one experimental aircraft, the T8-6, equipping one squadron, these jets receiving consecutive serials from 01 through to 12. After the unit had completed the flight training component of the conversion-to- type course at Sital-Chai, the VVS command authorities had ordered the formation of a new squadron-size independent combat unit for permanent deployment to the Afghan war theatre. Designated 200th OShAE (Otdel’naya Shturmovay Aviatsionnaya Eskadrilya – Independent Attack Aviation Squadron), it was staffed by trained personnel drawn from 80th OShAP and commanded by Lt Col Alexander Afanasyev. The unit also inherited the 12 Su-25s originally taken on strength by the regiment. The newly formed independent squadron and its entire fleet of Su-25s (plus two Su-17UM3 swing-wing two-seaters intended for familiarisation and check flights) arrived at Shindand airfield on 12 June 1981. The unit was declared combat-ready on 9 July, and on that date it flew its first operational sorties in the Luarkoh area in support of a COIN operation by the ’s 5th Motorised Rifle Division. The newly arrived Su-25s provided on-demand CAS, and also delivered air strikes against pre-planned targets. AFGHANISTAN WAR THEATRE Su-25s were in Afghanistan as a direct result of Soviet intervention in the country’s civil war in late 1979. Throughout that year the Marxist government in Kabul had repeatedly asked for increased military support and direct Soviet involvement. In the autumn of 1979 Afghanistan’s Prime Minister, Hafizullah Amin, formally asked the Soviet Union to intervene with military force in an effort to suppress the armed opposition and strengthen his regime. The Soviet government relented and made 15

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 16 CHAPTER THREE such asBagram andKabulthatwere closertothetargetarea. Pandjsher Valley, however, theSu-25s hadtobedeployed airfields toforward while operatingfrom Shindand. In order tobe abletoattacktargetsinthe still barely enoughfueltoenablethemreach targetsintheKandahararea litre externaltankstoextendtheircombatradiusup248miles,thiswas effective control. AlthoughtheSu-25s were typicallyloadedwithtwo800- Army launched as many as 12 offensives but proved unable to establish of thecountry, specificallyinthe notorious Pandjsher Valley, where theSoviet the southernregions areas ofAfghanistanaround Kandahar orinnorthern subsequently unabletowin. engaged inaprotracted andrather bloodywarofattritionthatitwas As aresult, by theearly1980s,Soviet machinefound itself military Soviet onlyaggravated Afghanistan’s intervention bloodyinternalconflict. Western worldandahandfulofresourceful Islamic countries.In factthe suppressing the armed opposition, which was generously supported by the Afghanistan proved and clearlyineffective instabilisingthecountry Asia. In the event the Soviet Army’s almost ten-year-long occupation of toexpand itsarea Afghanistan asanopportunity ofinfluence inCentral government. At thetimeSoviet Union sawtheinternalcrisisin of helping Amin they quickly replaced his regime puppet with a new over mostofthecountry. fierce armedoppositionthathadachievedparticularly effective control Afghanistan. The nation’s hard-line Marxist regime hadalready faceda contingenttoinvade decisiontodespatchalimitedmilitary the fateful Most ofthemissions flown by 200thOShAE were eitherin performed Soviet units entered Kabul on 24December military 1979, and instead © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com Initially, 200th OShAE’s Su-25s were OPERATION used in composite formations, flying combat missions with the Su-17s of 217th APIB (Aviatsionniy Polk Istrebiteley-

Bombardirovshtikov Aviation Regiment of EXAMEN Fighter-Bombers), also based at Shindand. When operating in mixed packages attacking pre-planned targets the Su-17s were used to detect and mark the targets with smoke bombs. They also suppressed the Mujahedeen’s anti-aircraft weaponry, represented at that time largely The S-24 240 mm rocket was a by DShK 12.7 mm heavy machine guns captured from government forces. favourite weapon from the very A minute after the Su-17s had made their strafing pass, two or three pairs of beginning of the Su-25’s combat use in Afghanistan. In its basic form, Su-25s would arrive over the target to drop bombs on the smoke markers. equipped with a contact fuse and When attacking targets in mountainous areas Su-25 pilots used the tactic warhead, the weapon had a good of surprise, operating in one or two pairs. The leader attacked first, while penetration capability that allowed it the wingman covered him from above – in the second attack pass they to destroy hardened targets. Upon detonation the rocket broke up into switched roles. The Su-25’s agility allowed pilots to mount each subsequent more than 4000 fragments that had a attack from a different direction, even against targets in narrow valleys. lethal radius of up to 130 ft. The Another typical mission for the Su-25 was the free-hunting (search- weapon could also be fitted with a proximity radar fuse that detonated and-destroy or armed reconnaissance-strike) patrol, aimed at knocking the rocket 108 ft above the ground to out moving targets of opportunity in predetermined areas – usually ensure coverage of a much greater Mujahedeen re-supply convoys. Su-25 pairs or four-aircraft flights involved area when used against soft targets. in such missions usually flew at altitudes of between 1970 ft and 3940 ft This gave the S-24 a lethal radius of between 980 ft and 1300 ft (Andrey while undertaking visual searches for enemy vehicles. Zinchuk collection via Author) Su-25 WEAPONRY Initially, the S-5 family of 57 mm rockets were commonly used by Su-25s in Afghanistan, the weapons being fired from the UB-32M 32-round packs to knock out area targets. However, it was soon discovered that these simple and lightweight projectiles had low destructive power, especially in mountainous regions. The 57 mm rockets were duly replaced by the much more powerful, and accurate, S-8 80 mm rockets, fired from 20-round B8M packs. S-24 240 mm rockets were mainly used to destroy point targets owing to their remarkably high accuracy and powerful high-explosive/fragmentation warhead, which weighed 120 kg (271-lb). Its optimum launch range was about 6560 ft, and the rocket could hit targets less than 50 ft in diameter. This made the weapon well suited to destroying hardened targets. The S-24 was later supplemented by the heavier and even more precise S-25 tube- launched rocket, which had a launch range of up to 13,120 ft. This weapon was produced in three separate versions with different warheads. The S-25O had a fragmentation warhead weighing 150 kg (330-lb), the projectile being fitted with a proximity radar fuse that detonated it between 16 ft and 66 ft above the ground, spreading 10,000 lethal fragments. The S-25OF had a more powerful fragmentation/blast warhead weighing 200 kg (427-lb), which was detonated by contact fuse. Finally, the S-25OFM boasted the largest fragmentation/blast warhead to give the weapon penetrating capability. Fitted with a contact fuse, it was capable of knocking out hardened targets. The main types of general-purpose bombs used by the Su-25 in Afghanistan were the fragmentation/HE OFAB-100-120 and OFAB-250M54, as well 17

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 18 CHAPTER THREE owing to damagefrom small-armsfire. but on12occasionsSu-25s hadreturned tobasewithoneengineinoperative hours, witheachSu-25 averaging 178hoursperjet.No losseswere reported, OShAP hadcompleted2000combatmissionsandloggedatotalof2136 During combat sorties. thefirsteightmonthsof operationsin-theatre 200th aday,four orfive sorties uptoeight intensedaystheyflew butonsomevery fighter-bombers deployed toAfghanistancouldrarely do. Pilots usuallyflew with precision –somethingthat VVS Su-17M/M2 and MiG manoeuvring intonarrow mountainvalleys inorder todeliver ordnance ‘Frogfoot’ pilotshadroutinely exploited the jet’s unmatchedagilityby (which ranfrom 12June 1981toearlyOctober 1982)proved positive. very results ofoperationsby 200thOShAE duringthefirstpersonnelrotation by 200thOShAE were usually available foroperationsonadailybasis. 40 minutesofpreparation time.Nine ortenaircraft outofthe12deployed be readied in just 25 minutes, while an eight-aircraft mission required just pre-flight checkedandre-armed.serviced, Indeed, afour-aircraft flightcould inbadweather oratnight. not permittedtoflycombatsorties navigation equipment.Asaconsequencethe‘Frogfoot’ community was Su-25s inthe first years ofthewar, mainlyowing totheaircraft’s unreliable just 127miles,andsuchmissionswere rare. Su-25 wasrestricted tooperations againsttargetsatamaximumradiusof bombs or rocket pods and two external tanks. Without the latter, the up to 186 miles from base included two to four 230 kg (550-lb) or 500 kg mainly pre- andpost-strike. vehicle convoysescorting andvisualaerialreconnaissance atlow altitude, helicoptergroups duringlarge-scaleassaultoperations, included escorting mine-laying. Secondary missions conducted on an occasional basis hunting missions, the Su-25 was also widely deployed for aerial employed duringtheinitialyears ofthewarinAfghanistan. cannon with250rounds inSPPU-22-01gunpodswasmore frequently being rarely usedincombat,whilethepoddedtwin-barrel GSh-23L weapon wastheZB-500napalmcanister, usedforattackingarea targets. RBK-250 andRBK-500clusterbombs.Anothercommonlyemployed as themore powerful blast-typeFAB-500M56 orFAB-500M62 and The Su-25 proved enough forthe ground attack role, survivable andthe One oftheSu-25’s key strengths was the speed atwhich it couldbe Some stringentoperationalrestrictions were imposedon200thOShAE The ordnance with a radiusof typically carried on long-range sorties In additiontotheon-demandCAS,pre-planned strikesandfree- The VPU-17A built-ingunpackwasregarded asalast-ditchweapon, © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com ‑ 21SM/bis 21SM/bis Kozhemyakin archive via Author ) internal fuel alone(Andrey mission radius andendurance on to the aircraft’s notoriously short rare occurrence in Afghanistan owing without external tankswas avery 80 mmrocket pods. Operating is, however, ladenwithbombsand and therefore lacks external tanks. It departing onashort-range mission, Aviation Squadron). The ‘Frogfoot’ is Independent Reconnaissance Aviatsionnyy Eskadrilya – ORAE (Otdel’naya Razvedyvatel’naya Regiment) andSu-17M3Rs of263rd AviatsionnayaFighter Aviation Polk – 927th IAP(Istrebitel’nyy background are MiG-21bisfighters of Bagram in1982. Visible inthe out infront ofthebusyapron at 1st Series Su-25 ‘03’ isseentaxiing SECOND ROTATION PERIOD OPERATION The second rotation of 200th OShAE took place from September 1982 to early October 1983, and it involved air- and groundcrews that were again drawn from 80th OShAP, commanded by Maj Vladimir Khanarin.

The new personnel deployed to Shindand in late September, the first EXAMEN familiarisation sorties were reported on 1 October and the first combat missions followed ten days later. Usually, one four-aircraft flight was assigned for strike missions, but two flights were sometimes required. The unit remained equipped with 12 Su-25s, two brand new ‘Frogfoots’ having been sent out to replace the T8-6 experimental aircraft that returned to the Soviet Union in December 1981 to continue participating in the type’s testing and evaluation and an Su-25 lost in a non-combat- related accident on the 14th of that same month. In late 1982 the 500 kg ODAB-500P thermobaric or fuel/air explosive (FAE) bomb was introduced for use against enemy fighters in the open or concealed in shelters, trenches or mountain caves. The intense blast and heat created by the detonation of the liquid explosive after it had spread over the ground in a gaseous state and mixed with the air was so powerful that it could destroy an armoured personnel carrier (APC) in close proximity. After detonation, the initial blast wave directed outwards was followed by a secondary one moving in the opposite direction to cause an alternating destructive effect on targets. Another significant lethal effect of this type of bomb was that it consumed all the oxygen in the air within a certain radius, instantly killing everyone in the affected area. In addition, because of its powerful blast (said to be one-and-a-half to three times more powerful than that of HE bombs of the same weight), the ODAB-500P was widely employed to clear minefields when preparing landing zones for helicopter-borne assault parties. Pilots involved in the second rotation flew most of their combat missions from forward operating bases closer to the principal target areas – mostly from Bagram (for five months) and Kandahar (for two months). In addition, 200th OShAP aircrews conducted numerous so-called ‘shuttle’ missions, taking off from their permanent base at Shindand to lay mines on a number of mountain trails around Kabul, before landing at Bagram to refuel and rearm. The first article in the West’s specialised aviation press about the new Soviet attack aircraft operating in Afghanistan appeared in the 2 December 1982 issue of Flight International magazine. Headlined ‘Frogfoot in action against Afghan rebels’, it revealed that British journalists from an Independent Television (ITV) team visiting the territories held by the Mujahedeen had managed to photograph Su-25s while they were bombing a village in Afghanistan. The new attack jet was described as the Soviet equivalent of the Fairchild A-10, but bearing a close resemblance to Northrop’s A-9, which had lost out to the A-10 in the USAF’s AX competition. The British journalist who took the photographs told Flight International that the Su-25 attacks appeared to have taken place from fairly high altitude, the ‘Frogfoot’ pilots apparently being reluctant to enter the steep-sided Afghan valleys. Nigel Ryan, producer of the ITV programme ‘Afghanistan: behind Russian lines’, who had observed the Su-25 attacks at close range, noted that the bombing was not very accurate. 19

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 20 CHAPTER THREE included 106 combat sorties totalling 96 flying hours, included Lt 106 Col combat Rubansorties had Union. His award report notedthat,duringhisbriefcombatcareer, which Union’s honour, highestmilitary theGolden Star ofHero oftheSoviet posthumously promoted tolieutenant colonel and awarded the Soviet fatal injurieswhenhehittheground. altitude. The parachute failed to deploy as a result, and Ruban received angle reached almost90degrees, butitwastoolateandatalow an aircraft entered an uncontrollable roll. Ruban tried to eject as the bank missile causedseriousdamagetothecontrol systemandengines,the reporting nameSA-7‘Grail’) –whilepullingupafterabombingrun. The missile(SAM)–aSoviet-madea surface-to-air 9K32Strela-2M (NATO positions nearthecityofUrgun, thejetflown by Maj Ruban washitby Afghanistan. During afour-aircraft mission tobombhardened enemy Shortly thereafter, onthe16th, theunitsuffered itsthird Su-25 lossin suffered significantdeformationfollowing excessive fuelleakage. to theplantat Tbilisi sothatitsfuselagecouldberepaired afterithad squadron toreplace theSu-25 lostinApril, andanotheraircraft wasreturned 4thSeriesThat samemonthabrand-new ‘Frogfoot’ wasdelivered tothe early October, withmissionsbeingflown withtheoriginal1stSeries Su-25s. were commandedby Maj Pyotr Ruban. were Combatsorties initiatedin September. Air-andgroundcrew againcamefrom 80thOShAP, andthey following thearrival in-theatre ofthethird rotation duringthelatterhalfof and crashed. The pilotejectedsuccessfullyfrom aheightof490ft,however. system failure. The Su-25, fourFAB-500 carrying bombs,rapidlylostheight Affairs), Maj AShatilov, stalledimmediatelyaftertakeoffowing tocontrol combat-laden ‘Frogfoot’ in April 1983,andthistoowasnotasaresult ofenemyaction.Afully it wasdiscovered thatthelossofcontrol inbankwastheprincipalcause. the aircraft’s Tester-U3 flightdatarecorder magnetic-typecrash-survivable enemy heavymachinegunfire, butafteranalysingthedataretrieved from had notattemptedtobailout. The crashhadinitiallybeenattributedto failed topulloutfrom thedive andhittheground, killingDyakov –he uncontrollable aircraft (bearingtheserialnumber‘10’)rolled upsidedown, exceeding the530mphspeedlimitation.Asaconsequence, symmetrical 500kg(1100-lb)bombseparationinadivingattackwhile (by aileron deflection)theviolentunintentionalbankingcausedby non- loss, on14December 1981.CaptMikhail Dyakov wasunabletocounter during the T8’s testandevaluation phase. mph andturninglimitedto5gwhenmanoeuvring–beimposed this hadcausedsevere operatinglimitations–amaximumspeedof530 forces inducedby themanuallyactuated ailerons. Aspreviously noted, bank (whilerolling) athighspeedsowing toexcessive control column well-known inherent namelypoorcontrollability in designshortcoming, aircraft’s earlyyears ofregular operationinAfghanistanwascausedby a The biggest problem Su-25 pilots encountered in the air during the For his outstanding combat achievements Maj Pyotr Ruban was In early January 1984200thOShAE moved permanentlytoBagram. The secondpersonnelrotation came toanendinearlyOctober 1983 The secondSu-25 loss happenedduringthesecondpersonnelrotation, Ineffective ailerons were indeedtoblamefor200thOShAE’s firstSu-25

flown by the squadron’s Deputy CO(Political FIRST LOSS © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com collection – Aviatsia iKosmonavtika ) of them posthumously(Author’s outstanding combatexploits, one of the Afghanistan campaignfor their with thisdecoration atlater stages more Su-25pilotswere presented highest Soviet state award. Three first ‘Frogfoot’ pilotto receive the the Soviet Union, thusbecomingthe awarded theGoldenStarofHero of hit. Rubanwas posthumously had beenbadlydamaged by aSAM from his1stSeries Su-25 ‘13’ after it unsuccessful low-altitude ejection 16 January 1984 during an killed inactionnearUrgun on war zone inOctober 1983. Hewas Afghanistan, which deployed to the with theSu-25squadron in OShAE’s third personnelrotation Maj Pyotr Rubanwas COof200th led 13 missions against Mujahedeen OPERATION positions, destroying as many as 14 DShK-12.7 heavy machine gun emplacements, three hardened

defensive sites, six motor vehicles, EXAMEN two motorcycles, one fuel storage facility, more than 300 mines and three guns. It was also estimated that he had killed 250+ enemy combatants. Following the loss of Maj Ruban, Maj Georgiy Chekhov was A typical scene on the ground during appointed the new squadron CO. Under his command 200th OShAE a 40th Army offensive operation in continued to conduct intensive combat operations, taking part in several Afghanistan, involving assault transport helicopters provided with large-scale offensives launched by Soviet forces. The first of these took top cover and CAS support by Mi-24s place in the Pandjsher Valley in April 1984, and it was followed by three and Su-25s (Author’s collection) more operations around the capital, Kabul. The fourth personnel rotation of 200th OShAE took place in late September 1984. This time air- and groundcrews came from the second VVS regiment to convert to the Su-25, 90th OShAP, which had received its first Su-25s in 1983. At the time it was stationed at Tiraspol airfield in the Odessa Military District (now in Moldova), although the regiment subsequently moved to Artsiz, in . This personnel rotation arrived at Bagram under the command of Lt Col Nikolay Shapovalov, bringing with it ten brand new 6th Series Su-25s that had only been delivered to the regiment in July and August. The pilots of the new rotation with 200th OShAE flew their initial combat missions under the supervision of experienced veterans from the third rotation, who eventually returned home to the Soviet Union on 30 September. The new aircrews of 200th OShAE had formally started independent combat operations three days earlier.

Introduced for the first time in late The squadron saw plenty of action with nine of its new 6th Series 1984, the Grach (Rook) badge soon ‘Frogfoots’ (one had been badly damaged during the ferry flight), flying became the war-insignia of the them alongside the seven surviving 1st Series aircraft for a number of ‘Frogfoot’ community in Afghanistan. months. 200th OShAE’s fleet was further strengthened on 12 October by It was applied to 378th OShAP’s aircraft in a wide range of variations, the arrival of four additional 6th Series Su-25s, and two more 5th Series mainly on the engine intakes (Andrey examples followed not long after. All of the 5th and 6th Series Su-25s had Zinchuk collection via Author) hydraulically boosted ailerons, which increased the maximum speed limit to 620 mph and the maximum manoeuvring limit to 6.5g. These enhanced-capability ‘Frogfoots’ also had better airbrakes, preventing acceleration in dive attacks, dual-redundant nosewheel steering, an improved fuel system and engines with a longer time between overhauls. The new fleet reinforcements eventually allowed the worn-out 1st Series survivors to be withdrawn from use and sent back to the Soviet Union for overhaul. They departed Bagram on 18 October. The fourth personnel rotation saw only brief service in Afghanistan with 200th OShAE, as in early November 1984 the squadron was disbanded and its entire fleet and all of its personnel were assigned to the newly established two-squadron attack regiment 378th OShAP, which was also stationed at Bagram. 21

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 22 CHAPTER FOUR 3 manpower lossesontheMujahedeen. enemy strongholds/compounds and 20defensive sites,inflictinghuge sorties. The regimental of280 operationsreport claimsthe destruction During thisrotation period378thOShAP completed10,500combat from 5November 1984to12October 1985,wasColAnatoliyBakushev. regiment’s COduringthefirstpersonnelrotation, whichwasin-theatre VVS frontline attackregiments atthetime,80thand 90thOShAPs. The dedicated tooperatinginAfghanistan,were drawnfrom thetwoexisting familiarisation andcheckrides(twoatBagram andtwoatKandahar). at Kandahar)andfourL-39Ctwo-seaters,whichwere usedfor regiment’s fleetinitiallyconsistedof22Su-25s (14atBagram andeight established, butfourofthesejetswere soonredeployed toBagram. The L-39Cs were day378thOShAP ferriedtoKandaharonthevery was Series Su-25s, takenfrom 80thOShAP atSital-Chai, andtwoAero was permanentlystationedatKandahar. Abatchof12additional6th OShAE, togetherwiththeregiment’s commandsection,while2nd AE was stationedatBagram, inheritingthepersonnelofdisbanded200th OPERATIONS 378th OShAP maintenance unit.1stAE( The pilots established attack and regiment,technicians of the newly (headquarters), twocomponentaviationsquadrons andafield(headquarters), 5 November 1984,withastructure comprisingacommandsection 78th OShAP attackregiment wasabrand-new establishedon Aviatsionnaya Eskadrilya © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com –Aviation Squadron)

via Author) flightline (Andrey Kojemyakin archive were towed outto the ‘Frogfoot’ kgand 500 bombsontrolleys that are seenintheforeground –250kg of 1985. Weapons ready for loading A busyday atBagram inthesummer Most of the CAS sorties 378 th OS h undertaken by the first rotation were flown at altitudes of between 1960 ft

and 3280 ft above mountainous AP OPERATIONS terrain, and the aircraft’s extensive armour protection demonstrated good resistance to small-arms ground fire. Attacks from such low altitude offered excellent conditions for target recognition and sighting before expending rockets or releasing bombs. Consequently, the Su-25’s multiple attack runs resulted in accurate hits, making the ‘Frogfoot’ a deadly effective CAS asset. During the first rotation, 378th OShAP’s Su-25 ‘26’ of 1st AE undergoes pre- Su-25s took as many as 20 hits from 12.7 mm and 14.5 mm heavy machine flight servicing at Bagram. In front of the aircraft an FAB-500M54 500 kg guns, as well as from 7.62 mm assault rifles and machine guns. All of bomb awaits loading onto the the damaged aircraft managed to return to base, where they were aircraft, which is also armed with a promptly repaired. UB-32M 57 mm rocket pod (Andrey In October 1985 the regiment received a batch of four new 5th Series Kozhemyakin archive via Author) Su-25s, and shortly thereafter two more 7th Series examples arrived. CAS SPECIFICS The on-demand CAS practised by the ‘Frogfoot’ community in Afghanistan was conducted in response to requests issued by troops in contact with the enemy. Dedicated FAC teams were assigned to each Soviet ground unit conducting operations in-theatre, at regimental, battalion and sometimes even company level, to manage the on-demand CAS tasks and direct the aircrafts’ attacks. These FAC teams were always headed by aviation officers from the Combat Control Group, within the structure of the 40th Army’s Aviation Command and Control (C2) Centre. When in fire contact with the enemy the ground commanders forwarded their requests for air support to the FAC team assigned to their unit, which, in turn, immediately called the Antonov An-26RT aerial command post that was airborne round the clock in the area of operations. In turn, the An-26RT mission commander immediately forwarded the received CAS request to the C2 Centre at Bagram. If all the pre-conditions for issuing a go-clearance were met, the air assets on ground alert (Mil Mi-24 attack helicopters and/or Su-25s) received a mission order, also containing a brief instruction about the position of the troops requesting CAS and the general situation on the ground in the target area. On-demand CAS missions were usually conducted by a pair of Mi-24s or Su-25s sitting on the ground on quick reaction alert (QRA), required to be airborne within 15 minutes of receiving the order to go. 378th OShAP also conducted a significant number of pre-planned strike missions against enemy strongholds, re-supply bases and weapon/ ammunition depots. On the most intensive days, between ten and twenty such strikes were launched. The regiment typically received the orders for these missions from the 40th Army’s Aviation C2 Centre the day before. The regimental CO, his staff and the squadron COs then undertook all the necessary mission planning, as well as scheduling the aircrews and the 23

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 24 CHAPTER FOUR archive via Authorarchive) to Bagram (Andrey Kozhemyakin capabilities after ithadbeenferried that restored thejet’s mission then spentcompletingafieldrepair two days. A further three days were repair thecombatdamage injust managed to change theengineand repair team sentto Mazar-e-Sharif and landatthenearest airfield. A activate thefire suppression system ordered to eject, hedecidedto the engine. Although thepilotwas started whenleakingfuelentered tank. The fire intheturbine area was engine intake andpuncturing afuel 7.62 mmbullethitting theport on-board fire causedby asingle landing inthejetfollowing an had to perform anemergency 4 August 1985. 1Lt T Kononenko had combat damage from amissionon ‘34’ isinspected after returning with Seen atMazar-e-Sharif airfield, Su-25 © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com unable toreach thecrashsitedue tointenseheavymachinegun fire. continued for48 hours. Helicopters with the rescue teams onboard were was notrecovered that from thecrashsitedespiteaC-SAR effort in rebel-held territory. The bodyof1Lt Vladimir Zazdravnov of1stAE Whatever thereason, theaircraft impactedtheground nextKidjolvillage rockets. Alternatively, thelosscouldhave beencausedby piloterror. with thebuilt-in30mmcannon afterexpendingallofhisbombsand hisfinalstrafingpass within thecockpitwhilepilotwasperforming likely causewasheavymachinegunfire, withhitspossiblybeingtaken on 10December 1984duringaCASmissioninthePandjsher Valley. A ‘Frogfoot’ operationsinAfghanistan)occurred inunclearcircumstances maximum being315. aircraft during the 12-month-long combat period was 216, with the combat-related aircraft losses. flownThe average numberofsorties per during thefirstpersonnelrotation. In addition, itsuffered twonon- landing operationsandtheprotection ofvehicle convoys). helicoptersduringlarge-scaleassaultincluded, forinstance,escorting patrols), two per cent; other missions, one per cent (these missions cent; aerialmine-laying,12perfree-hunting (reconnaissance-attack OShAP were asfollows –pre-planned strikes,55percent;CAS,30 the typesofmissionflown duringthefirstpersonnelrotation of378th Part Iby Andrey Kojemyakin andAndrey Korotkov, thepercentages of (AAA)pieces. heavy machinegunsandanti-aircraft artillery straight and level at low altitudethe jet wasaneasytarget for transversely invalleys wasquiteadifficulttask.Furthermore, whileflying According thesemissionsintheSu-25, topilotswhoflew dispersingmines 435 mphto470inorder todispersetheminesaswidelypossible. straight-and-levelpilot flew legsataheightof1300ftandspeed PFM-1 anti-personnelmines.Once overhead thetargetarea the‘Frogfoot’ to fourKMGU-2mine-dispenserpods,eachcontainingasmany1248 in thearea andthenauthorisetheattack. relay aircraft, which,inturn,hadtoconfirmthatthere were nofriendlies the leaderofpairreported totheAviation C donkeys andhorses). When suspiciousactivityontheground wasspotted, consisting of motor vehicles (pick-up or pack animals trucks) (camels, 378th OShAP’s firstpilotloss(andthethird sincethebeginningof 378th OShAP reported twopilotsandtheiraircraft lostinaction According tothevolume For aerialmine-layingmissionsinAfghanistantheSu-25 carriedtwo Su-25 Attack Aircraft –30 Years In Service, by by along known roads andtrailsused known enemyactivity–mostoften being conductedinareas with frequently by Su-25s, undertaken morning hours,justafterdawn. missions were conductedintheearly day. Most ofthepre-planned ordered strikestobeflown thenext allocate proper resources toall available to aircraft, inaneffort Free-hunting missionswere also Mujahedeen 2 Centre viatheradio re-supply convoys Mujahedeen The second pilot lost during the first 378th OShAP personnel rotation 378 th OS h was reported on 22 July 1985. 2nd AE pilot 1Lt Sergey Shumikhin failed to pull up from a dive for unknown reasons while performing his 11th

attacking pass on the target. As with the previous loss, the pilot made no AP OPERATIONS attempt at ejection, indicating that he had either been incapacitated or lost control of his jet during the attack. SECOND ROTATION IN-THEATRE The second personnel rotation, which arrived on 12 October 1985, consisted of air- and groundcrews drawn from 90th OShAP at Artsiz, under the command of Lt Col Alexander Rutskoy. The newly arriving pilots spent a few days flying with their combat-hardened predecessors to gain basic familiarisation with the demanding conditions in-theatre, before commencing independent combat operations on 21 October. In February 1986 the regiment’s structure was expanded to include one additional component squadron, with personnel drawn from 80th OShAP at Sital-Chai and commanded by Maj Sergey Komarov. The squadron numbering system within 378th OShAP had also been changed, as two of its component squadrons (1st and 2nd AE) and the command section remained based at Bagram, while the third squadron (3rd AE) was stationed at Kandahar, where it received eight new 7th Series aircraft and four 6th Series jets taken from the fleet of 2nd AE. Following this reorganisation, each of the three squadrons in Afghanistan was equipped with 12 Su-25s, with the remaining four being assigned to the regiment’s command flight. In August 1986 four brand-new 8th Series ‘Frogfoots’ were taken on strength at Bagram as attrition replacements. A welcome addition to the Su-25’s arsenal during the second rotation period was the introduction of the Kh-25ML and Kh-29L laser-guided missiles, enabling stand-off strikes against high-value point targets. The first such missions were flown in April 1986 by 378th OShAP’s CO, Lt Col Rutskoy, and 2nd AE CO, Maj Visotskiy. The pair used the new missiles, equipped with concrete-piercing/blast warheads, to seal the entrances of a number of caves used as personnel shelters and weapons/ ammunition depots within the confines of the well-defended Zhawar (Djavara) ‘superbase’ complex near the city of Khost, west of the The Kh-29L laser-guided missile, fitted with a 755-lb shaped-charge Afghanistan–Pakistan border. warhead, was used for the first time A solitary Su-25 in 378th OShAP was specially configured for accurate by Soviet Su-25s in Afghanistan in bomb dropping, being equipped with finely tuned ASP-17BTs-8 electro- April 1986 (Author’s collection) optical sights and employing Kh-29L and Kh-25ML laser-guided missiles that used the jet’s Klyon-PS laser designator/rangefinder equipment for target designation. The previous use of non-tuned laser designator/rangefinders had resulted in misses of between 10 and 30 ft, which was deemed unacceptable when firing laser-guided missiles against point targets. During guided missile launches using self-lasing, the hit accuracy 25

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 26 CHAPTER FOUR Aviatsia iKosmonavtika) Gritskevich (Author’s collection– third from theleft is1LtSergey is 1Lt Vladislav Goncharenko and 1985 to October 1986. Firstontheleft was in Afghanistan from October second 378thOShAProtation, which A group of1st AE pilotsfrom the © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com shallow divingattackprofile. and rockets, rolling inbeneaththeilluminationbombsandusinga group poundedthetargetsthatwere now rendered visiblewith bombs descended slowly under parachutes, the remaining three Su-25s of the aircraft flight. After dropping a string of illumination bombs, which and SAB-250illuminationbombs,carriedby oneofthejetsinafour- routine. The nocturnalstrikesnecessitatedtheemployment ofSAB-100 In 1986theSu-25s asamatterof beganflyingnightcombatsorties allowed the‘Frogfoot’ pilottostayoutrange ofenemyAAAandSAMs. detected by themissile’s seekerheadatextendeddistances. This inturn as closepossibletothetargetcreate apowerful andstablelaserspot, laser designationsystem. Whenever conditionspermitted,it approached machine gun. The BOMANproved tobeahighlyeffective andstable Klyon-PS was optically aimed at the target using the sight from a 12.7 mm Installed onanon-retractableabove protruding support thebody, the system scavenged from anSu-25 thathadbeendamagedbeyond repair. it wasbasedonthebodyofaBTR-80 APC,equippedwithaKlyon-PS by 378thOShAP.introduced intoservice Amakeshifttargetingsystem, self-propelled laser-designationvehicle codenamedBOMANwas immediately afterlaunchingtheirweapons. Consequently, in1987,a missiles, asSu-25 pilotswere now free tocommencedefensive manoeuvring 137 rounds were reported tohave hittheirtargets. using self-lasingoraBOMANvehicle forexternaltargetdesignation– were launchedby 378thOShAP Su-25s during thewarinAfghanistan, According todatareleased by Sukhoi, asmany139laser-guidedmissiles textbook conditions,whiletheminimumlaunchrangewas1.84miles. Su-25. The maximumtargetdetectionrangewasupto4.94milesin the manually controlled laser designator/rangefinder equipment in the came inforcriticismbecauseoflaser-beamstabilityproblems thatafflicted Between 12 October 1985 and 17 October 1986 the second personnel External lasingsignificantlyimproved aimingconditionsforguided NOCTURNAL STRIKES machine gun/AAA projectiles and caused by smallarmsandheavy in-flight combatdamage,54being Su-25s suffered 72instancesof averaging 224 flight hours. The between 250 and 300 sorties, ‘Frogfoots’ in-theatre completed combat hours,whileindividual AEs loggedbetween 270and 300 total). Eachpilotfrom 1stand2nd 5343 (about34percentofthe pre-planned strikemissionswas flown at night. The totalnumberof October 1986), 2510 ofwhich were at Kandaharbetween February and (including thoseloggedby 3rd AE fewer than15,620combatsorties rotation of378th OShAP no flew 18 by SAM warhead fragments. Four aircraft were reported either lost or 378 th OS h damaged beyond economical repair during emergency landings, and one pilot was killed in action.

The first Su-25 shot down during this rotation was the aircraft flown AP OPERATIONS by the regimental CO himself, Lt Col Rutskoy. On 6 April 1986, during a low-level attack against the well-defended Zhawar Mujahedeen re-supply complex by a formation of four Su-25s, Rutskoy’s aircraft was gunned down during his second attack pass by the combined fire of a shoulder- launched missile (possible a General Dynamics FIM-43 Redeye or Strela-2M) and AAA. Rutskoy, who flew a camera-equipped Su-25 for post-strike reconnaissance, ejected at an altitude of 820 ft at a high angle of bank. As a result of the latter, he sustained serious back injuries and a broken arm upon landing. On a few occasions pilots flying Su-25s that had been badly damaged by SAMs elected to make emergency landings instead of ejecting over hostile territory. On 18 April 1986, for example, the jet of Maj Konstantin Ossipov, who was leading a four-aircraft formation, was hit by a SAM During the second personnel rotation during the pilot’s second attacking pass against a Mujahedeen stronghold period (between October 1985 and October 1986) of 378th OShAP, 1Lt within the notorious Zhawar complex. The punctured oil tank of the Vladislav Goncharenko received the starboard engine caused a severe fire inside the fuselage that damaged the highest national award, the Golden electrical system and knocked out most of the instruments in the cockpit. Star of Hero of Soviet Union, for his Realising that it would be impossible to return to Bagram, Ossipov outstanding combat achievements. With 415 combat sorties to his credit decided to attempt an emergency landing at the nearby landing strip at totalling 360 hours, he served as a Khost – despite having received orders from the ground to eject. To make flight commander with 1st AE at matters worse, his aircraft was still carrying an ODAB-500P fuel-air bomb Bagram, and later continued to serve that been impossible to jettison due to the failed electrics. as an instructor with 372nd OIShAE at Djizak, training inexperienced Shortly before landing the Su-25’s control runs failed, having been fully Su-25 pilots prior them being sent consumed by the severe fire raging on board. Maj Ossipov’s luck held, into combat in Afghanistan (Author’s however, as his aircraft continued descending and he eventually landed. collection – Aviatsia i Kosmonavtika) He had touched down with sufficient force to destroy the undercarriage, the damaged Su-25 veering off the runway and colliding with a cow before it eventually stopped in a rice field. The damage caused by the SAM hit, the subsequent fire and the hard landing rendered the ‘Frogfoot’ beyond economical repair, so after the removal of all salvageable parts the aircraft was destroyed in situ with explosive charges. The third Su-25 lost during this rotation was flown by Capt Alexander Smirnov of 1st AE, the aircraft being hit by a SAM while attacking the large Kokari-Sharshari re-supply complex close to the border with on 23 August 1986. The jet caught fire, which destroyed the control runs, and the pilot was forced to bail out of his unflyable machine. After an uneventful descent, Capt Smirnov was promptly recovered by a C-SAR Mi-8MT helicopter loitering in the combat zone. The fourth Su-25 write-off, and the only pilot loss during the second rotation, happened on 2 October 1986 when 1Lt Alexander Baranov of 2nd AE disappeared without trace, along with his jet, while conducting a night search-and-destroy single-aircraft mission from Bagram. He was instructed to follow a familiar Su-25 patrol route stretching from Bagram to Kabul and then turn south and fly along the Pakistani border in search of Mujahedeen activity – typically vehicles in re-supply convoys travelling with their headlights on. An intensive four-day search for the missing pilot and his aircraft proved fruitless. 27

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 28 CHAPTER FOUR 1988 (Author’s collection ) of 3rd AE from February 1986 to July in 1988. This was thepermanent base A bird’s-eye viewofKandaharairport © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com The battery ofeight32-round dispensersenabledtheSu-25The battery tomountas the flare ejectioncontrols were moved ontothepilot’s control column. side of the engine nacelles, increasing flare capacity from 126 to 256, while taken by attachingfouradditional ASO-2V-01 dispensersontheupper to enhancetheSu-25’s self-protection againstheat-seeking SAMswere multiple attacksbecausetheycontainedonly126flares. Prompt measures However, thesedispenserscouldnotprovide prolonged protection during systems beingknown tobeprone tohigh-temperature-flare jamming. heat-emitting flares todecoy themissiles,SAMs’ heat-seekingguidance dispensers installed either side of the Su-25’s fin. These ejected PPI-26 en masseduring1985-86,wasinitiallyprovided by fourASO-2V-01 flare created asmallsmokecloudupondetonation. in mid-air following the triggering of a self-destruction timer. They The grenades leftdistinctive smoketrailsintheirwake before exploding had beenunguidedrocket-propelled grenades fired by RPG-7launchers. ‘Frogfoots’. It latertranspired, however, thatthemajorityoftheseweapons on theground countedasmany 60SAMlaunchesagainstattacking Gritskevich (a pilotfrom the1985-86Su-25 rotation) recalled thatFACs fixed- aircraft were androtary-winged downed by suchweapons. increased to147in1985and8471986,whennofewerthan23Soviet launches were saidtohave beenmade by the the in theformofStrela-2M, andtheirfirstsuccessfulemployment by heavy machinegunsand150Oerlikons. estimated thattheMujahedeen ofnofewerthan530 hadaninventory effective well inexcess of 6560ft. By 1986 Soviet intelligence military machine gunwas5000to6000ft,whilethe20mmAAApiecesremained of alldowned Soviet aircraft. The effective rangeofthe DShK-12.5 heavy 14.5 mmheavymachinegunsaccountedforbetween 25and42percent In 1985 Protection againsttheMujahedeen’s heat-seekingmissiles,introduced During alarge-scaleoperationnearKhostinMarch-April 1986,Sergey In 1982 Soviet forces first reported capturing shoulder-launched SAMs Mujahedeen STRENGTHENED AIRDEFENCES Mujahedeen wasreported thefollowing year. In 198462SAM Oerlikon 20mmAAApiecesand12.7 directly over therunway, pilots between 7900ftand9200 possible. Starting at an altitude of asmuch around theairfield within theguarded perimeter adopt asteepapproach soastostay landing at Bagram now had to threat alsomeantthatSu-25 pilots in Afghanistanearly1986. programming were modified on-site automatic flare-launch and number ofASO-2Vdispensers ‘Frogfoots’ tohave anincreased sequences. The first378thOShAP ‘pumping’ flares non-stopin pre-set many aseightattacking passes by The increased SAM and AAA Mujahedeen ; this figure 378 th OS h AP OPERATIONS

would enter into a steep spiral with a high rate of descent. Despite the More than half of the grand total of strict implementation of these defensive measures, on 21 January 1987 about 60,000 combat sorties flown by the VVS in Afghanistan were 1Lt Konstantin Pavlykov was shot down while in a left-hand turn towards performed at high altitude to avoid Kabul immediately after taking off from Bagram. All subsequent takeoffs ground fire. Following the and landings were covered by pairs of Mi-24 patrolling non-stop around introduction of the Stinger missile in the airfield, their crews on the lookout for suspicious activity in an effort late 1986 the SAM threat effectively forced low-level attack aircraft out of to prevent SAM launches from the Mujahedeen-controlled green zone next their natural environment – the to the heavily guarded base perimeter. ‘Frogfoot’ was the VVS’s most In late 1986/early 1987, owing to the sharp increase in losses and heavy effective tool for CAS for ground damage following the mass deployment of the new and much more lethal forces. Here, 7th or 8th Series machine ‘22’ flies over a typical General Dynamics FIM-92 Stinger SAM, a set of new recommendations mountain landscape during the first was issued in an effort to reduce the vulnerability of the attack aircraft. half of 1987 (Author’s collection – For instance, strikes now had to be mounted in sections of four to eight Aviatsia i Kosmonavtika) Su-25s, the four-aircraft group being preferred whenever possible. Pilots were also advised to proceed to the target area at between 19,700 ft and 21,300 ft, after which attack runs were to be undertaken singly, with 15-second intervals between the aircraft. Only one run was to be made, rolling in to attack directly (i.e. without previously orbiting over the target) from the direction of the sun wherever possible. The attack runs of the succeeding aircraft in the group had to be conducted from different directions, with offsets of 15 to 20 degrees between the attack headings. Attack runs had to be made in a 45- to 60-degree dive, and in manual sighting mode only. Bombs were to be dropped at between 19,700 ft and 13,100 ft above the ground, with a hard deck (i.e. the minimum altitude at the lowest point of the dive, when the pilot levelled off, before starting the climb-out) limit set at 11,480 ft. Upon the release of ordnance, flares had to be pumped out until a height of 19,700 ft was attained. Upon initiating pull-out, a climb angle of between 25 and 30 degrees was recommended. Whilst climbing for height the aircraft was to fly in a zig-zag pattern, the pilot yanking 45 degrees left and right while rolling through 50 to 60 degrees. With an increased number of Stinger SAMs and 20 mm AAA pieces in-theatre during the second half of 1986, all pre-planned strikes were now to be performed in a single attacking pass. However, re-supply convoys or targets designated by FACs during CAS missions still had to be attacked three or four times in a series of increasingly risky low-altitude passes in order to achieve the desired effect. In July 1986 3rd AE was tasked with supporting a large-scale combined- arms operation aimed at destroying a number of enemy groups hiding in 29

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 30 CHAPTER FOUR Union (Author’s collection) Golden StarofHero oftheSoviet He was posthumouslyawarded the killed inactiontheCharikar area. Konstantin Pavlykov ejected andwas Bagram on21January 1987, 1Lt immediately after takeoff from After hisSu-25was hitby aSAM © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com using thisdeadly weapon, itsmassintroduction becoming adecisive factor 1986 andFebruary 1987nofewerthanfourSu-25s were gunneddown could also hit targets at altitudes upto14,800 ft. Between November warhead andaproximity fuseforincreased killprobability, theStinger resistance to flare jamming, precision infrared homing, a more powerful time in-theatre inSeptember 1986).In additiontohavingvastly improved modern FIM-92AStinger shoulder-launched SAMs(usedforthefirst andfarmorenew lethalthreat, asthe atthetime–80th,90thand368thOShAPs. drawn from allthree existing VVS Su-25-equipped frontline attack place between October 1986andOctober 1987,anditinvolved pilots The third personnelrotation with1stand2ndAEsof378thOShAP took while atthesametimeavoiding beingfired atfrom theground.’ with thehillyterrainwhileIlookedforroads thatneededtobemined, my low-flying jetbutwere unabletoseeit.Ihadbecareful nottocollide while Iwasworking overhead andinvisibletothem. The enemycouldhear the multipletracers. The enemygunnerstargetedtheilluminationbombs I was opposed bydesert. fierce enemy fire, with the skies being lit up by Iwasabletolayminesonfourroads inthe this method,inonesortie Zagretidinov, wouldprovide justenoughlightformetoflytwolegs–using that a string of illumination bombs dropped by my wingman, Rustam safe low-altitude nocturnalflying.Ididsomemissioncalculations,showing were situatedwithinaplainarea adjacenttotheArganabRiver, allowing with thetargetarea litby stringsofilluminationbombs. The enemyroutes the multiplelow-altitude legsIdecidedtoflyunderthecover ofdarkness, hazardous missions; managed to increase his chances while of survival performing these enemy heavymachineguns,AAAandSAMs.Koshkin describedhow he anothermine-layingleg. starting This madetheSu-25s easytargetsfor level flightforupto12secondsoneach pass,followed by aU-turn,before between 660ftand1312ft. The aircraft hadtomaintainstraightand to beflown atspeedsofbetween 340mphand435ataltitudesof missions withKMGU-2mine-dispersingpods.Mine-sowing passeswere among thesmallgroup ofSu-25 pilotswhoconductedaerialmine-laying battle zone atnight. 12 suspected routes used by the enemy re-supply convoys headingtothe Kandahar-based ‘Frogfoot’ squadron withthejoboflayingminefieldson Army’s commandingofficertaskedthemostexperiencedpilotsfrom the bring an end to the offensive, and thus prevent losses, the 40th further ammunition andreinforcements cominginfrom nearby Pakistan. Keen to positions insidethegreen supplyof zone thankstotheuninterrupted Soviet troops began to suffer painful losses. The enemy was able to hold its Mujahedeen operation tooklongerthanexpectedowing tothefierce resistance of forces, eachday. loggingbetween 30and40combatsorties However, the the green zone southofKandahar. The Su-25s provided CASfortheground The third rotation wasdeployed toAfghanistanjustintimefacea ‘In order toreduce theaircraft’s vulnerabilityfrom ground fire during 1Lt AlexanderKoshkin, 3rd AEDeputy CO(Political Affairs),was HEAVY LOSSESFOR THIRD ROTATION fightersdeeplyentrenched inthegreen zone, andasaresult the Mujahedeen hadbegundeploying in the conflict as it enabled 378 th OS h Mujahedeen field commanders to effectively counter the threat posed

by low-flying VVS helicopters and AP OPERATIONS ground attack jets. The Stinger threat eventually forced the latter to deliver their ordnance from much higher altitudes, which immediately reduced their CAS effectiveness. As a result of the introduction of the Stinger the third personnel rotation of 378th OShAP reported the highest combat attrition rate of the campaign, losing no fewer than 11 Su-25s and five pilots. An additional ‘Frogfoot’ was damaged beyond economical repair and returned to the Soviet Union for detailed combat damage analyses. Thus, This memorial to the five 378th the 40-aircraft 378th OShAP effectively lost 30 per cent of its fleet in only OShAP pilots killed in action flying from Bagram between October 1986 one year of intense COIN combat operations against an omnipresent, and November 1987 was erected at well-armed and motivated enemy. The heaviest losses were sustained by the airfield in late 1987. The five pilots 2nd AE, accounting for three pilots and five aircraft, while 1st AE lost were, from left to right, 1Lt Igor two pilots and four aircraft, 3rd AE two aircraft and the regimental Alyoshin, Capt Miroslav Burak and 1Lts Konstantin Pavlykov, Vladimir command section reported one aircraft lost. In addition, another jet flown Paltusov and Viktor Zemlyakov. The by a 1st AE pilot was withdrawn from use after taking a missile hit that memorial, minus the plaques, is still inflicted serious damage, although its pilot managed to make a successful in existence at Bagram today (Andrey emergency landing. Kozhemyakin archive via Author) According to accounts from former pilots of 378th OShAP who served with the third rotation, one of the downed Su-25s (flown by Capt Miroslav Burak) is believed to have taken a direct hit from a 122 mm illumination round fired by a Soviet field artillery unit overhead Mujahedeen positions being attacked by ‘Frogfoots’ at night on 5 February 1987. The aircraft, which happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, disintegrated in the mid-air, killing Burak. Despite the proliferation of Stinger SAMs, only one Su-25 pilot was killed by enemy fire. Accidents caused by handling errors claimed the lives of Lt Igor Alyoshin on 20 November 1986 and 1Lt Victor Zemlyakov on 13 September 1987, while the loss of the fifth pilot, 1Lt Vladimir Paltusov on 20 July 1987, was attributed to the failure of the Su-25’s oxygen equipment during high-altitude flight. As previously noted in this chapter, 1Lt Konstantin Pavlykov became the sole fatality when his aircraft was brought down by a Stinger on 21 January 1987. Flying his third combat sortie of the day as a wingman, Pavlykov and his flight lead were tasked with covering transport and passenger aircraft taking off and landing at Kabul airport by dropping illumination bombs to fool heat-seeking missiles. Just moments after taking off from Bagram he was shot down, his aircraft being in a left turn when the Stinger hit it. Pavlykov ejected successfully but was then killed on the ground during a fierce and protracted firefight with a Mujahedeen group in the Charikar area. The C-SAR operation, launched several minutes after the shoot-down was reported, failed to locate the downed 31

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 32 CHAPTER FOUR (Sukhoi Company) of this very dramatic sortie remained functionaluntiltheend Fortunately, thecontrol system titanium control rod diameter. turn consumed95percentofthe fluid leakingunderpressure. This in inside thefuselage, fed by hydraulic engine failure andastarting afire starboard side, causinginstant high andfive feet longonthe warhead created aholethree feet to Obedkov’s aircraft, theStinger land. Explodingincloseproximity ‘Frogfoots’ thatapilotmanaged to the mostseriously battle-damaged Maj Anatoliy Obedkov, was oneof 8th Series Su-25c/n08033, flown by © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com ejection attempt owing tothefailure of theparachute. me initially thoughtthat I had been killed in myformation escorting domes suddenlycollapsedandfell totheground. Allofthepilots in the separation, the twin-dome ’chute descended for 160 ft, and then both the remaining seven pilotsinmygroup thoughtIhad ejected.After seconds later. However, seeing adeployed ’chutefallingtotheground, failing toseparateimmediately afterthat.Luckily, itfellawayafew of theaircraft’s brake’chuteataspeedofaround 220mph,the’chute circuits. short These, inturn,ledtotheunintentionalin-flightdeployment the overheating of a wiringbundlenext to them, resulting in a series of the airspeedindicator. inthecockpitwereworking instruments speedindicatorand thevertical impossible tojettisonthebombshangingunderwing. The only andwiththeelectricalsystemlostitproveddamaged bothDCconverters, low-pressure turbine. The fragmentsfrom thedetonatedwarhead ofthecombustionchamberandjamming nacelle andtheupperpart area on28July 1987.Obedkov recalled; attack missionflown by aneight-aircraft formationintheSurubi Dam the starboard engineofhisaircraft duringalow-level re-supply convoy taking SAMhits.In Obedkov’s casethemissile damagedthefuselageand who madeemergencylandingsintheirheavilydamagedSu-25s after Maj Anatoliy Obedkov, Chief of Staff of 1st AE, was one of three pilots as well as1992miscellaneousbombs (mainlyofilluminationtype). mine-laying. As many as 41,349 rockets and 26,878 bombs were expended, 338 (2.8percent)toaerialreconnaissance and432(3.5percent)toaerial total) were dedicated to CAS, 6809 (59.4 per cent) to pre-planned strikes, (8.6percentofthe totalling 9317flyinghours.Of these, 1119sorties 1986and20October 1987,amassed12,269combatsorties 24 October depots, 17motorvehicles andupto 120enemycombatants. teams,fourweapons/munitions storagepieces, sixrecoilless artillery ‘Furthermore, theravaging fire thatdestroyed caused theDCconverters SAMdetonatednexttomystarboard engine,shredding‘The the The third rotation of378thOShAP, whichhadtakenplacebetween SURVIVING HITS heavy machine gun nests, four AAA heavy machinegunnests,fourAAA ofseven destruction/neutralisation his exploitsincludedthe had flown and 89combatsorties, 1986 and21 January 1987Pavlykov noted thatbetween lateOctober listing his combat achievements theSoviet Union. The report of awarded the Golden Star of Hero Pavlykov wasposthumously resistance afterejection,1Lt achievements and determined increased threat level. wasterminatedowingeffort tothe pilot in time, and after dark the For hisoutstandingwar ‘Somehow I managed to stay aloft and coax my damaged aeroplane to 378 th OS h Kabul, where, because of severe buffeting, I decided to attempt a landing. Despite having damaged flight controls, I successfully touched down in

the still burning jet. Without functioning brakes and a brake ’chute, I AP OPERATIONS rolled along the entire length of the runway at high speed, overshot and continued on over the rough terrain until the aeroplane finally came to a halt in a trench next to a minefield.’ Obedkov’s 8th Series Su-25 (‘23’, c/n 08033) had been hit by one of two Stingers launched by the targeted convoy’s air defence section. In addition to the completely destroyed electrical system, the severe damage inflicted by the missile caused a complete failure of the aircraft’s dual- redundant hydraulic system. The on-board fire was fed by flammable hydraulic fluid spraying under pressure from the severed control lines, and the control runs also suffered badly from heat damage. After the landing it was discovered that some 95 per cent of the titanium control rod diameter had been eaten away by the fire. Fortunately the control system remained functional until the end of this very dramatic sortie. As Obedkov recalled later, after the hit his heavily laden ‘Frogfoot’, which was carrying two 800-litre external tanks (and 3000 litres of fuel internally), Maj Alexander Rybakov, Deputy CO four RBK-250 250 kg (550-lb) cluster bombs and two full B8M rocket (Political Affairs) of 2nd AE, made a successful emergency landing on 28 packs, remained airborne at a speed as low 105 mph. It gradually accelerated May 1987 after his Su-25 suffered a to 175 mph and even climbed despite having one inoperable engine. SAM hit during a CAS mission. The Following its recovering from the trench at Kabul, the aircraft was written- port engine was damaged and off. The Su-25 was subsequently handed over to Sukhoi so that it could shrapnel pierced the aircraft’s skin and entered the cockpit, wounding undertake a detailed examination of the damage and evaluate the the pilot in the face (Author’s effectiveness of the self-protection features fitted to 8th Series ‘Frogfoots’. collection – Aviatsia i Kosmonavtika) The first pilot from this rotation to suffer a SAM hit in his ‘Frogfoot’ and still manage a successful emergency landing was Maj Alexander Rybakov, Deputy CO (Political Affairs) of 2nd AE. On 28 May 1987 he was flying as wingman to his CO, Lt Col Grigoriy Strepetov, on a CAS mission for Soviet forces in the Alikheil area that were supporting Afghani This 9th Series Su-25, ‘02’, flown by troops involved in a firefight with a Mujahedeen group. During the Su-25s’ Maj Alexander Rybakov, is seen second attacking pass the FAC on the ground spotted a SAM that had been resting on its belly after the pilot’s emergency landing at Kabul on launched at Rybakov’s jet. He issued a prompt warning just as Rybakov 28 May 1987, after taking a SAM hit. started pulling away from the target area after he had completed his diving The aircraft is armed with two B8M pass. With his aircraft flying relatively slowly as he tried to regain altitude, rocket packs (Author’s collection) Rybakov was unable to make the sharp turns needed to evade the missile. The SAM (some Russian sources claim that it was a Shorts Blowpipe, which was using manual command- to-line-of-sight guidance) detonated close to the aircraft and fragments punctured the canopy, inflicting superficial wounds on the pilot’s face. Unperturbed, Rybakov requested permission to perform a third firing pass, but Strepetov ordered that he immediately return to base. Only then did Rybakov 33

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 34 CHAPTER FOUR abandon taking SAMhits. The firstpilotto badly damaged‘Frogfoots’ after successfully ejectedfrom their rotation period as many as six pilots During 378thOShAP’s third reparability infieldconditions. aimed atevaluating theSu-25’s in anexperimental programme decided towriteitoff. However, theylaterordered ittoberepaired inflicted onGolubtsov’s aircraft, VVS commandpersonnelinitially entered a minefield. Afterexamining the extent of thecombat damage Kandahar attwilight,althoughtheaircraft veered and offtherunway leader, Maj Sergey Gorohov, heeventually managedtolandsafelyat of mosttheaircraft’s systems. engine nozzles,inflictingheavydamageandcausingsubsequentfailure the SAM’s warheaddestroyed mostofthejet’s tail section behind the Stinger during theSu-25s’ firstlow-level attackpass. The detonationof ‘Frogfoot’ (‘47’),armedwithsixUB-32Mrocket pods,washitby a in a suburb ofKandahar when his aircraft was targeted. His 7th Series CAS forSpecial Operations forces involved inafirefight withtheenemy flying atlow level asawingmanforpairofSu-25s taskedwithproviding managed toregain control oftheaircraft andlandsafely. Golubtsov was that causedsignificantdamageon24October 1987,althoughhe eventually ground tohaltinthesoftearth. and slidingonitsbellyformore than1300ft,thebadlydamagedSu-25 stripalongsideit. electing insteadtousetheearth Touching down gently failed. agear-uplandingonthepaved runway,The pilotdecidednottotry systems, andtheundercarriage’s emergencylowering systemhadalso Kabul. By then,however, theSu-25 hadalready lostbothofitshydraulic emergency landing.Guided by Strepetov, Rybakov managedtoreach speed andeventually emergingfrom thecloud. able tomaintaincontrol, establishing straight-and-level flight,regaining turn totheleft,butRybakov was enginecausedtheaircraft toport generatedby theinoperable thrust from developing. The asymmetric promptly inorder toprevent astall point Rybakov wasforced toreact clouds thejetlostspeed,atwhich into thered sector. Upon entering withthetemperaturethrust, going hit. enginebeganlosingThe port thought immediatelyafteritwas severely damaged than he had realise that his aircraft was more Nevertheless, theyoung Su-25 pilotremained by his cooland,escorted A 3rd AE pilot, 1Lt Pyotr Golubtsov, suffered aStinger hit inthetail The nextsteprequired himtoturntowards thenearest foran airfield EJECTIONS (text continueson page46) © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com in situ

(Sukhoi Company) Special Forces on24October 1987 Kandahar during aCAS missionfor attack enemy fighters inasuburbof section justasthepilotwas aboutto had explodednearthejet’s tail Combat RedStarmedal. A Stinger 7th Series Su-25, was awarded the Golubtsov, seeninthecockpit ofhis returning to base, 1LtPyotr his heavily damaged aircraft, ‘47’, and For hisbravery incontinuingto fly (Sukhoi Company) Golubtsov landedatKandahar Series aircraft remained flyable and the enginenozzles, butthe7th underfuselage sectionjustbehind and destroyed mostofthe warhead detonated closeto thetail ‘47’ on24October 1987. The Stinger’s 1Lt Pyotr Golubtsov’s 3rd AE Su-25 A closeupofthedamage inflicted to 2 July 1981 Afghanistan, Shindand, VVS, of 200th OShAE, Su-25 c/n 01024/‘05’ 3 1984 October Afghanistan, Kandahar, VVS, AE/378th OShAP, Su-25 c/n 05027/‘37’ of 2nd 1 June 1980 Afghanistan, Shindand, 81’ of the Sukhoi Design Bureau, ‘Yellow T8-1D prototype COLOUR PLATES

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© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 4 1986 April Afghanistan, Bagram, VVS, AE/378th OShAP, of 1st Su-25 c/n 06016/‘26’ 5 1987 October Afghanistan, Kandahar, VVS, AE/378th OShAP, Su-25 c/n 07063/‘47’ of 3rd 6 July 1987 Afghanistan, Bagram, VVS, AE/ 378th OShAP, Su-25 c/n 08033/‘23’ of 1st

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© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 7 July 1987 Afghanistan, Bagram, VVS, AE/378th OShAP, Su-25 c/n 09083/‘Red 09’ of 1st 8 Afghanistan, Kandahar, VVS, AE/378th OShAP, 63’ of 3rd Su-25UB c/n 38220113117/‘Red 1988 November 9 July 1988 Afghanistan, Bagram, VVS, AE/378th OShAP, 54’ of 1st Su-25 c/n 10077/‘Red

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© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 11 1993 May Abkhazia, Gudauta, RuAF, AE/802nd UAP, ‘Red 06’ of 3rd Su-25K 10 1993 March Abkhazia, Gudauta, RuAF, IShAP, ‘Red 32’ of 186th Su-25UB 12 1993 April Uzbekistan, Kokayty, RuAF, IShAP, ‘Red 32’ of 186th Su-25BM

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© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 13 July 2004 Kyrgyzstan, Kant, RuAF, ShAP, 51’ of 187th ‘White Su-25 14 July 2000 Russia, Budennovsk, RuAF, ‘Red 59’ of 368th ShAP, Su-25BM 15 1999 September Russia, Mozdok, RuAF, AE/461st ShAP, ‘Red 21’ of 1st Su-25UB

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© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 16 2008 August Russia, Budennovsk, RuAF, ‘Red 05’ of 368th ShAP, Su-25SM 17 2008 August Russia, Budennovsk, RuAF, ‘Red 46’ of 461st ShAP, Su-25K 18 July 2005 Kyrgyzstan, Kant, RuAF, ShAP, ‘Red 92’ of 187th Su-25UB

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© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 19 2009 May Russia, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, RuAF, ‘Red 27’ of 960th ShAP, Su-25 20 2008 May Russia, Lipetsk, RuAF, ISIAP, AE/760th ‘Red 84’ of 2nd Su-25T 21 2008 August Georgia, Marneuli, Air Force, Georgian Squadron, Attack of the ‘Blue 18’ Su-25KM

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© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 23 1989 May , Baghdad, Air Force, Su-25K c/n 25590 of the Iraqi 24 Aérea Nacional Força Regiment, Fighter-Bomber of the 2nd Squadron/26th ‘Red B-18’ Su-25K 1990 , Namib, , Angolana 22 2010 August Iran, Tehran, Guards, Islamic Revolutionary 56’ of the Iran ‘Black Su-25K

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© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 27 Republic of the of the Democratic Air Force Air Group, Tactical FG-500’ ‘White of the 2nd Su-25 June 2001 Republic of Congo, Democratic Kamina, Congo, 26 2004 October Coast, Ivory Abidjan, , d’Ivoire de Cote Aerienne ‘Red 02’ of the Force Su-25 25 Air Force, Macedonian Wing, Squadron/Air 120’ of the 101st Su-25UB c/n 38220113522/‘Grey June 2001 Macedonia, Petrovec,

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© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com Talara, July 2001 Talara, 11, del Perú, Aérea Fuerza 29 2010 August Sudan, El Fashir, Air Force, 203’ of the Sudanese ‘Black Su-25 28 Aeroe Grupo 112/ ‘087’ of the Esquadron Su-25UB 30 Gumri, Air Force, Armenian Squadron, Aviation ‘Red 70’ of the 121st Ground-Attack Su-25UBK August 2005 ,

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© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 31 July 2014 Iraq, Base, Air Force Talib Abi Ali bin Imam Air Force, 56’ of the Iraqi ‘Black Su-25K 32 July 2014 Iraq, Base, Air Force Talib Abi Ali bin Imam Air Force, 58’ of the Iraqi ‘Black Su-25UBK 33 summer 2014 Ukraine, Nikolayev-Kulbakino, Brigade, Aviation Tactical ‘Blue 25’ of the 299th Su-25

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© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 46 CHAPTER FOUR Author) (Andrey Kozhemyakin archive via before thisaircraft took aStinger hit This photograph was taken only days Afghanistan mountainlandscape. Su-25 ‘06’ fliesover atypical © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com and hehismenwere headinghome.’ its ordnance Strepetov reported thatthemissionhadbeenaccomplished their attacks,whichlastedforfive minutes.Aftertheflighthadexpended manoeuvred into a racetrack pattern over the wrong valley and commenced up avalley totherightratherthan totheleft. The fourSu-25s quickly the target area, Strepetov’s flight headed for the wrong valley – they flew defence positions before we targeted the valley. However, upon reaching Grigoriy Strepetov,Lt Col thatthey wouldtakecare ofhittingtheair Beforeattack runs. takeoffwe hadagreed withtheotherflight,ledby machine gun positions that needed to be suppressed before we started our had downed CaptFabry. flights were despatchedtothesamevalley totargettheenemyfightersthat to Bagram and, following quick refuelling and rearming, two four-aircraft friendly troops.’ before ejecting from his now uncontrollable aircraft. He was recovered by Capt Fabry’s luckheldforhemanagedtoreach theroad leadingtoKabul “eject”, andhow toreach hehadreplied Kabul”. “Iwilltry In theevent ontheradio–howeverything hehadreported thehit,how theyshouted the hit. We were five minutesbehindthefirstformation butheard four-aircraft formationheadingto bomb thesametargetandnever saw taken ahitfrom aStinger SAM[over Rayanvillage].Iwasinthesecond east ofKabul].Anhourearlieroneourpilots,CaptAlexey Fabry, had Koshkin recalled, ‘pounding avalley nexttoaKadashivillage[15miles day toStinger SAMswhileattackingtargetsinthesamevalley. mentor thelessexperiencedpilotsinunit. Two Su-25s were lostthat on 3 December 1986 whilsthe was temporarily assigned to 2nd AE to 1986 andJanuary 1987.One ofhismostmemorablemissionsoccurred OShAP’s 3rdinAfghanistanbetween March 515combatsorties AE,flew thefirstSu-25certainly tohave beenclaimedby aStinger inAfghanistan. the C-SARteamdespatchedtorecover him.Ploskonos’ aircraft wasalmost from adive attack.He managedtoejectsuccessfullyandwasrescued by whose jetwashitby aStinger on18November 1986duringhispull-out his terminallydamagedSu-25 wasLtColNikolay Ploskonos, 1stAECO, ‘I memorised that valley, where I had spotted no fewer than ten heavy After delivering theirbombsonthetarget, thesecondflightturnedback ‘I wasonarevenge missionnear the Surubi Dam, east of Kabul,’ Alexander Koshkin, oneofmostcombat-experiencedpilots378th deliver itsordnance ontoavalley Alexander Rybakov, rolled into Su-25 from theflight, flown by Maj cleared thetargetarea, thefourth firing rockets. Once theyhad attacks each,dropping bombsand suit, rolling in and making four Koshkin andhiswingmanfollowed maps. He madetwopassesandthen emplacements marked on the pilots’ correct DShK heavymachine gun rolled intoattackandsuppress the Koshkin’s formation,Maj Shulimov, Moments latertheleaderof floor already obscured by fire and smoke. After completing their work 378 th OS h the Su-25s climbed away to 16,400 ft to form up into formation and return home.

Maj Shulimov, however, decided to mount one more attack, flying back AP OPERATIONS into the valley to deliver his remaining ordnance. Pulling up in a westerly direction after his last run, he headed towards a high ridgeline rising above 16,400 ft. During the steep climb-out his speed dropped away, at which point a SAM was fired at him from the slope immediately beneath his slow-flying Su-25. Koshkin recalled this critical moment; ‘The missile’s trail looked like cigarette smoke. It hit the Su-25 accurately in the tail, tearing off skin panels, and then an explosion followed. I shouted, “Kolya, you took a missile hit! Eject!” Having realised what had happened he promptly ejected, leaving the aircraft to fly into the sloping mountain and hit it just beneath the top of the ridgeline. At that moment my knees began shaking because Shulimov had failed to pass over the ridgeline and reach neutral territory. Instead, my comrade found himself descending beneath his parachute inside the valley we had just bombed. I rolled in and attacked the site from where the SAM had been fired. It was not an act of revenge any more. Now I was just trying to keep the enemies’ heads down, and to stop them from organising a search operation to capture the downed pilot.’ Koshkin immediately informed the C2 Centre at Bagram about the location of the ejected pilot, who had landed in a valley with an elevation of 11,800 ft above sea level. The remaining two aircraft from the flight attacked the village and the adjacent road, but then had to turn back to Bagram after running out of ordnance. Koshkin continued circling overhead alone, however, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the parachute canopy ‘splashed’ on the steep slope while he awaited the arrival of the C-SAR party. Although his aircraft had a low fuel state, he was the only one on-scene able to guide the helicopters directly to Shulimov’s position, as the downed pilot’s personal locator beacon, which was supposed to be activated automatically upon landing, remained silent. When the C-SAR helicopters finally reached the scene Koshkin had considerable difficulty directing them to the right spot, as their crews were initially unable to detect the parachute canopy despite detailed instructions from the Su-25 pilot circling overhead. By then his remaining fuel was sufficient for only ten more minutes of flight, so after the helicopters made one more fruitless pass over the valley Koshkin was on the verge of having to head for Bagram. Finally, a flight technician in one the helicopters spotted the parachute canopy, and shortly thereafter his Mi-8MT landed at the site previously pinpointed by Koshkin. Upon touching down, a group of rescuers jumped from the helicopter and streaked downhill to recover Shulimov. ‘I continued circling overhead to cover the group from possible attacks, remaining above the rescue scene until the helicopter took off. I tried not to look at the fuel gauge during this final phase of the rescue. I then began climbing up to 19,680 ft while turning towards Bagram. A few minutes later I made visual contact with the airfield and warned the C2 Centre that I was going to perform a direct landing approach (i.e. without entering into the landing circuit). While on the glideslope the starboard engine flamed out because it had run out of fuel, and shortly afterwards the port one followed suit. I continued flying in a complete silence that 47

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 48 CHAPTER FOUR i Kosmonavtika) SAM (Author’s collection–Aviatsia by thenewlyintroduced Stinger combat, mostofthembrought down three pilotsandfive aircraft in and October 1987. Hissquadron lost Afghanistan between October 1986 Strepetov, hadavery difficult tour in 2nd AE’s CO, LtColGrigoriy © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com CO of 2nd AE, conducted such a mission, intended to rescue apilot of263rd missions inhigh-threat areas. On 16 May 1987 LtColGrigoriy Strepetov, From timetotheSu-25s were inC-SAR alsocalledupontoparticipate andwaspromptly recovered.hit nearKandaharairfield flying insidePakistani airspaceatthetime‘Frogfoot’ washit. confirmed by PAF sources. Obedkov noted thattheSu-25 group was a Pakistani AirForce (PAF) F-16AFighting Falcon, althoughthiswasnot that Garbuzov’s aircraft hadtakenahitfrom anair-to-airmissilefired by who led the second four-aircraft group in this mission, participating stated ejected andwaspromptly recovered by aC-SARteam.AnatoliyObedkov, hit by a SAM during acombat mission in the Alikheil area. The pilot jumped onboard. descended and hovered over the top of the hill while Ryabov quickly orange smokecloud.One ofthehelicopters turnedtowards thesmoke, his hideandfired hisonlysignalflare, whichgeneratedahighlyvisible approached thearea. Upon hearingthehelicoptersRyabov emergedfrom to delaytheadvance ofthehostilelocals. strafing thetrailleadingfrom thevillage tothetopofhillinaneffort Bagram therescue tosupport effort. arrivedThe newly jetscontinued another four-aircraft ‘Frogfoot’ formationthathadbeenscrambledfrom thearea,ammunition anddeparted buttheywere promptly replaced by The three Su-25s covering theejectedpilotsoonranoutoffueland to stoporatleastdelaytheadvance ofthelocalswithhostileintentions. running uphill as far as possible from the village, while his comrades strove descending anddisconnectinghisparachuteharness,Ryabov began group oflocalswhowere walkingtowards Ryabov. Immediately after circling over theejectionsite,usingtheirremaining rockets toseeoffa Su-25 pilots,led by theCOof2ndAE,LtColGrigoriy Strepetov, began hill nexttoavillage.Afterseeingtheircomradeeject,theremaining three the DCgenerators,andthenengineslostthrust. close totheaircraft’s tail,knockingoutbothhydraulic systemsaswell as manoeuvring inorder toavoid theSAM. The Stinger warheaddetonated by themissile,Ryabov was‘too low andtooslow’ toinitiatehard second attackpass.Struggling forbothspeedandaltitudewhentargeted when hisSu-25 tookaSAMhitwhilstpullingoutofdive duringhis by helicopters.Ryabovinserted wasflyingaswingmaninthefirstpair tasked withproviding thatwasbeing CASforatacticalairassaultparty stating thatRyabov ofafour-aircraft formationthathadbeen waspart magazine, CO of2ndAE,wasshotdown intheJalalabad area. The VVS’s official adventures.’without further managed toreach [after15secondsofun-powered therunway flight] with alargewingspanthatallows glidingwithenginesoff, soIeventually I have never heard inflightbefore. The Su-25, however, isagoodmachine, On 1June 3rd AEpilot 1LtSergey Koinov ejectedaftertaking aSAM On 2April the‘Frogfoot’ flown by 1LtAndrey Garbuzov of1stAEwas Some oftwoMi-8MTs 20minutesaftertheejectionaC-SARparty Ryabov hadlittlechoicebuttoeject,andhedescendedontoasloping On 28 January 1987 anSu-25 flown by Maj Eduard Ryabov, Deputy Aviatsia ontheincident, iKosmonavtika, publishedanarticle ‘FITTER’ PILOT RESCUE ORAE (Otdel’naya Razvedyvatel’naya Aviatsionnaya Eskadrilya 378 th OSHAP OPERATIONS – Independent Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron), also stationed at Bagram. An Su-17M3 ‘Fitter-K’ flown by Capt Mikhail Alexandrov had taken a Stinger hit while returning to Bagram at high altitude, the pilot managing to eject and descending about 29 miles south-west of Kabul. The ‘Frogfoot’ pair involved in the C-SAR effort was led by Strepetov, with Maj Alexander Rybakov as his wingman. Initially, they flew at high altitude to avoid the enemy SAMs, but the pilots quickly realised that it would be next to impossible to spot either the ejected pilot or his parachute canopy from such a safe height. Having decided to approach the crash site at low level, they knew that they had to fool the enemy, who were expected to have set up SAM and heavy machine gun ambushes around the downed Su-17M3R, in order to avoid being shot down. The pair started their low- altitude run at about 13 miles from the crash site, the Su-25s entering a neighbouring valley at ultra-low level and high speed, then As a rule the VPU-17A gun pack, turning sharply to fly accurately into the mouth of the correct valley. containing a twin-barrel GSh-30 cannon, was a last-ditch weapon that At this point the pair came under heavy machine gun fire from a was used in the final years of the war position in a village on the right slope, but without effect. However, there in Afghanistan essentially to provide were no signs of the crashed Su-17M3R or its pilot in the valley. The cover for downed aircrew until the Su-25 pilots then realised that they had entered a trap, as they faced a arrival of the C-SAR party (Author’s collection) vertical wall at the end of the valley. They immediately made a steep climb away to avoid colliding with the ground, but as their speed was relatively low following the sharp turn to enter the valley, they were barely able to avoid hitting the ridgeline. Popping over the rocky outcrops, Strepetov and Rybakov were at last able to spot, on the slope of a ridge opposite, a parachute canopy and the ejected pilot resting on the ground next to it. The Su-25 pilots turned back, rolling in to strafe the most probable approaches to the site, then pounded the heavy machine gun emplacement that had fired at them several minutes before in the village at the mouth of the valley. The C-SAR party arrived on the scene 25 minutes after receiving the report that the Su-17M3R pilot had been detected. Thus Capt Mikhail Alexandrov luckily survived a second ejection during his year-long Afghan combat tour, having been recovered 1 hr 40 min after departing his uncontrollable Su-17M3R. PAKISTAN RAID One of the lesser-known operations involving Su-25s in Afghanistan was a strike mission recalled by then Capt Alexander Koshkin. In his memoirs, entitled Shturmovik, published in Russia in 2012, he revealed a previously undisclosed and clandestine mission flown by four Su-25s to deliver a surprise attack on a huge Mujahedeen training camp near the city of Peshawar, well inside Pakistan. This daring strike, in November 1986, was mounted at dawn so that the Su-25 pilots would have sufficient visibility to penetrate Pakistani airspace at ultra-low level and deliver their ordnance using the element of surprise. To mask the location of its intended target, and thus avoid an early scramble of PAF fighters held on QRA in the area, the four-aircraft Su-25 49

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 50 CHAPTER FOUR Kozhemyakin archive via Author) aircraft was dulyrepaired (Andrey managed to return to baseandthe damage. Nevertheless, Emelyushin sustaining extensive tail-section CAS missionnearthecityofKhost, Stinger on3January 1988 during a Sergey Emelyushin, was struck by a 10th Series Su-25 ‘06’, flown by Capt from mid-1987 (SukhoiCompany) aircraft delivered to 378thOShAP implemented onthe10th Series of additionalprotective features, promptly usedinthedesignofaset learned from thisexperiment were Series aircraft c/n01035. The lessons Moscow inearly 1987, using1st Bureau attheFaustovo Range near conducted by theSukhoiDesign Stinger SAMduring anexperiment after theclosedetonation ofa A viewofanSu-25’s R-95Sh engine © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com 378th OShAP theirindependent combatwork. formallystarted andon1Novembernight trainingsorties, arrived thenewly aircrews of fleet of3rd AE,thenstationedatShindand. seaters were assignedto1stAEatBagram andtheothertwojoined beforeOctober 1988,shortly theendofrotation. Two ofthetwo- also operatedfourSu-25UB two-seaters,butthesedidnotarrive until and 8thSeries machinesof1stand2ndAEsatBagram. 378thOShAP enhancing modifications. 5th,6th,7th They replaced allthesurviving 10th Seriesthe brand-new ‘Frogfoots’ having thefull set of survivability- in April 1987andwere scheduledforreplacement inMarch 1988. drawn from 80th OShAP, who had commenced their combat deployment same timetheKandahar-based3rd AEcontinuedtobestaffedby personnel formed attackregiment stationedin Tchernigovka, intheFar East.At the groundcrews drawnfrom thetwosquadrons of187thOShAP, anewly personnelrotation for378thOShAPThe fourth includedair-and airspace atultra-low level well before thePAF fighterscouldreact. ground wasencountered, andthethree Su-25s returned toAfghani On 31 October the senior pilots from rotation the new made their first The rotation new at Bagram received a batch of vastly improved aircraft, their built-in30mmcannon.No anti-aircraft fire from the thepilotsfiredthey expendedrockets andduringthe fourth four passeseach. undetected andattackedwithcompletesurprise,making target. The ‘Frogfoots’ managedtoapproach thecamp crossed theborder andproceeded at160fttowards the stayed atlow level, invisibletoPakistani early-warningradars, pattern over theSurubi Dam, whiletheremaining three jets aircraft thathadenteredsimulate atransport intoaholding of theSu-25s separatedfrom thegroup, continuingto Pakistan, andasubsequentgo-around. At thatmomentone approach toJalalabad notfarfrom theborder airfield, with early-warning radar. The formationsimulatedalanding aircraft tooperatorsofPakistanisimulating asingletransport maintained aspeedof310mphintightformation,thus formation, ledby CaptKoshkin, Bagram departed and On thefirsttwopassestheydropped bombs,onthethird 1987-88 ROTATION The first loss suffered by the fourth 378 th OS h rotation occurred on 26 December 1987 during a pre-planned night mission

against a Stinger SAM training camp only AP OPERATIONS seven miles from Bagram. The strike mission was to be performed by two pairs. The first, armed with six ODAB-500P bombs apiece, departed from Bagram and headed towards the target, but soon afterwards one of the aircraft collided with the ground and its ordnance detonated. The pilot, Capt Alexander Plyusin, was killed instantly, and the cause of the accident remains unknown. It seems that the aircraft hit the ground four miles from the airfield due to a late pull-out from a shallow dive attack A close-up of the badly damaged tail owing to target fixation experienced by the pilot. The wreckage site was of the Su-25 flown by Capt Sergey Emelyushin on 3 January 1988 well inside the green zone, in territory firmly held by the local Mujahedeen (Andrey Kozhemyakin archive groups at the time, so no C-SAR operation was launched. via Author) On 3 January 1988 Su-25 ‘06’, flown by Capt Sergey Emelyushin, took a Stinger hit during a CAS sortie in the vicinity of Khost. This was during Operation Magistral, a large-scale effort by Soviet forces to clear the road between Kabul and Khost, which had been blocked by opposition forces. The aircraft, hit by the SAM while pulling up after the first dive-attack pass, was badly damaged, its hydraulic system being rendered inoperative. Emelyushin decided to try to fly back to Bagram in his ‘Frogfoot’, and he duly made an emergency landing with flaps and slats retracted. The brake parachute also failed to deploy because of extensive damage in the tail area and the defunct hydraulics. Consequently, the damaged aircraft failed to stop on the runway and was arrested by the emergency braking net at its end. On 17 March another Su-25 was reported lost, this time during a training flight to the range near Bagram. Flying as a pair, both jets were armed with S-8 rockets and bombs. En route to the range, the ‘Frogfoots’ were redirected to provide CAS for a Soviet company in a firefight with the enemy in the nearby green zone. During a firing pass the aircraft flown by 1Lt Andrey Kudryavtsev was badly damaged by fragments from a defective rocket that exploded shortly after launch. Kudryavtsev attempted an emergency landing at Bagram, but this proved impossible due to the jet’s poor handling characteristics. He duly ejected at the last possible moment, his powerless Su-25 impacting the ground and exploding inside the airfield perimeter. Another ‘Frogfoot’, flown by Capt Vasiliy Turin of 2nd AE, was lost on 27 October 1988 in a landing accident at Bagram. All three undercarriage legs broke off when they hit the edge of the runway threshold at Bagram, leaving the aircraft to skid along on its belly before veering off the tarmac and coming to a halt. The pilot survived the accident unharmed, but his aircraft was so badly damaged that it was subsequently withdrawn from use to serve as a source of spares. FOURTH PERSONNEL ROTATION VETERAN In a journal of his experiences, Alexander Araslanov, then a major serving as Deputy CO (Political Affairs) of 1st AE during the fourth rotation 51

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 52 CHAPTER FOUR © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com and MiG-23 fightersthat were alsobeingemployed as fighter-bombers. Tadjkha village. The strikepackage comprisedSu-17 fighter-bombers school. It waslocatedonasteepslopewithin narrow gorgenotfarfrom package. Scheduledfortheendof theday, our targetwasaStinger missile midst ofridgelinesandvillagesthat alllookedidenticaltooneanother. the mission.Icouldnotwork out how thetargetshadbeenfoundin group justinfront ofme. Finally, Isawblueskiesagain,andtheblackcrosses oftheaircraft inthe rocks, my aircraft was buffeted and proved reluctant to gain altitude. pull hard onthecontrol columntoinitiateclimb-out.Passing between pumped flares. I had to select my target in a hurry, fire the rockets and space infront ofusfilledwiththesmoketrailsunleashedrockets and distinguishable. Upon thecommand“launch”, issuedby theleader, the gorge, atthebottomofwhichred roofs ofsmallhutswere barely rolled in a steep dive, at an angle close to 70 degrees, inside a narrow rocky in thegroup hadfollowed him. the targetonlyafterleaderrolled intohisdive andalltheotherpilots reached thetargetarea withease,butthenIgotdisorientedandspotted a strikepackageofeightSu-25s, eacharmedwithfourS-24rockets. We planned to take place there. pre-plannedThis particular mission involved a meetingofAhmadShakh Massoud’s fieldcommandershadbeen According toinformationprovided by theAfghaniintelligence services, Cross –across-shaped gorgeinthefirstthird ofthePandjsher Valley. shot down becauseoftheenemy’s lazinessatthattime. we realise whatwe haddone.It turnedoutthatwe hadonlyavoided being scary, butwe rapidlygotusedtothesituation.Only twomonthslaterdid them –theyinitiallyledusintocombat.In thebeginningitwasabit we withoutflares, flew astheguyswe replaced hadalsoflown without mission requests thatwe received. For example,duringthefirstthree days withgreatwe enthusiasmandgladlyagreed tackledeverything toany of steepclimb-outandglideslopeprofiles, respectively. a narrow, cylindrical-shapedairspacesegmentthrough theemployment all takeoffs and the landings enemy areto the airfield, within performed pumping outsalvoes ofprotective flares. Due to the closeproximity of is nocleardelineationbetweenandthatheldby ofowntheenemy. territory penetrate theguarded perimetersfrom timetotime,whichmeansthatthere airborne troops regiment. Despite allthesesecuritymeasures, bandits reinforcementfurther beingprovided by amotorisedrifledivisionandan and AfghanistanNational Armyposts,arrangedintoseveral rings,with shooting rangeissetup. Bagram isheavilyguarded by anetwork ofourown base isattheedgeofgreen zone, bordering where withthedesert, our Valley thatbeginsatthemouthsofPandjsher andSalang valleys. The memorable momentsduringhiscombattourinAfghanistan; under period,his belt, recorded with 370combat sorties some of themore ‘On 21November ofacomposite 1987weourfirststrikeaspart flew tounderstandwhatwashappeningaround methroughout‘I struggled ‘It wasanightmarish situation,unlikeanythingIhadseenbefore. We ‘Our firststrikemissionwasconducted againstatargetinthePandjsher ‘Having justarrived, andwithouthavingexperiencedcombatbefore, ‘Each takeoffatBagram iscovered by helicoptershangingintheairand ‘Bagram issituatedapproximately inthecentre ofthewideCharikar Our eight-aircraft Su-25 formation had to deliver incendiary bombs 378 th OS h [napalm canisters]. ‘Reaching the target area with our aircraft lit up by the rays of

the setting sun, we rolled in to attack from high altitude. The Su-17s, AP OPERATIONS MiG-23s and Su-25s hit the target virtually simultaneously, with the attacking passes made by the three types being separated by the shortest possible intervals. Aircraft rolled in on the target from all directions, performing simultaneous bomb releases and rocket firings. All this action occurred under the soft light of the setting sun, amidst clusters of pumped flares and massed AAA coming up at us from the ground. We were delivering death to the ground, and the ground was shooting death back at us in return. At that moment I realised that Afghanistan was a very special country, as almost 80 per cent of our incendiary bombs failed to initiate fires on the ground. The reason was simple – there was not enough oxygen in the air to fuel fire at such high elevation in the mountains.’ Col Alexander Rutskoy had a RUTSKOY SHOT DOWN AGAIN spectacular combat career during his two tours in Afghanistan, being Following a prolonged recovery period after being shot down in April 1986, forced to eject twice due to enemy Alexander Rutskoy returned to Afghanistan in April 1988, having now been action. On the second occasion, on promoted to the rank of colonel and appointed Deputy CO (Aviation) of the 4 August 1988, he landed inside 40th Army. Despite the seniority of his position, Rutskoy continued flying Pakistan and was made a prisoner of war by Pakistani authorities – he was and fighting the Mujahedeen in the same reckless style as he had done in 1986. released after six weeks in captivity. In fact, his fellow Su-25 pilots claimed that he now seemed to be even more In the post-Soviet era Rutskoy had a aggressive in his pursuit of the enemy, apparently seeking revenge for his breakneck political career, becoming vice-president of the Russian downing. He was also looking forward to receiving more combat awards. Federation in 1991 and then Unsurprisingly, Rutskoy was shot down for a second time on 4 August launching an unsuccessful coup to 1988 while leading 1Lt Andrey Kudryavtsev in an attack on a training camp remove the President, Boris Yeltsin, for air defence personnel that was located some six miles inside Pakistani in October 1993 (Author’s collection) territory. Rutskoy and his wingman were to mark the target and suppress the air defences for a subsequent strike to be mounted by four more Su-25s. Kudryavtsev was to drop illumination bombs and then the leader was to attack the air defence positions, identified by the muzzle flashes. As Rutskoy turned towards the target shortly after twilight, his Su-25 (‘03’) came under attack by a lone PAF F-16A flown by Sqn Ldr Athar Bokhari. The latter had been scrambled from Miranshah air base well in advance of the ‘Frogfoots’’ arrival. Although the Su-25 pair attempted defensive manoeuvring, spiralling towards the ground after detecting that they had been ‘painted’ by the F-16’s search radar, Rutskoy’s aircraft took a hit from an AIM-9L Sidewinder AAM. His wingman was able to escape thanks to his defensive manoeuvres. Rutskoy managed to eject from the uncontrollable Su-25 and descended safely well inside Pakistani territory. Shortly afterwards he was taken prisoner of war, although he was released two weeks later thanks to diplomatic pressure exerted by both the Soviet government and its intelligence services on their Pakistani counterparts. Su-25 pilots operating in the Host and Gardez areas, close to the Pakistani border, routinely experienced close encounters with PAF F-16s. As Maj Alexander Araslanov recalled, during a strike mission in mid- October 1988 against pre-planned targets near the border some 13 miles north of the city of Gardez, the aircraft flown by his leader, 1st AE CO Lt Col Anatoly Polyakov, took a powerful hit at high altitude. It was apparently 53

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 54 CHAPTER FOUR archive via Authorarchive) 21,320 ft (Andrey Kozhemyakin release from ft 24,600 down to altitude of14,760 ft following bomb starting climb-outataminimum drop bombsfrom highaltitudes, 1987, Su-25pilotswere required to the Stinger SAMinlate 1986/early Following themassintroduction of © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com out from thedive ensured thatthelowestpointwhilelevelling trajectory with bombrelease at21,300ftto23,000ft. The altitudelossafterpulling the initial altitude from roll-in which to start was increased to 29,700 ft, high-altitude bombreleases androcket firingswere farfrom accurate. was achieved attheexpenseofeffectiveness ofthestrikesbecause way the SAM threat was effectively neutralised, but this degree of safety until reaching asafealtitudeofaround 19,800ftabove theterrain.In this 11,500 ft.Flares were pumpedfrom themomentofreleasing theordnance 14,800 ftand 16,500 ft above the terrain. The hard-deck limit was set at 45 and50degrees, bombrelease androcket launchesbeingmadebetween aircraft. The divinganglesinthesehigh-altitudeattackswere between up-sun, withheadingdifferences of15to20degrees between individual was made, usually and fromonly one attack run 15-second intervals, The diving attack saw the runs aircraft rolling in one after another at mainly comprised Su-25s grouped inoneortwofour-aircraft flights. aboutbeinghitby SAMs. worry up andclimbawayafterdelivering theirordnance withouthavingto mountains, thusgivingpilotssufficientheightabove theterraintopull to 21,450ft. This laterreached 29,700ftwhenattackingtargetsinthe jam-resistant seekercausedasharpincrease intheinitialattackaltitude The introduction of the Stinger SAM system with longer reach and a The ‘Frogfoot’ wasdulyrepaired andreturned toservice. half ofitsstarboard tailplanehadbeenbadlydamaged. tailplaneandtheport and thepilotwasabletolandatBagram even thoughhisjetwasmissing despite thetailcone/brakeparachutecontainerhavingbeenalmosttornout, Su-25, theaircraft remained controllable. The enginesworked normally to spotthePakistani fightersuspectedoflaunchingthemissile. see theattackersontheirair-intercept radars. The Su-25 pilotsalsofailed However, MiG-23MLD thepilotsofescorting fightershadfailedto targets were reportedly detectedby Soviet early-warningradaratthetime. caused by amissilesupposedlyfired from aPakistani fighter, astwoaerial And whenSu-25 pilotswere ordered 70-degree toperform divingattacks For operationsinareas withahighStinger riskthestrikepackages Although thedetonationinflictedheavydamageonPolyakov’s 10thseries HIGH-ALTITUDE BOMBINGMISSIONS had increased greatly. Asthe enemy mission complexity and responsibility quite fatigued,butby thenboth facing agrowing hazard. We were Stinger threat; in-theatre tothevastly increased response oftheSu-25 community Alexander Araslanov recalled the experiences in combat, Maj the designlimitationof620mph. easily reached, andoftenexceeded, the steepdive theSu-25’s speed out remained above 14,760ft.In ‘In December 1987we began In his journal recording his began setting up ambushes high in the mountains the Stingers’ reach increased 378 th OS h to 21,300 ft. That is why we were ordered to fly to and from the target areas at a cruising altitude of up to 26,200 ft.

‘Furthermore, in addition to the difficulties associated with target AP OPERATIONS detection from such heights, we faced another serious issue. Our attack aircraft was tailor-made to survive on the battlefield, being well protected against fragments and stray projectiles, including those of larger calibre, but it proved ill suited to high-altitude operations. Of course it could fly at these heights without any problem, but its un-pressurised cockpit forced us to wear oxygen masks all the time and breathe pure oxygen. Initially it seemed that our health was unaffected by these high-altitude operations, but later on I realised that it was painful to breathe air on the ground just after landing. The pain was felt in the spine, just behind the chest. Our doctors refused to pay any attention to such minor health issues, and when asked to explain the cause of the pain they described it as an oxygen-induced burn-out of the lungs. In fact this specific pain was caused by the decompression effect experienced during steep dives. Under such conditions atmospheric pressure changes rapidly, causing partial separation of the lung pleura. ‘We also faced another, much greater, in-flight danger – disruption of the oxygen supply when the aircraft’s oxygen equipment failed. Fortunately, this was a rare occurrence. In addition, pilots sometimes simply forgot to connect their oxygen masks to the oxygen supply line, and suffered hypoxia as a result at high altitude. At least two pilots from the regiment we had replaced perished in such circumstances, both of them losing consciousness while performing a high-altitude night flight. Our aircraft lacked an autopilot, so when the pilot failed to grip the control column the Su-25 tended to roll and gradually lose altitude.’ COVERING THE SOVIET WITHDRAWAL The plan for the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, numbering about 106,000, was approved by the Minister of Defence, Marshall Dmitry Yazov, on 7 April 1988. It called for two pull-out phases, the first running from 15 May to 15 August 1988 and the second between 1 September 1988 and 14 February 1989. 378th OShAP was given an important role in the withdrawal plan, and it was among the last Soviet units scheduled to leave Afghanistan. The regiment was tasked with making non-stop attacks against possible enemy positions and bases alongside the Soviet forces’ withdrawal routes, and with illuminating the perimeter around the retreating columns during the night to counter and prevent ambushes, attacks and shelling under the cover of darkness. In line with the withdrawal plan, 378th OShAP despatched an eight- strong detachment to Kabul airport to provide this facility with protection from rocket attacks and to give air support to withdrawing Soviet garrisons from Gardez, Asadabad and Jalalabad. The detachment arrived at Kabul on 3 May 1988 and immediately set about its work, countering the increased threat of rocket attacks against the airfield from nearby mountains by maintaining permanent patrols above possible launch areas. Upon detecting fired rockets by the dust cloud at their launch site, the Su-25s were cleared to attack immediately. 55

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 56 CHAPTER FOUR archive via Authorarchive) ‘Frogfoots’ (Andrey Kozhemyakin a direct rocket hitononeofthe The conflagration was started by fuelled andloadedwithweapons. each otherandready to go, fully Su-25s thatwere linedupcloseto on 24June1988 consumednine The devastating fire atKabulairport © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com and evacuate thetroops by air–thiswouldbealastresort.’ should theSalang Pass beblocked, wastoleave behindalltheequipment a massedpushthrough theSalang Pass inonestream, andthethird, which wasthescheduledone,currently inprogress. The secondcalledfor forces. Three alternatives were conceived forourwithdrawal,thefirstof unable toholdandprotect allofthecitiesandpointsabandonedby our completely cut off and ready for capitulation. Local troops had been been overrun by thearmed opposition and Asadabad and Jalalabad were withdrawal wasinfullswing; situation in Afghanistan in October 1988, by which point the Soviet Shindand onceagain. unit remained atthelatterbaseuntilOctober, whenitreturned to deployed toKunduz whiletherest airfield, were ferriedtoBagram. The Onfiring positionsaround 7 August theairfield. six3rd AESu-25s when takingoffandlandingattackinghostilerocket- andmortar- aircraft protecting andhelicoptersfrom transport airfield, SAMlaunches Bagram. From here itsSu-25s continuedtoprovide topcover atKandahar for two weeks, before relocating to the unit’s permanent new base at the painfullossofninejetson24June. to theKabul-baseddetachmentasurgentattritionreplacements following Conversion Centre at Djizak, in Uzbekistan. These aircraft were delivered Attack Aviation Squadron) within1038thCombat Training andAircrew Shturmovaya Aviatsionnaya Eskadrilya Su-25s, previously operatedby 372ndOIShAE ( by adirect rocket orminehit. ‘Frogfoot’ hadbeenreported destroyed onthetarmacatKandahar, again taxied itawaytosafety. Four dayspreviously, on20June, another Only oneSu-25 aftergroundcrew and managedtogetitrunning survived consumed eightmore aircraft thatwere closetoeachother. parked very the fullyfuelledandarmedSu-25s ablaze, andtheferocious fire quickly at Kabul were destroyed on the flightline. A direct rocket hit set one of Afghanistan occurred onthenightof24June whennineoutoftenaircraft ‘The situation in-country hadturnedintoacompletemess!Asmar situationin-country ‘The In his journal 1stAEpilotAlexanderAraslanov recalled thegeneral 3rd AE left KandaharinJuly 1988 and initiallydeployed toShindand At thebeginningofJuly 1988378thOShAP received five 10thSeries The worst‘Frogfoot’ lossessustainedby the VVS duringthewarin – Independent Instructor Ground- Otdel’naya Instruktorskaya During the fourth personnel rotation period of 378th OShAP, between 378 th OS h 28 October 1987 and 17 November 1988, 11,779 combat sorties were flown totalling 8809 flying hours. Of these, 138 sorties (1.2 per cent

of the total) were dedicated to CAS missions, 7276 (62 per cent) to pre- AP OPERATIONS planned strikes, 1522 (13 per cent) to free hunting and patrolling and 1410 (12 per cent) to aerial mine-laying. As many as 2756 rockets were fired and 42,157 bombs dropped, plus a further 12,691 miscellaneous bombs (mainly illumination and smoke type). LAST PERSONNEL ROTATION 206th OShAP, home-based at Kobrin, in , was the last VVS unit to deploy its air- and groundcrews to Afghanistan, personnel undertaking the fifth, and last, rotation period of 378th OShAP between October 1988 and February 1989. This operation also involved a number of air- and groundcrews from 90th OShAP, home-based at Artsiz. Together with their colleagues from 206th OShAP, they were assigned to 1st and 2nd AEs at Bagram. 3rd AE, operating at that time from Shindand, was staffed by air- and groundcrews provided by 368th OShAP, home-based at Pruzhani, in Belarus, who started their Afghan combat tour in May 1988 and soldiered on until February 1989. On 22 October 1988 personnel were ferried to Bagram by Ilyushin Il-76 airlifters, and after a short in-theatre familiarisation programme the last rotation with 378th OShAP began its independent combat work on 29 October. In addition to the main base at Bagram, eight Su-25s continued to be forward deployed at Kabul, their primary mission being to patrol over the airport and prevent rocket and mortar attacks. These were proving to be a serious problem, and the first sorties targeting rocket- launch positions around the capital city were flown on 13 November

1988. Pilots reported the destruction of four launchers in the form of A pilot’s map of the Kandahar area in primitive tripods and some 20 122 mm rockets, as well as the killing of 1988, with the airfield marked in the 15 insurgents. During the night of 13 November, however, a Mujahedeen centre. The free-hunting areas for rocket attack scored a direct hit on an airport building, killing eight Su-25 Mi-24 and Su-25 operations, conducted mostly at night, were pilots from Kobrin. primarily located south of the city Missions undertaken by 378th OShAP’s last rotation mainly consisted towards the border with Pakistan of strikes against pre-planned targets, with CAS and free-hunting sorties (Author’s collection) having been drastically scaled back. Targeting information was delivered to the regiment’s planning cell the day before the mission was to be flown, with typical targets including Mujahedeen troop concentrations, weapons/ammunition storage depots and fortified defensive positions. Fuel/air explosive and HE bombs were the main weapons used in pre-planned missions, together with 122 mm, 240 mm and 250 mm rockets. In fact, the vast majority of the pre-planned strikes were designated as ‘scorched earth’ area-saturation missions, and 57

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 58 CHAPTER FOUR Kozhemyakin archive via Author) 3 December 1986 (Andrey was 11,800 ft above sealevel, on recovered by anMi-8MT helicopter which anejected ‘Frogfoot’ pilotwas mountains. The highestaltitude from in thehigh-rising, snow-covered operations to recover ejected pilots to organise effective C-SAR challenging, anditwas very difficult inhospitable terrain was mentally or group ofpairs. Flyingover Afghanistan involved asinglepair All oftheSu-25missionsflown in © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com Operation the warwasaround 60,000. 38. flownThe totalnumberofcombatsorties by theSu-25 force during combat oroperationally)inthe air andontheground wasnofewer than destroyed, althoughthetotalnumberof‘Frogfoots’ writtenoff(either in losses inAfghanistanwere 12pilotskilledinactionand23aircraft in theofficialwarlossstatistics. The official figures for Su-25 combat for non-combat-related reasons, althoughtheseaircraft were notincluded subsequently withdrawnfrom use.Agreat manymore were writtenoff of aircraft were damaged beyond economicalrepair incombatand well as 333 helicopters and 118 fixed-wing aircraft. A significant number fighting, theSoviet Union killedinaction,as hadlost14,453servicemen were flown atnight. The totalcombatflyingtimewas7300hrs. between 29Octobersorties 1988and10February 1989,812 ofwhich on10February. viaMary its combatworktoKizil-Arvat andflew at Mary. The Su-25 detachmentoperatingfrom Mazar-e-Sharif completed Soviet Union on1February, following flyingtoKizil-Arvat arefuelling stop to thefinaldestinationatPruzhani. Shindand-based 3rd AEreturned tothe staging temporary base for the Su-25 fleet to gather at before flight the ferry of Uzbekistan, and then on to Kizil-Arvat. The latter site was used as a Afghanistan on31January 1989,flyingtoKokayty, intheSoviet republic due tohypoxia andleavinghimunable torecover from thedive. supply systeminhigh-altitudeflight,causingthepilottoloseconsciousness The mostlikelycauseoftheaccidentwasfailure ofGordienko’s oxygen ridgeline, sonoC-SARoperationwaslaunchedtorecover thepilot’s remains. altitude mountainousarea some13,000ftabove sealevel andnexttoa 17 mileswest ofKabul. The wreckage waslocatedinaninaccessiblehigh- steep dive from 22,700ftandhittheground nearthevillageofMaidenshahr aircraft flown by thewingman,1LtBorisGordienko, inexplicablyentered a hunting daytimemissionconductedby apairofSu-25s from Kabul. The Soviet columnstowards theborder checkpoints. Valley andtheSalang Pass thatwasbeingusedforthewithdrawaloflast large numberofpre-planned targetsalongthemainroad inthePandjsher By thetimeitpulledoutofAfghanistan afteralmosttenyears of The fifth,andlast,rotation of378thOShAP completed6628combat The Bagram-based mainforce of378thOShAP begantowithdrawfrom 378th OShAP’s finalpilotlossoccurred on7January 1989duringafree- Typhoon in earlyJanuary 1989,spendingthree daysattackinga on end. schedule wasmaintainedforweeks more atthenight. sorties This busy late afternoonandtwoorthree followed by missionplanninginthe combat missionsinthemorning, threewould typicallyundertake highworkload. 378thOShAPvery experienced pilotsonlyduetotheir last rotation were flown by themost enemy operations. these hadlittleornoeffecton The Su-25s were alsoinvolved in ofthe The nightcombatsorties Action after Soviet break up 59 No fewer than 570 ‘Frogfoots’ of all ‘Frogfoots’ than 570 No fewer service with in active were versions (Aviatsiya AV-MF VVS and the the Flota – Naval Voenno-Morskogo including service) in 1991, Aviation and a small 96 two-seaters, up to Su-25s number of early-production This storage. held in long-term were home-based at Su-25 of 960th ShAP, used in was Primorsko-Akhtarsk, campaigns, in both Chechen anger flying most of its missions while It is at Mozdok. forward-deployed with S-24 240 mm armed seen here ) Author via (Dmitry Pichugin rockets © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

ust before the dissolution of the Soviet Union on 26 December 1991, 1991, December 26 on Union Soviet the of dissolution the before ust as many as eight strength aviation branch had on VVS frontal the subordinated directly attack regiments, independent Su-25-equipped In the early post-Soviet era the Russian Air Force (RuAF), faced with (RuAF), Air Force Russian era the the early post-Soviet In J to the aviation command authorities of their respective military authorities of their respective to the aviation command districts component had three of these regiments air armies. Each or regional with a fleet, as a rule, and a command flight, squadrons of 40 single-seaters no was operated by the Su-25 Additionally, and four to six two-seaters. air display and conversion- dedicated test and evaluation, fewer than five one instructor as by attack regiment. as well to-type training squadrons, aviation service naval independent attack also had three The Soviet on squadron training and research and a dedicated aircrew regiments in the late 1980s. strength the fringes of the former USSR, rapidly switched around unrest growing newthis setting In policing. internal of one to posture War Cold a from saw faithful servicethe ubiquitous jet attack aircraft local in numerous of Commonwealth the as known eruptedthat conflicts now is what in The first of these successor). Union’s Soviet (CIS, the States Independent in 1992, and Ingushetia Ossetia North was the inter-ethnical war between was the third in 1992-94 and and Georgia Abkhazia the second involved the territory of Nagorni Azerbaijan and Armenia over the war between The fourth local conflict in the early/mid-1990s Karabakh in 1992-94. fundamentalists campaign mounted against the Islamic was the Russian the campaigns of the Russian by in 1992-94, followed Tajikistan in fought Russia military Finally, in Chechnya in 1994-96 and 1999-2002. the territory in 2008. Ossetia of South over with Georgia war a five-day

SOVIET BREAK UP BREAK SOVIET ACTION AFTER AFTER ACTION 60 CHAPTER FIVE (Author’s collection) aircraft beingtaken from 802ndUAP counterparts inDecember1992, the military authorities to their Armenian secretively delivered by Russian a pairoftwo-seaters andsixSu-25Ks This Armenian Su-25UBKwas oneof © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com Armenia, inflicting some damage. The burning Yak-40 made an refugees and wounded frompassenger aircraft Stepanakert ferrying to civilians andwounded120inthe cityofStepanakert. during itsfirsttwodaysofcombat operationsitsbombattackskilled30 failing toinflictanysignificant losses onArmenianforces. For instance, combat missionsfortwomonths, mainlyattackingcitiesandvillagesbut not farfrom thefighting,lone10thSeries ‘Frogfoot’ continuedtofly zones withinArmenianterritory. Based atEvlakh inAzerbaijan, airfield, forces stationedinthecapital,Stepanakert,military aswell asinborder used from 8May toconductbombingmissions againsttheArmenian who wasassistedby twotechniciansofAzerinationality. This aircraft was OShAP inSital-Chai on8April 1992by AzeripilotLt Vaghit Kurbanov, from AzerbaijanandjoinmainlandArmenia. the predominant Armenian population fighting to gain independence operations tookplaceinthebreakaway Nagorni Karabakhenclave, with Soviet republics, both warringsides used theSu-25 in anger. Allcombat In thisbloodyandprotracted inter-ethnicalconflictbetween two former amplified by themodestheightatwhich theywere performed. fire. The effectiveness ofnocturnalshow-of-force fly-bys wasfurther militants hadengagedeachotherwithsmallarmsandheavymachinegun expended illuminationbombsover areas where Ossetian andIngushetian During show-of-force missions at night Su-25s from 802nd UAP combat zone tookplaceindaylight, andnooppositionwasencountered. the current positionoftheirvehicle columns.Most missionsflown inthe the movement ofillegalarmedformationsbothethnicitiesby reporting to Mozdok visualreconnaissance aimedatmonitoring performed sorties concentrations of militants in both republics, the RuAF Su-25s deployed owing toadisputeover theexact locationoftheborderline. were thenengagedinabloodyinter-ethnicalconflict thathaderupted formed Russian republics ofNorth Ossetia andIngushetia. These nations and temperamentalOssetian andIngushetian nationspopulatingthenewly region was a show of force – the small but warlike to both warring parties main purposeofthisdeployment toRussia’s troubled North Caucasus to deploy toMozdok in theRussian airfield, republic ofNorth Ossetia. The On 9May theSu-25, flown by Kurbanov, fired atanArmenian Yak-40 Azerbaijan received itsfirstSu-25 whenitwashijackedfrom 80th In additiontotheshow-of-force missions,flyinglow andfastover ARMENIA ANDAZERBAIJAN squadron wasgiven anurgentorder recalled thatinOctober 1992his Higher Pilot Training School, within the structure of the Krasnodar Basic Training Aviation Regiment), Trenirovochnyy Aviatsionnyy Polk of 802ndUAP ( CO oftheSu-25-equipped 3rd AE Afghan warveteran andatthetime Alexander Koshkin, a seasoned NORTH CAUCASUS FIGHTING IN THE FIGHTING Uchebno- – Action after Soviet break up 61 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com Azerbaijan continued operating the type, having purchased five additional five the type, having purchased Azerbaijan continued operating the type in 1992-93, taking deliveryArmenia also introduced of eight weeks in consecutive Mozdok ferried from were pairs of ‘Frogfoots’ Two of use in anger saw their fair share Armenian Su-25s The newly delivered undercarriage-up emergency landing on flat terrain and was completely completely and was flat terrain landing on emergency undercarriage-up survived. all the passengers although fire, post-landing the by consumed transportin helicopter flying Mi-8 a Russian also attacked Kurbanov terrorised that The hijacked Su-25 but without success. Armenian airspace, forces Armenian by down shot last at was enclave Karabakh Nagorni the including the aircraft, of remains The the pilot. 1992, killing June 13 on on shown were insignia, Air Force with Azerbaijani a fin adorned Armenian television. but these machines probably has not been revealed, Their source Su-25s. They were . or Ukraine countries such as Georgia, came from mercenary by 1992, flown rushed in August into combat for the first time attack Stepanakert, mainly to Used republics. other ex-Soviet pilots from heavy inflicted that bombs HE large-calibre and cluster dropped Su-25s the fewer than in Armenian cities and villages. No casualties among the civilians to have reported HE bombs are 100 heavy-calibre 180 cluster bombs and as eight FAE 1994, as well 1992 and May November between been dropped downed to have claimed eventually forces armed The Armenian bombs. airof strengthening the following ‘Frogfoots’ four of the newlydelivered The 1994. 1992 and April October Karabakh between defences in Nagorni 1994, the the second on 15 January 1993, on 10 October first was downed fourth and the days later. 11 on 12 April third including two two-seaters, in the form of military aid clandestinelySu-25s, ferried to Armenia secretly were The donated aircraft Russia. by provided ferrytwo first The flights batches. four in Mozdok and Krasnodar from at AE of 802nd UAP CO of 3rd Alexander Koshkin, Maj led by were that both sorties, were 1992, made in December who recalled Krasnodar, This was done transport.conducted in tight formation with an An-12 appear as a single target on intentionally so that the formation would civilian and military and early-warning radars as it air traffic control previously had An-12 particular This countries. foreign over passed to Lenianakan (now transported Russia humanitarian supplies from authorisation for such airfield in Armenia, having the correct Gumri) international flights. element of the mission was the most difficult recalled, and, as Koshkin The with the An-12. and touchdown the formation landing approach pilots had to be as close to the transport as possible so as to aircraft Su-25 early 1993 four In their detection in the final stages of the flight. avoid to the newly over clandestinely handed were Su-25s ex-RuAF more new brand a year that of November In Force. Air Armenian formed a Russian was hijacked by (GeAF) Air Force of the Georgian ‘Frogfoot’ to Armenia. mercenary and flown pilot in Georgia 1994, bombing targets inside Azerbaijan until the end of hostilities in May was aircraft One Karabakh area. in the Nagorni and on the frontline by 1994, supposedly gunned down on 18 January lost in action reported 1994, was which lasted until 12 May This bloody war, friendly fire. was cleared Karabakh enclave The Nagorni Armenia. won by eventually the mainland. and subsequently connected with of Azerbaijani troops 62 CHAPTER FIVE Kozhemyakin archive via Author ) forces ontheground (Andrey enable rapid identificationby friendly applied during thedeployment to both markings having beenhastily on thefinandwhite wingtippods, machine displays alarge Russianflag March andNovember 1993. This deployment to Abkhazia between during theunit’s secretive combat in thevicinityofGudautaairfield R-60 AAMs, fliesover theBlack Sea based atKrasnodar andarmed with An Su-25UBof802ndUAP, home- © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com B8M1 packs at the buildings and runway oftheabandonedairfield. B8M1 packsatthebuildingsandrunway turned back, rolled in and unleashed all of the 80 mm rockets in the aircraft’s leave thebase.Aftertakingoffinatwo-seat Su-25UB, 80thOShAP’s CO the cockpitofhis‘Frogfoot’, ColGolovanov wasthelastRussian officerto led theSu-25s backtoRussia. Having takentheregimental flagwithhimin equipmentwere support promptly whichthen loadedontoIl-76 transports, from Sital-Chai took place on 10 June 1992. All personnel and the regiment’s Buturlinovka intheEuropean airfield ofRussia. part The massdeparture District, callingfortheregiment’s aircraft andpersonneltobeferried order from theCommander-in-Chiefof Trans-Caucasian Military and ammunition.He hadflatlyrefused, however. Golovanov, tohandover hisaircraft andtheregiment’s equipment support had appliedstrong pressure on80thOShAP’s CO,ColAlexander While theunitwasstillstationedatSital-Chai theAzerbaijaniauthorities to Russia afterthecommencementofhostilitiesinregion. shortly over theNagorni Karabakh. The regiment wassubsequentlywithdrawn Soviet Union andtheonsetofwarbetween AzerbaijanandArmenia 8 April 1992by Kurbanov) withintheRuAF afterthebreak-up ofthe managed tostayintact(excluding theaforementioned Su-25 hijackedon another important cityintheautonomousprovince.another important the Black Sea coastalcityofSukhumi, andtheninlateAugust seized Gagra, advance. Asaresult Georgian forces quicklyoccupiedtheprovince’s capital, forces, althoughtheyprovedmilitary ineffective instoppingtheGeorgian provincial government quicklyorganisedterritorialdefencewithirregular piecesandmultiplerocket launchers. number ofartillery The Abkhazian and theywere equippedwith58armoured vehicles andasignificant Georgian theinitialinvasion troops numbered thatperformed some2000, stated that was toprovide protection fortherailway, whiletheAbkhazian authorities National Guard unitsinvaded Abkhazia, claimingthattheirmainobjective torn formerSoviet republic ofArmenia. to ensure thesecurityofstrategicrailwaylinkingRussia andthewar- Abkhazians. The formalreason given bywas Georgia fortheintervention force intheautonomousprovince, whichwaspopulatedby ethnic aftertheGeorgian governmentshortly withmilitary decidedtointervene The warbetween Georgia anditsbreakaway province ofAbkhazia erupted Shortly thereafter 80thOShAP received thelong-awaitedwithdrawal 80th OShAP, based at Sital-Chai near the Azerbaijan capital, Baku, had On 14August 1992,attheheightofholidayseason,Georgian this actwastheoccupationofanautonomousprovince. The GEORGIA ANDABKHAZIA the Georgians, taken from Russian forces at Gudauta republics andRussia, andusingweapons captured from numerous volunteers from theNorth Caucasus stabilised onbothsidesoftheGumista River. discontinue theinvasion. Afterthatthefrontline was order issuedby thepresident, Eduard Shevarnadze, to Nizhniye on31August, Eshery and the consequent Abkhazia following anill-fatedattackonthecity of In October theAbkhazian forces, bolstered by Georgian troops eventually haltedtheiroffensive in Action after Soviet break up 63 Photographed during their secretive secretive their during Photographed in Gudauta, to combat deployment pilots Capt Mikhail in 1993, Abkhazia, Alexander and Capt (right) Pavlov and later of 802nd UAP Yakovlev of Su-25K 461st ShAP stand in front (Andrey with S-24 rockets armed ‘28’, ) Author via archive Kozhemyakin ‘34’ of 461st ShAP is lined up Su-25K Gudauta, at at the end of the runway lead a second to ready Abkhazia, in on another combat aloft ‘Frogfoot’ with is armed The aircraft mission. R-60 pods and two B8M rocket four the latter self defence, AAMs for with in case of an encounter carried Su-25s in the combat zone Georgian archive Kozhemyakin (Andrey ) via Author © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com Some eight Su-25s, operated by operated by eight Su-25s, Some used in anger for the first time on reportedly were ‘Frogfoots’ GeAF is noteworthy that after several It or handed over by the Russians on the Russians by over or handed a swift launched occasions, other and regained counteroffensive late Thus, by of Gagra. control partieshad warring the 1992, some a classical frontline established remained which long, miles 7.5 half of 1993. stable until the second saw the newly established GeAF, These war. combat during the by powered brand-new ‘Frogfoots’, taken were engines, R-195 uprated stocks at the undelivered from mid/late In Tbilisi aviation plant. eight and fifteen 1992 between in be to reported were Su-25s completed and most of them were states of assembly at the plant, various nationality who pilots of Georgian by Flown GeAF. to the and delivered rushed into combat soon they were VVS, servedhad previously the with commenced in Abkhazia. after the offensive Later areas. rear Abkhazian the they bombed when 1992 September 28 defending the forces Abkhazian used to bomb routinely on they were on the banks of the Gumista as the frontline as well city of Gudauta, field artillery Abkhazian where Sukhumi. shelled the city of from River, lost in combat, one of them supposedly were Su-25s As many as six GeAF The 1993. in September hostilities of cessation to the up fire, friendly to 1992 near Eshera when an Su-25 on 11 October occurred loss first GeAF Abkhazian by SAM fired (SA-18 ‘Grouse’) a was hit by parachute Djabua, bailed out, descended by pilot, Slava Its irregulars. was The second Su-25 without trace. into the sea and then disappeared February 6 on frontline, the on Merkula, of village the near down brought captured was and ejected successfully Nadirashvili, Tamaz pilot, Its 1993. in Mokva the Abkhazians by another GeAF 1 May village. On a Russian by was downed Su-25 ‘Gecko’) (SA-8 Osa-AKM 9K33 missile system near self-propelled Eshery the cities of Nizhniye and Gudauta. attacks against targets Su-25 GeAF (the last of Gudauta in and around which was mounted on 26 April) militarythat caused numerous and Armycivilian causalities, the Russian -AKM deployed promptly systems mobile SAM and 9K37 Buk pilot Mikhail RuAF to Abkhazia. who was serving with 802nd Pavlov, 64 CHAPTER FIVE via Author) warhead (Vasiliy Fedosenko rocket’s accuracy andpowerful hardened targets thanksto the suited to dealingwithsmall-size local conflicts. Ithasproven well in Afghanistan andalltheensuing powerful weapons usedby theSu-25 of 899thShAP, was oneofthemost seen here beingfired by anSu-25BM launched rocket, two ofwhich are The large andaccurate S-25tube- © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com drawn from 186thIShAP ( 1 September 1992. A detachment of four Su-25s and two Su-25UBs The RuAF deployed its‘Frogfoot’ force forthefirsttimeinAbkhazia on Su-25s during theconflictinAbkhazia in1992-93. many as 215 combat missions are reported to have been flown by GeAF frontline andaround thecityofSukhumi, besiegedby theAbkhazians. As missions around Gudauta, itsSu-25s remaining active onlyover the parachute intoenemy-heldterritory. choice buttoeject,andhewassubsequentlykilledafterdescendingby 24 September. Its pilot,GeAF Deputy C-in-CColIzani Tservadze, hadno to bedestroyed washitover thevillageof Tavisupleba, nearSukhumi, on A fifthlossfollowed justninedayslater, andthesixth,last,‘Frogfoot’ Kakha Tvauri, ejectedintotheseaandwasthenrescued by Georgian forces. remained aprisonerofwaruntil1996. ‘Frogfoot’, CaptRezo Naurashvili, managedtoejectintocaptivity, and at a slant range of about 16,400 ft (5,000m). The pilot of the downed 373 mph. The Osa-AKM systemslaunchedtheirmissilesagainstthepair the targetarea inlevel flightatanaltitudeof14,800 ftandaspeedof balance inthe region. During their deployment toGudauta the their waragainsttheGeorgian invasion, thusmaintainingthepower forces in-theatre thelocalseparatistsin tosupport stationed military Russian government never openly acknowledging thefactthatit had the troubled formerSoviet republic of Tajikistan. were thereafter, despatchedon anothercombattourshortly thistimein and later replacing the aircrews and aircraft from Buturlinovka, which operatinglocationon2Marchthe forward 1993,initiallycomplementing Su-25s andoneSu-25UB two-seatertoGudauta. The group arrived at 61 were aerialreconnaissance flights. 170 ofwhichwere dedicatedtoattackingground targets. The remaining continued operations until 28 April 1993, completing 231 combat sorties, Soviet Air Defence at forcesGudauta, airfield neartheBlack Sea coast. It Pilot School, home-basedinButurlinovka, wasstationedattheformer Instructor Ground-Attack Aviation Regiment) oftheBorisoglebsk Higher Following thelossofNaurashvili theGeAF stoppedconductingattack On 4July GeAF Su-25 afourth wasreported lostnearSukhumi. Its pilot, The Su-25 pairengagedby the9K33Osa-AKM SAMshadapproached The RuAF Su-25s were clandestinelydeployed intoAbkhazia, the Krasnodar-based 802ndUAP alsodespatchedadetachmentofnine RUAF OPERATIONS INABKHAZIA Instruktorskiy Shturmovoy Aviatsionnyy Polk ultra-low level.’ descending inasteepspiraldown to him by sharpmanoeuvring, avoiding three missiles directed at wingman remained untouched, leader ofaSu-25 pair, whilethe units managedtoshootdown the with myown eyes how ourSAM time, recalled; UAP’s detachmentatGudauta atthe ‘On 1May 1993inAbkhazia Isaw – Action after Soviet break up 65 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 802nd UAP’s detachment was also reinforced by two pilots from the two pilots from by reinforced detachment was also 802nd UAP’s R-60 (AA-8 Vympel received operating in Abkhazia Su-25s 802nd UAP continued Su-25s RuAF the 1993 of summer months spring and the In attacking 1993 I logged 50 to 60 combat sorties in Abkhazia, ‘In your that remember always to action in when must a is it that believe ‘I ‘Frogfoot’ pilots had to fly combat missions without carrying any carrying without missions fly combat had to pilots any ‘Frogfoot’ formally were sorties the combat and documents, identity flown for as training flights. accounted who Centre, Conversion Aircrew and Training Combat Lipetsk-based a range of tasked with flying They were in mid-March. at Gudauta arrived using 802nd both day and night, missions, by combat secretive more even any mission details shared Lipetsk never the pilots from – aircraft UAP AE of 802nd UAP 1993 3rd June In Krasnodar. with their colleagues from an all-new two-squadron establishing 461st ShAP, was used as the basis for at Krasnodar-Central airfield.combat unit stationed encounters three following 1993 in missiles heat-seeking air-to-air ‘Aphid’) and 186th IShAP pilots from of these involved Two Su-25s. with GeAF an 802nd recalled, Pavlov As Mikhail 802nd UAP. a pilot from the third Su-25 GeAF a engaged Inkov Nikolay Col Lt by flown ‘Frogfoot’ UAP with its 30 mm jet being armed only during a training sortie, the RuAF sufficiently were that both pilots it transpired built-in cannon. However, an attacking opportunity. experienced to be able to deny their opponent GeAF their visually distinguishable from Su-25s make RuAF To painted white and their fins counterparts their wingtip airbrake pods were flags painted on both sides. had large tricolour Russian of its denying any involvement with Russia operating clandestinely, had the ‘Frogfoots’ reality In in supportforces Abkhazians. of the the around forces attacks against the Georgian mounted numerous River. along the Gumista the frontline and over coastal city of Sukhumi transporting areas, rear the in move the trucks on and APCs addition, In targeted. had been repeatedly zone, men and supplies to the frontal at the time of AE within 802nd UAP CO of 3rd Alexander Koshkin, AE of newly and then CO of 1st 461st ShAP, established the deployment who amassed a total of 820 combat sorties North in Afghanistan, the first Chechen campaign, recalled and Tajikistan Abkhazia, Ossetia, the combat missions he memorable moments during some of the more flew in Abkhazia; veryall that fact the of proud military Georgian various I’m targets. the young to this deployment going pilots I had instructed before survived, was lost in combat. and nobody capable of seeing and listening. and ears, making him well enemy has eyes should you deaf, and blind him render impossible to is it if Therefore, to the target. I did exactly approach a deception that masks your invent the Abkhazian combat mission that I led during this in an effective intelligence information that a Georgian received We deployment. military and trucks vehicles bringing column with tanks, armoured near the coastal city of was on the move to the frontline reinforcements us to make and thus allow unseen, the target area approach To Poti. maximum use of the element of surprise, I decided to apply a trick – and in the event well, perhaps not a very pretty ethical one, but it worked was achieved. the mission objective 66 CHAPTER FIVE © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com 1993, anditoccurred undernon-combat conditions. The aircraft flown by A number offuelstoragetanks had alsobeenblown up.’ been killed when the building housing the corps HQwasdestroyed. mission,informingusthatsome200enemycombatantshad particular systems, butithadnoeffect. rear-view mirror I noticed the hosing fire of tracers from the ZSU-23-4 off the top to head back home, again descending to ultra-low level. In my upon mycommand. We thencontinued theloopingmanoeuvre androlled six 500kgbombs,entered aclimbandreleased theirordnance with armed lighthouse Iinitiatedthetossingattackmanoeuvre. AllfourSu-25s, each to 50 ft, heading directly for Sukhumi. Just after sighting the city’s to 100 down ftaltitude, and uponcrossing thecoastlinedescended further overflew landdirectly intotheairfield’s NDB,passingoverhead at80ft we descended toultra-low level andturnedback,headingforGudauta. We takeoff we turnedrighttowards Russia, butbefore reaching Adler with 7 ft to keeping 10 50 ft separation. ft vertical Immediatelyapart, after by theShilka AAAsystemswouldbenegligible. manoeuvre andescapejustintime.In thiswaytheprobability ofbeinghit a seriousdelay, allowing ustogetcloseenoughexecute thebomb-toss minutes atultra-low theenemywoulddetectus,butwith altitude.Iknew Gudauta totheordnance release pointwouldbecovered inthree tofour manoeuvre. The distancefrom thenon-directional beacon[NDB]at climb-out whilepulling 5g, releasing it three seconds after initiating the theattackrun. for starting The bombhadtobetossedona45-degree hitting thetargetusingtoss-bombing,andhehadtoplotinitialpoint was pretty high. cannon] and medium-range SAM systems, so the risk of being shot down Shilka AAA[aself-propelled systemwithfourradar-directed 23mm however, strong airdefencesthere, hadvery consistingofZSU-23-4 vehicles andafueldumpinthisarea. and military The Georgian forces, intelligence informationstatingthatthere wasaconcentrationofmen corps-level HQ in thevillageofKolasuri, nearSukhumi. We had by theenemyairdefences. then returned toGudauta atultra-low level, withoutoncebeingshotat wereAPCs andseven toninetrucks setablaze intwoattackingpasses. We of armoured only. vehicles andtrucks Asaresult ofthesurprisestriketwo attacked. There were no main battle tanks, however – the convoy consisted four minutesandimmediatelyspottedthevehicle columnthatwastobe at between 500ftand660ft,we were inthetargetarea withinthree to we rolled inasteepdescentdown toultra-low level andturnedeast.Flying city of Trabzon, simulatingthatwe were anairliner. When abeamofPoti busy international air route that ran out over the sea towards the Turkish climbing to27,900ft,enteringintothe formation, turnedandstarted Adler. Just before reaching Adler, however, we linedupinatight turned totheright,asifwe were headingtowards theRussian cityof The onlyRussian Su-25 lossinAbkhazia wasreported inSeptember nextdaywe received thebombdamage assessmentreport‘The onthat ‘We tookoffatdawn,stillintwilight,maintainingatightformationand ‘I askedthesquadron navigationofficer tocalculatetheprobability of ‘Another mission called for us to mount a strike against a Georgian ‘We tookofffrom Gudauta inafour-aircraft formationandinitially Action after Soviet break up 67 Guards Guards – Guards Ground-Attack Aviation Aviation Ground-Attack – Guards © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com MUSLIM INSURGENCY IN TAJIKISTAN IN MUSLIM INSURGENCY On 28 September 1993 Abkhazian forces managed to seize the the to seize managed forces 1993 Abkhazian 28 September On A squadron of ‘Frogfoots’ belonging to 186th IShAP was urgently was urgently belonging to 186th IShAP of ‘Frogfoots’ A squadron again attacked a rebel of four Su-25s group 1993 a 23 October On period as many as 859 deployment ‘Frogfoot’ the first RuAF During Lt Col Chaplitskiy, head of the flight safety section of 1st GShAD ( of 1st GShAD section flight safety head of the Chaplitskiy, Lt Col Shturmovaya Aviatsionnaya Diviziya Aviatsionnaya Shturmovaya missiona during Gudauta from far not sea the hit Krasnodar, at Division) Chaplitskiy’s altitude, killing the pilot. an air target at ultra-low to simulate SAM systems defending of the crews intended to train the mission was air the Russian the range at which at the same time check and Gudauta, level at ultra-low targets approaching would detect aerial defence radars a glassy sea the pilot a high-banked turn just above the sea. During from and crashed. surface his Su-25 with the wingtip of clipped the water’s the entire cleared and shortly thereafter capital city of Sukhumi, provincial its to proclaim Abkhazia thus allowing forces, of Georgian province returned detachment Su-25 the RuAF independence. Consequently, that year. to Krasnodar in November RuAF Su-25s were also rushed into combat against radical Muslim rushed also combat against radical Muslim into were Su-25s RuAF significant support in that had received Tajikistan in opposition groups their ideological from and manpower weapons the form of reinforcements, launched a massed These groups neighbouring Afghanistan. in brothers it and mid-1993, in Dushanbe in government the against offensive was only of Russian involvement and prompt of the decisive because Russian being ousted. from was saved local government that the forces Infantry Division) and the 201st Mechanised guards border (both troops personnel trying to seal off the security, border for also responsible were ran along with Afghanistan that 862-mile border porous previously rugged and through terrain. mountainous River the Pyandj airfield in neighbouring Uzbekistan, to Kokayty deploy to ordered was in This war deployment 19 milesTajikistan. with the border from by soldiers guard border to the assassination of 25 Russian response equippedThe squadron, Post. at the 12th Border rebels Islamist Tajikistani and 1993 24 July on in-theatre arrived Su-25BM/UBs, ten with 24 hours after the sorties.immediately commenced flying bombing Just launched two attacks group had commenced, a four-aircraft deployment completely Vari, of position near the village defensive against a hardened Piandj the across bridge improvised an later days Three it. destroying infiltrating were of rebels group just as a large was struck Su-25s River by during killed reportedly were fighters Islamist 150 Some Tajikistan. into bridge lanes and ten boats being improvised this mission, with three formations. four-aircraft by conducted strikes individual three in destroyed a base in mountains, and on 28 November the foothills of the Pamir the air. concentration of enemy fighters came under attack from strikes against pre-planned logged – 236 of these were combat sorties were visualto dedicated were 423 and mine-laying aerial for or targets ground killed reported combatants were Islamist 1500 Some aerial reconnaissance. the across bridges 18 improvised as were bases destroyed, and four rebel months early the During positions. defensive hardened 12 and River Pyandj period intensive most the be to proved which deployment, the of 68 CHAPTER FIVE Zinchuk via Author) Zinchuk during thedeployment (Andrey wavy-edged Russiantricolour flags combat-weary Su-25sdisplayed large this photograph illustrates, theunit’s performing 154combatsorties. As Dushanbe-Aini airfieldand 16 December 1996, operating from Tajikistan between 2March and deployment during thecivilwar in Buturlinovka, saw itssecondcombat 899th ShAP, home-basedat © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com missiles. The flighttothetargetarea at acruise andbackwasperformed aircraft carriedawarloadofsixFAB-500M62 HEbombs plustwoR-60 Su-25s were equippedwithtwo800-litre externalfueltanks,andeach knock out targets in the Khorog Pass, some 180 miles from Kokayty. The missions duringhisfirstdeployment in Tajikistan in1994were flown to method ofprotection againstheat-seeking shoulder-launchedSAMs. to drop bombsorunleashrockets, astheyremained theonlyavailable were forced toejectflares inindividualsalvoes uponpressing thetrigger discontinued whenstocksbecameexhausted.From thenonSu-25 pilots against therebels’ heat-seekingSAMs. Their usewaseventually Tajikistan, SAB-100illuminationbombswere employed forprotection that equipped461stShAP duringtheunit’s initial combatmissionsin Because ofthelimitednumberprotective flares carriedby theSu-25Ks Krasnodar-based 461st ShAP, which arrived at Kokayty in July 1994. deployments toprovide along-term airpower presence inthetroubled region. personnel from otherRuAF attackregiments were rotated inontemporary IShAP’s detachmentcontinueditsoperationsuntil20July 1994,afterwhich peacekeepers, althoughtheSu-25s’ mainmissionremained unchanged.186th course of 1994 theRussian forces in Tajikistan were re-designated as reconnaissance being flown sorties totalling 617 flying hours. During the during theentire ‘hot’ phaseoftheconflict,orinyears thatfollowed. the disputedborder areas. In theevent nosuchencounterswere reported fighter aircraft withhostileintentions eitherin Tajikistani airspaceorin with apairofR-60AAMsforself-defenceincasetheyencountered Afghan manpower reinforcements. be effective the movement in disrupting of enemy re-supply convoys and laying missionsusingKMGU-2minedispensers. These weapons proved to country. These passesbecametheprimetargetsofnumerous aerialmine- then headingoffviaanumberofmountainpassestofightallover the Tajikistan from neighbouringAfghanistanby crossing thePyandj River and fierce andbloody, localconflictwere Islamist rebel groups infiltratinginto to no fewerthan320250kgbombsdropped injust54sorties. theSu-25sof operations, delivered upto 80 tonnesof bombs, amounting According to461stShAP pilotMikhail Pavlov, thelongest-range The secondRuAF combatunittobedeployed to Tajikistan was RuAF Su-25s continuedtoseecombatin1994,with116strikeand171 The Su-25s flyingcombatmissionsin Tajikistan were armed at alltimes The maintargetsoftheRussian ‘Frogfoots’ duringthislittle-known, but August 1995 to replace 461st ShAP’s detachment, East, sentadetachmenttoDushanbe-Aini in Neman’, home-basedatGalyonki, inRussia’s Far for several more years. 18thGShAP ‘Normandya- It continueditsregular COINoperationsfrom here relocated toDushanbe-Aini in airfield Tajikistan. (six single-seatersandfourtwo-seaters), was operating in Tajikistan, consistingoftenaircraft in thegroup were onemergencyfuel. running time theylandedbackatKokayty allofthe aircraft on the pre-planned targets in one pass only. By the altitude of22,600ft,andtheordnance wasreleased In mid-1995 theRuAF attackdetachment Action after Soviet break up 69 A four-strong Su-25 detachment has Su-25 detachment A four-strong been maintained within the structure in Russian Military Base of the 201st 2003, since October Kyrgyzstan basis by manned on a rotational regiments the attack from aircrews and Step. Galyonki at Chernigovka, for is responsible The detachment Russian to air support providing and the other Tajikistan in forces in Central republics Soviet former Islamic fighting radical Asia, traffickers. and drug movements armed ShAP, This Su-25 of 187th was pods, with B8M1 rocket in July 2004 after photographed landing at Kant air base ) Author via Zinchuk (Andrey © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com The second deployment of the Buturlinovka-based attack regiment attack regiment of the Buturlinovka-based deployment The second and 50 aircraft of five the late 1990s and early 2000s a detachment In combat operations against the armed the early 2000s Russian During lost since the beginning of the been to have reported were Su-25s Two permanent detachment responsible 2003 the RuAF’s 23 October Since and it flew combat missions until August 1996. During the regiment’s first regiment’s the During 1996. August until missions flewcombat it and including sorties, combat 145 performed detachment the deployment war targets. to attacking ground 55 dedicated to 899th ShAP) as re-designated but now 186th IShAP, (formerly As many 1996. and 16 December 2 March took place between Tajikistan of these being 133 Dushanbe-Aini, from flown sortiesas 154 combat were The and 21 to aerial reconnaissance. targets ground dedicated to attacking each tactical combat groups, Army’s also escorted the Russian ‘Frogfoots’ during their movements vehicles, up to 30 armoured of which consisted of in high-risk areas. and patrols round. all year at Dushanbe-Aini was maintained air- and groundcrew RuAF three of personnel by rotation repeated The operation saw the Eastern in Step at home-based ShAP, 266th namely regiments, attack East and Far in Russia’s home-based at Chernigovka 187th ShAP, Siberia, East. Far also in Russia’s Galyonki, from 18th GShAP intensity. lower considerably a at albeit continued, Tajikistan in opposition 45 combat reported force Su-25 2000, for instance, the deployed In targets and only show- ground no attacks against were sorties, but there the number of combat sorties 2001 flown In flown. were missions of-force 2003 to 27, in 2002 it was 30 and in had dropped the detachment by fell to only three. the figure written off in non- in 1998 and 2005, but both of these were deployment, Su-25UB an was 1998, April 11 on loss, first The accidents. combat-related hit the ground with both pilots being killed when the aircraft two-seater, some 99 miles south of a mountainous area during a training mission over 2005 was lost in May The second ‘Frogfoot’ Dushanbe. capital, Tajikistan’s 899thof Pryadchenko Vladimir Maj ‘32’, Su-25BM of pilot the when the aircraft and ejected successfully before an in-flight fire reported ShAP, Dushanbe. about 15.5 miles from hit the ground Soviet other former the all and Tajikistan, in operations combat for has been groups, fighting against radical Islamist in the region republics within of Kyrgyzstan, republic stationed at Kant, in the former Soviet Military Base. of the 201st Russian the structure 70 CHAPTER SIX T conducting visual aerialreconnaissance sorties. significance. The ‘Frogfoot’ pilotswere alsoroutinely tasked with bridges,aswell asanyothertargetsofmilitaryand temporary andattackedweapons, ammunitionstoragedepots Chechnyan territory battlefield interdiction, destroyed enemyaircraft in parked onairfields 16 June 1996. 21 January 1995andthenalsomoving toBudennovsk from 14May to initially beingdeployed toMozdok between 9December 1994and Buturlinovka over wasdespatchedtoflycombatsorties Chechnya, nearby Dagestan. In addition,adetachmentfrom 899thGShAP from 368th ShAP (already based atBudennovsk) deployed toMozdok, in units wasequippedwith12single-seatersandtwotwo-seaters, while squadrons, totalling28aircraft, toBudennovsk Eachofthese airfield. Initially, 461stShAP from Krasnodarwascalledupontodeploy its two Taganrog, bore oftheoperationsduringcampaign. thebrunt 461stShAP atKrasnodar and,later, 16thShAPat Budennovsk, at parked, by Su-25s daysearlier. hadbegunafew whereChechen airfields, agreat manyL-29andL-39Cjettrainerswere on1December 1994,butthemassedbombingsofofficially started to remove Dudaev from power andreturn ChechnyatoRussian rule to theKremlin. operationThe ill-fatedandextremely bloodymilitary Caucasus region insidetheborders oftheRussian Federation’, according republic hadbecomea‘criminal destabilisingtheentire North country restore constitutionalorder in November 1994.By thenthebreakaway theRussian government insteaddespatchedtroops to of Chechnya, friendly government, butthisplanreportedly failedtomaterialise. groups attemptedtoremove Dudaev from power andinstallaMoscow- Dzhokhar Dudaev. In thesummerof1994Russian-backed opposition in 1993. The president statewasformer ofthenew VVS Maj Gen declared itssovereignty andindependencefrom theRussian Federation conflict. Named theChechenRepublic ofIchkeria, itunilaterally Republic inJune 1992,justaftertheOssetian-Ingushetian inter-ethnical disintegration oftheChechnyan-Ingushetia Autonomous Soviet territorial subjectoftheRussian Federation wasbornfollowing the SOUTH OSSETIA CHECHNYA AND Tasked withflying mostly CASmissions,theSu-25s undertook The three attackregiments of1stGShAD, namely368thShAP Refusing torecognise theindependenceofbreakaway republic breakaway Russian republic ofChechnya. establishedThis newly hardened, wascalledintoactionagainin1994,thistimethe he RuAF ‘Frogfoot’ community, by now considered combat- © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com

(Andrey Zinchuk via Author) promoted to lieutenant general in May 2012 andsubsequently appointed RuAFCommander-in-Chief achievements inbothwars. Hewas for hiscombatandleadership hanging nextto hisright epaulette) the RussianFederation (seenhere awarded theGoldenStarofHero of campaigns. In April hewas 2000, 899th ShAPduring theChechen Maj Gen Viktor Bondaryov was COof Chechnya and South Ossetia 71 On 17 and 18 February 1995 the 1995 February and 18 On 17 which in Grozny, Palace Presidential a massive into had been turned came rebels, Chechen by fortress RuAF Su-25s by attack under heavy with BEtAB-500 concrete- armed rockets. bombs and S-24 piercing on significant damage inflicted They some of the structure, the palace’s all through penetrating bombs even to the roof from of the floor levels forces Chechen where the basement, had established a command-and- (RuAF centre ) control via Author © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com centre. The resulting explosions inflicted resulting The centre. 2 Between October 1994 and September 1996 (a month after the Khasav- 1994 and September October Between inflicted 23 instances of in-flight damage to its Su-25s, reported 1st GShAD The first of them was lost in 1996. reported were Su-25s more Two ofCO Deputy subsequently and CO AE 1st initially Koshkin, Alexander The Su-25s were instrumental in the destruction of were The Su-25s significant damage. After two days of heavy bombing bybombing heavy of days two After damage. significant the Chechen aircraft), 899th ShAP (reportedly Su-25s heavily damaged palace to abandon the unsafe and forced combatants were other parts from of the city. resistance and continue their fierce force, ‘Frogfoot’ a halt to the conflict) the RuAF’s finally brought Accord Yurt carried out no fewer than time, given at any aircraft consisting of 40 to 50 7000 combat flying hours. totalling just over 7000 combat sorties in-theatre regiments to the three credited sorties these, 5828 Of 5756 hours were and the by reported strikes were 3000 pre-planned About of 1st GShAD. and no fewer than as 1115 CAS, 1284 free-hunting as well force, ‘Frogfoot’ 20,000 unguided bombs were sorties. Nearly 500 aerial reconnaissance than 100 RBK-250 cluster bombs, 69 addition to more in dropped, calibres. of various KMGU-2 mine dispensers and 73,499 rockets (14) during the and small-arms fire guns (four), AAA (five) heavy machine by majority of these occuring below first Chechen war campaign, the vast Bairov Nikolay Capt with 1995, in combat in lost were Su-25s Two ft. 2300 after a successful ejection being killed in action on 4 February of 368th ShAP 5 May mobile AAA system. On a ZSU-23-4 by – his jet was gunned down heavy taking DhK-12.7 lost after reported was Su-25 a second 368th ShAP targets near the village of Benoi.machine gun hits during an attack on ground also perished in action. Vladimir Sarabeev, Lt Col pilot, Its Toiskoe near April 4 on piece AAA mm 23 twin-barrel ZU-23 a by downed managed to eject, only to then of 368th ShAP, pilot, Capt Matveev village. Its trying with Chechen combatants become engaged in a firefight to capture a C-SAR moment by at the last possible recovered was eventually him. He when an Su-25UB on 5 May loss was reported The second aircraft party. shoulder- a by down brought was ShAP, 368th from again two-seater, Col strike. Pilots during a pre-planned launched SAM near Urus-Martan both killed in action. were Isaev Oleg and Maj Sviridov Igor flew no fewer than 200 combat sorties in the first Chechen war. 461st ShAP, which a D-30 122 mm howitzer, with destroying late 1995 he was tasked In nine miles east of detected hidden in an abandoned farm he eventually he spotted the city of Argun. After a 20-minute search not far from Grozny, a few kilometres snow truck in the fresh towing the tracks of the howitzer’s party a reconnaissance (this was confirmed by point the initial search from farm; and he then attacked the the post-strike results), sent to verify the Presidential Palace in Grozny. Situated right in thein right Situated Grozny. in Palace Presidential the a reinforced the building boasted of the city, centre turned into a well- that had been structure concrete was viewedthe Chechens. Air power by defended fortress Russian the palace by asset in the storming of as a critical with S-24 rockets it attacking Su-25s forces, ground and BEtAB-500and17 bombs on concrete-piercing The bombs penetrated all floors from 1995. 18 February had forces Chechen where basement, the to roof the established a C 72 CHAPTER SIX © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com I had started toattacktheC I hadstarted a little more relaxed, reporting theprecise positionoftheGrad launcherthat aircraft over the Terek River, exitinghostileterritory. feeling Ithenstarted target for the enemy on the ground. At last I managed to coax my damaged at only1300fttheslow andlow-flying Su-25 attractive presented avery maintaining aspeedof280mph.Iwasunabletoclimbout,however, and worked andmySu-25 asadvertised, continuedflyingononeengine, fire prove impossible to extinguish. Luckily the fire suppression system suppression system; round, setting it alight. Koshkin reacted immediately, activating the fire his Su-25 was hit inoneofitsenginesby alarge-calibre heavymachinegun strafing thetargetwithhiscannonfrom ashallow dive angle.At thatmoment vehicle head-on.He thencommencedanattackingmanoeuvre before so astolookover theshelteroncemore, passingabeamtoclearlyseethe housedinanarched shelter.truck Koshkin turn decidedtomakeafourth third turnover thearea hespottedsomethingresembling thenoseofaGrad launcher,truck-mounted flyingaslow as80ftabove theterrain.During his wingman to circle at 14,750 ft while he continued the visual search for the reached the target area, next to a railway station. Koshkin ordered his rocket launcherthathadjustfired onRussian troops. The twoSu-25s quickly sent totheGudermes area toseekoutanddestroy aBM-21Grad multiple when dieselfuelorengineoilissetablaze.’ first hits the target became engulfedin black smoke,which usually appears direction, a northern whileImademystrafingpassfrom thewest. Afterthe a safealtitude,circling overhead andlooking attheground foranymuzzle mountainous terrain. owing tosignificantrangingerrors whenthesystemwasusedover while theKlyon-PS laserdesignator/rangefinderwasnotemployed atall used inthemanualaimingmode only, without anyautomaticcorrections, bomb drops androcket firings. The ASP-17BTs-8 electro-optical sightwas roll in,thejetenteringintoadive ofbetween 45and60degrees foraccurate altitude ofbetween 12,500ftand16,730ft. The attackcommencedwitha requested CASallthetime,‘Frogfoot’ aday. pilotsloggeduptofive sorties but duringthemostintensive periodsoffighting,whenground forces also keptasaspare, ready forimmediatescrambleinanemergency. in contact.AsingleSu-25 withamixed warloadofbombsandrockets was the strikepackagewhenever needed,ortoprovide on-demand CAStotroops pair ofjetswasalwayskeptonquickreaction atMozdok alert toreinforce three Su-25 whileanother pairs,attackingthe targetsat30-minuteintervals, The pre-planned strikesinbothChechenwarswere by twoor undertaken system. afire.’The leakingoildrippedontothehotjetpipe,starting heavymachinegun],whichpunctured atubeintheengine’sa KPVT oil discovered thatmySu-25 hadtakenahitfrom a14.5mmbullet[fired by ‘I started turningtowards‘I started the Terek River, ready toejectshouldtheengine After poundingthehowitzer hiddeninthefarm,Koshkin wasurgently ‘I ordered mywingmantoattackthe T-shaped building[farmhouse]from Typically, the lead pilot would roll in first while his wingman remained at When approaching atargetarea theSu-25 atacruising pairsusuallyflew adayperpilot, The typicalcombatworkload comprisedoneortwosorties COIN TACTICS INCHECHNYA 2 centre. AfterIhadlanded,thegroundcrew Chechnya and South Ossetia 73 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com SECOND CHECHEN CAMPAIGN SECOND CHECHEN scale rolling ground offensive was launched from four directions on 1 four directions from was launched offensive ground scale rolling ‑ The largest ‘Frogfoot’ strike of the second war was performed on The largest ‘Frogfoot’ earlier that had been reported War The first loss of the second Chechen The biggest C-SAR operation during the second campaign in Chechnya In August 1999 the campaign was initially proclaimed to be a large-scale proclaimed 1999 the campaign was initially August In 27 September 1999, just four days before the launch of the Russian ground of the Russian the launch 1999, just four days before 27 September as many of 1st GShAD, regiments all three from aircraft Involving offensive. and in scrambled in a single wave were at Mozdok gathered as 60 Su-25s pre- mounting a devastating tasked with They were complete radio silence. planned strike against a large number of important in Chechnya, targets as as well North, and Grozny mainly the airfieldsKalinovskaya at Khankala, The main storage facilities with heavy militaryall known equipment. with armour-piercing rockets in this massed strike were used weapons warheads and HE bombs. a suffered to 960th ShAP belonging ‘Frogfoot’ A 9 September. on month, of while attacking targets in the Karamakhi area double engine failure tryThe pilot decided not to the engines, to restart with rockets. Dagestan the target as far away from Su-25 un-powered instead choosing to glide his recovered promptly was and altitude low at ejected then He possible. as area this time belonging to another Su-25, 3 October On a C-SAR party. by pilot, due to enemy AAA. Its Tolstoi-Urt was lost near 368th ShAP, was killed. Khmelevsky, Capt Andrey Borisuk, CO of 368th when Col Sergey was launched on 13 December was hit Su-25BM his sources to some According down. was brought ShAP, area the Bachi-Urt a shoulder-launched SAM while attacking targets in by a defective by was downed whilst others claim the aircraft Valley, of the Argun large eventuallyThis offensive the Chechen capital, Grozny. towards 1999 October Chechen armed the 2000. However, January of the city in seizure to the led into the support and retreated of the local population opposition enjoyed it switched where valleys, Vedeno the mountains, mainly in the Argun and while. for a tactics and continued the organised resistance to guerrilla warfare anti-terrorist operation, aimed at repulsing the Chechen irregular armed irregular the Chechen repulsing at aimed operation, anti-terrorist a number of cities and villages in the neighbouring Russian occupying groups these battles, which lasted 45 days, a Following of Dagestan. republic Officially conducted between August 1999 and April 2002, when the 2002, 1999 and April August conducted between Officially military operation was become a counter-terrorist phase of what had of Chechnya republic campaign in the troubled terminated, the second The RuAF military the ailing Russian many challenges to machine. presented theyas in supporting forces a vital role ground again played force attack remaining the assail to continued then republic, the in cities key the occupied units hiding in the mountains. combat-capable Chechen flashes and launched SAMs. In the event of threats popping up, the wingman the up, popping threats of the event In SAMs. and launched flashes in to roll immediately and then to the leader warning issue a prompt was to or SAM launch gun/AAA emplacement(s) heavy machine attack the detected switched roles, aircraft two the attack cycle, the second site(s). For The the wingman top cover. leader providing in to attack and the rolling beenhad bombs which in attack dive a after altitude pull-out minimum towas reduced and this was set at 1970 ft, fired and/or rockets dropped the cannon. 660 ft when strafing with 74 CHAPTER SIX (Andrey Zinchuk via Author) compared to thestandard Su-25 when usingunguidedordnance between two to three timesgreater) accuracy (advertised asbeing promised significantlyincreased system’s digitalcomponents computer andthenav/attack new head-updisplay, aweapons without it. The combinationofthe satellite correction, and660ft delivery saidto bewithin46ft using navigation accuracy for weapons digital nav/attack suite, witha sophisticated PrNK-25SMintegrated The SMupgrade introduced the debut inthewar inSouthOssetia. from Budennovsk, saw itscombat one squadron within368thShAP The upgraded Su-25SM, operated by © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com killed uponimpact. by the insurgents). The pilot,Maj didnotejectand was Igor Bezryadin, caused by ahandlingmistake(anotheraccountsaysthatSAMwas fired in a 40-degree divingattack,the jet’s being almostcertainly destruction It highground inthe struck Vedeno Valley after unleashing80mmrockets attacking aninsurgentbasesome 3.70milesfrom Dishne-Vedeno village. mountain villageofItum-Kale. atanaltitudeofabout8200ftsome7.5milessouththe 1.265 milesapart intensive searching theremains ofthepilotsandtheiraircraft were found Federation) andCapt Oleg Podsitkov were bothkilled.Aftersixdays of Su-25s intotheground. flew LtCol Yuriy Yakimenko (Hero ofRussian however, wasinitiatedtoolate,andsoonafterentering thecloudcover both toavoid collisionwiththevalleyeffort walls. The climb-outmanoeuvre, At thesametimeheordered hiswingmantocommenceclimb-outinan themission. failing tospottheAn-2leaderreported thathewasaborting S-24 rockets! ordnance – one ‘Frogfoot’ FAB-500 was carrying bombs and theother continue thesearch forthebiplane,despite beingarmedwithair-to-ground area. The Su-25 atMozdok paironalert in the were thendespatchedto in Chechenairspacerefused tointercept theAn-2because ofbadweather flying MiG-29s thathadoriginallybeenscrambledtoengageothertargets supplying the insurgents with ammunition from nearby Georgia. Two pilots Antonov An-2biplanewasspottedinsidetheArgun Valley, presumably the scramblingofSu-25 QRApairatMozdok afteranunidentified knocked out. Karmanov of461stShAP, managedtoreturn tobasewithoneengine while pullingoutfrom anattack,although onthisoccasionitspilot,Maj A rescue were him,andthistimetheirefforts successful. Mi-24. Finally, on15December, theC-SARteammadeathird attemptto 13 December proved following fruitless thelossofMi-8MT andthe On 29April 2002another368thShAP aircraft was reported lostwhile intotheArgun The pairflew Valley justbelow thecloudceiling,andafter The worstRuAF lossofthecampaignoccurred on14June 2001following On 22January 2000anotherSu-25 onacombatmissiontookSAMhit gun andsmall-armsfire. sustained significantdamagefrom heavy machine more badlywounded. Three more helicopters killed in one action Mi-24),and six six servicemen losses, includingtwohelicopters(oneMi-8MT and and Mi-8MTs, Russian forces suffered painful controlled and involved territory Su-25s, Mi-24s operation, which lasted three days in enemy- RuAF Flight Test Centre, butduringtheC-SAR was eventually recovered by anMi-8MT ofthe a large-scalesearch operationtocapture him.He a firefight withChecheninsurgents,wholaunched his successfulejection,Borisukbecameinvolved in round packbeneaththewingofjet. 122 mmrocket thatexplodedinsidetheB13Lfive- The firsttwoattemptstorecover ColBorisukon After anuneventful parachutedescentfollowing Chechnya and South Ossetia 75

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com -25 WEAPONS IN CHECHNYA WEAPONS -25 u S Free-hunting missions were only conducted by the most experienced only conducted by missions were Free-hunting mission my pair found two BM-21 Grad one free-hunting ‘During FAB-500M62 and FAB-250M62 HE bombs were used in large numbers HE bombs were and FAB-250M62 FAB-500M62 also commonly used, while the S-13 were S-24 and S-25 heavy rockets navigation equipment accuracy of the Su-25’s the poor explained, As Pavlov During the second Chechen campaign RuAF Su-25s were employed only employed were Su-25s campaign RuAF Chechen the second During However, in clear weather. flights hours, mostly in two-aircraft in daylight in bad weather CAS called upon to provide occasion they were on at least one were Division Airborne-Attack 76th Guards of the Pskov-based when troops recalled, Pavlov As Mikhail near Ulus-Kert. a mountainous area ambushed in on that particularthe cloud ceiling height ft, while the peak day was 1150 The attacking passes were sea level. 2710 ft above of the mountains was visual contact without points on the ground, using reference initiated by were rockets S-24 Heavy clouds. by covered the targets, which were with in a bid to achieve climb, the cloud base while in a shallow just below fired covered Su-25s, the above was that slope mountain a on saturation area clouds. by dense for such briefings pre-mission pilots, usually flying in pairs. At ‘Frogfoot’ and the area information about their assigned patrol given sorties pilots were detailed Pavlov attack. then and detect be to expect could they targets of type these missions; moments from some of the most memorable 122 mm self-propelled multiple rocket launchers, and their subsequent multiple rocket 122 mm self-propelled another mission On display. destruction turned into a spectacular fireworks in to attack. rolled and I column of fuel trucks spotted a we on the move, the trigger I saw my target explode. pulling a second before However, turned It a third. by later a second truck burst into flames, followed Moments by another direction from out that the same column had just been attacked pair flying very and communicating on another frequency. an Mi-24 low startedand helicopters the whowith contact was who made clarifying We not to attack, descending first my wingman and so on. I ordered in the air, so as to better assess the situation. at the scene on the ground a look to have had proved background against a green helicopters flying low The green in to attack.’ rolled we before above impossible to spot from fuel/air bombs ODAB-500PM powerful during both campaigns, while more insurgent bases in forested mainly to destroy employed, only occasionally were performed using the ASP-17BTs-8 firings were All bombing and rocket areas. as Pavlov delivery accuracy, sight in the manual aiming mode, and ordnance skills and experience. depended solely on the pilot’s recalled, in 2000. B13L packs, was introduced five-round from fired 122 mm rocket, very S-13, as this happy with the that they were tended to comment Pilots and accurate. both powerful proved new type of ordnance the start of the second in 1999, just before 461st ShAP was partly by solved commercial-standard two of purchase the to thanks Chechnya, in campaign in Krasnodar market at the consumer electronics hand-held GPS receivers These GPS receivers cash fund. paid for out of the regiment’s – they were pilots in combat sorties, although it was not the Su-25 widely used by were primary navigation tool publicly admitted that they had been the regiment’s higher command. for their use by because the unit lacked formal approval very the be to all calculating accurately useful, proved receiver GPS The necessary position, distance to target, navigation information such as current 76 CHAPTER SIX sortiesvia Author intotal (U-UAZ) missiles. They performed 39combat Kh-25ML andKh-29Llaser-guided Chechnya campaign, mainlyusing high-value targets during thesecond Mozdok, were usedto knock out TsPLSiBP, forward-deployed to Two Su-25TsoftheLipetsk-based4th © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com Ossetia, received order analert atmidnight on7August. By the earlyhours intervention. military Ossetia. This, inturn,ledtoaprompt andexcessively hard-hitting Russian of 8August againstthecapitalcityoftinybreakaway province ofSouth Army attacklaunchedinthelate evening of7August andtheearlymorning The warinSouth Ossetia inAugust 2008wastriggered by aGeorgian underground sheltersandweapons arsenals. and ODAB-500PM500kgFAE bombswere occasionallyusedtodestroy Kh-29L andKh-25MLlaser-guidedmissiles,butKAB-500L weapons from nearby Georgia on25September 1999. biplaneontheground thatwassuspectedofferrying An-2 lighttransport Shamil Bassaev, a hangar housing defence equipment and, curiously, an houseofwell-knownstation, thefortified Chechenfieldcommander Chechnya suchasasatellitecommunicationsfacility, aradiorelay theydestroyed sorties, anumberofhigh-value targetsin 39 combat strikes usingprecision-guided weapons. Subsequently performing and Aircrew Conversion Centre) were deployed toMozdok tomount (Ekipazh samoletakonversii iboyevoy podgotovki Tsentr In late1999twoSu-25Ts drawnfrom Lipetsk-based4th TsPLSiBP of 1st GShAD flew 13,848 combat sorties totalling13,319flyinghours. of 1stGShAD 13,848combatsorties flew were and906flyinghours,respectively. 901sorties totalling2313flyinghoursandfor960thShAP 2469 sorties thosefigures and logged 3814 flying hours, 461st ShAP’s combat activity amounted to more 368thShAP than7500combatsorties. completed3726combatsorties RuAF assets remained in action until the early summer), the Su-25 force flew 2002 (technically, allfightinghad‘ceased’ attheendofApril 2002,although depending onthenature oftheassignedtargets. to sixS-24orS-25rockets, orasimilar numberofFAB-500 HEbombs, 800-litre externalfueltanksfitted,whileatypicalwarloadconsistedoffour wereminutes toonehourand15minutes.Allofthesorties flown withtwo The RuAF’s 368thShAP, stationedinBudennovsk, notfarfrom South The principalweapons employed by theSu-25T pairinChechnyawere In total,duringbothcampaignsinChechnya,thethree Su-25 regiments During the second campaign in Chechnya, between August 1999 and July S u FIVE-DAY WAR -25T INACTION duration ofonehourandfive withanaverage sortieairfield, usually upto90milesfrom their against targetsinChechnyathatwere conducted their strike missions Mozdok duringbothcampaigns en route. the speedofaircraft while time-on-target precisely by varying the Su-25 group tomeettheassigned pre-planned course.It alsoallowed time totargetanddeviationfrom the The RuAF Su-25s operatingfrom –Combat Training Chechnya and South Ossetia 77 Col Sergey Kobilash, CO of 368th Kobilash, Col Sergey the very action from in was ShAP, beginning of the South Ossetian flying an upgraded campaign, the over Shot down Su-25SM. on Tskhinvali suburbs of southern he successfully 2008, 9 August recovered promptly and was ejected (Russia TV forces his own by ) via Author flown ‘55’, Su-25BM of The remains during Terebunskiy Lt Col Oleg by the South Ossetian campaign. veteran wars a Chechen Terebunskiy, his credit, to with 120 combat sorties on at about 1800 hrs ejected ‘Frogfoot’ his 2008 after 8 August a shoulder- from probably a hit, took South by Igla SAM fired launched Ossetian militants (Author’s collection) © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com The four Su-25s of the formation led by Col Kobilash Col Kobilash by formation led of the Su-25s The four Su-25s the most importantmission for RuAF Initially, successful mission, the opening 72 hours of the war saw this Despite continued flying CAS and BAI sorties Budennovsk from The Su-25s of the next day the CO, Col Sergey Kobilash, had received received had Kobilash, Sergey Col CO, the day next the of the RuAF from unit directly for his tasking the mission The Zelin. Alexander Gen Col Commander-in-Chief, South to flights four-aircraft two despatched regiment air support much-needed in an effortOssetia to provide the capital stationed in peacekeeping forces for the Russian time that at which Tskhinvali, province, breakaway the of Army. the Georgian by was being heavily shelled the battlefield appear over to aircraft the first RuAF were the surprise, of element the Using Tskhinvali. around low-altitude pilots flewof devastating a series ‘Frogfoot’ Army military Georgian strafing passes on a vehicle The leaders of each mm rockets. column, unleashing 80 upgraded flying were formations pair in the RuAF 2007-08) that boasted far in (taken on strength Su-25SMs their while equipment, navigation and sighting better wingmen had ordinary Su-25BMs. (non-upgraded) (BAI), which saw pilots was battlefield air interdiction off the flow called upon to mount strikes aimed at cutting to Georgia and munitions heading from of reinforcements example, at midday on 8 August For Ossetia. in South the war zone a column belonging to the elite 4th and his wingman attacked Kobilash Gori of city the from was moving that Army Georgian the of Brigade in the destruction trucks of five This attack resulted Tskhinvali. towards soldiers reportedly plus 20 Georgian vehicles, drive four-wheel and several numbersimilar A Brigade). 4th the from CO a battalion (including killed wounded. were and in the air to friendly fire. ground suffer losses both on the forces Russian and South forces attacked their own Su-25s that RuAF reported was It in turn were occasions, and that the ‘Frogfoots’ on several irregulars Ossetian at fired troops Russian Furthermore, fighters. MiG-29 RuAF by targeted pilots who Veteran and adjacent areas. Tskhinvali everything above in the air war sharp’ and that the ‘short commented both Chechen conflicts in fought between for the very poor coordination will be remembered Ossetia in South at least at the beginning of on the ground, forces units and the ‘Frogfoot’ combat operations. in the late Tskhinvali around first critical the of hours afternoon was It of the war. day (8 August) during this period that 368th ShAP its first loss when Su-25BM suffered Oleg Col Lt by flown ‘55’, of both (a veteran Terebunskiy Chechen wars, with 120 combat a by hit was sorties credit), his to the – SAM shoulder-launched South by fired was probably weapon 78 CHAPTER SIX via Author) Ministry ofEmergency Situations village on9 August (Russian 2008 crashing into aforest nearItrapis the Gufta Bridge, theSu-25BM down, probably by friendly fire, near in actionwhenhisSu-25was shot Ossetian war. Edamenkov was killed rockets after theendofSouth destroying thejet’s unexploded ordnance disposalteam tasked with ShAP isinspected by aRussian by Maj Vladimir Edamenkov of368th The remains oftheSu-25BMflown (Author’s collection) those oftheGeorgian forces inblue August marked 2008 inred, and location ofRussianforces on9 is thecityof Tskhinvali, withthe five-day war. Inthecentre ofthemap during2008 thebrief, butbloody, the battlefield inSouthOssetia An original Russian-language mapof © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com and Control), alsohome-basedatBudennovsk. Mi-24P from 487thOVP BU (Independent Helicopter Regiment Combat promptly recovered consistingofaMi-8MTV by aC-SARparty anda Kobilashpopulated villageofDzartsemi, tobe hadthegoodfortune Tskhinvali. Kobilash hadnochoiceotherthantoejectfrom about3300ft. engine, whileoverflying theSouth Ossetian-held southernsuburbsof when theslow-flying jettookanotherSAMhit,thistimeinthestarboard enginebeinginoperable. despite theport This becameamissionimpossible Kobilash triedhisbesttoreturn theheavilydamaged‘Frogfoot’ tobase from histhird attackpass. The aircraft remained flyableforaperiod,and engine byin the port ashoulder-launchedmissileafter he hadpulledout on amissiontoattacktargetssouthof Tskhinvali whenhisSu-25SM washit loss, thistimethedowned pilotbeingColSergey Kobilash himself. He was around Tskhinvali. It wasnotlongbefore theregiment reported itssecond its unsung and rather dangerous CAS and BAI work at low level in and hadbeendestroyedtransports inthestrike. rockets attargetsinsidethebase.It latertranspired thatthree An-2light The second‘Frogfoot’ togodown thatday, andthethird ofthewar, was After anuneventful parachutedescent intothemiddleofGeorgian- From dawnondaytwo(9August) oftheconflict,368thShAP continued Vladimir Edamenkov of368thShAP, failedtoeject from head-on hitfrom aSAMorAAAfire. Its pilot,Maj wingman, CaptSergey Sapilin, sawtheleadSu-25 takea manoeuvre to escape from in an effort the fighters, the flying defensively, thescissors andwhileperforming GeAF attackaircraft. The ‘Frogfoots’ immediatelybegan MiG-29s, thefighterpilotsthinkingthat they hadengaged the Su-25 pairwasmistakenlyintercepted by twoRuAF wingman’s account, while patrolling over the strategic road tunnel towards Dzhava and Tskhinvali. According tothe Russian motorised column advancing from the Roki aircraft ofapairfrom 368thShAP a taskedwithescorting reported inthelateafternoonof9August. It wasthelead being reported duringby thepairastheyfired 80mm unopposed, with no SAM launches or AAA virtually fire 13 milessouthofthecapital, Tbilisi. The ‘Frogfoots’ were against Marneuli the main GeAF airfield, jet base, some Training) of368th ShAP) mounted a surprise attack Vladimir Zvenigorodskiy (then deputy CO (Flight eventually managedtoreach hisown ground forces. while descending and was wounded upon landing, he was fired atwithsmallarmsby South Ossetian irregulars ‘Frogfoot’ pilotsuccessfullybailedoutand,althoughhe patrolling thearea. Whatever thecauseofhisdemise, down by anAAMmistakenlyfired by aRussian fighter version oftheincidentstatesthat Terebunskiy wasshot Tskhinvali, when his aircraft was shot down. Another attacking columnsontheground between Dzhava and between Dzhava and Tskhinvali atabout1800hrs, Ossetian irregulars. Terebunskiy was circling inthearea That sameafternoonapairofSu-25s ledby LtCol Chechnya and South Ossetia 79 Su-25K ‘46’ of 461st ShAP, flown by by flown ‘46’ of 461st ShAP, Su-25K badly was Konukhov, Maj Ivan a shoulder-launched by damaged 2008 while August SAM on 11 a combat mission over performing managed Konukhov South Ossetia. at landing an emergency make to ) collection Mozdok (Author’s © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com It is noteworthy that all three downed is noteworthy downed that all three It Su-25-equipped another 9 August On a suffered Su-25K the last attack Konukhov’s While pulling out from faced when manual flight the by me of required actions the all performed ‘I using the sun, which was the only continued navigating by Konukhov also heavily damaged, were 368th ShAP from Su-25s more Two the uncontrollable aircraft and was killed was killed and aircraft uncontrollable the when his near the village the ground hit Su-25 of Itrapis. Su-25s RuAF the of most and ‘Frogfoots’ hit been to have believed the war are damaged in or troops Russian either from friendly fire, by firing Igla irregulars Ossetian South from the case of Maj In shoulder-launched missiles. was he that likely most seems it Edamenkov, Army ZSU-23-4 a Russian by down brought AAA system. self-propelled the battle, deploying joined home-based at Krasnodar, 461st ShAP, regiment, anywithout having suffered the war ended It Mozdok. and to Budennovsk Maj by its jets was badly damaged whilst being flown losses, although one of he and his wingman had taken off as a pairs lead, Flying Konukhov. Ivan to perform a CAS mission.on 11 August at 1120 hrs Budennovsk from a ground-based a task by Loitering at medium altitude waiting to be assigned to attack a concentration of Georgian finally ordered the pair was FAC, near the village of Zemo parked with ammunition that were loaded vehicles in for rolled Konukhov Tskhinvali. the war-torn city of not far from Nikozi, the attack, although this time and then repeated the first pass on the vehicles had combatants Georgian which in wood nearby a at rockets fired he taken shelter. The SAM warhead detonated next to engine. hit in the starboard powerful inlatter The fire. subsequent and causing a total engine failure aircraft, the of the most and electrical systems, rendering the hydraulic turn destroyed immediately carried out his instruments in the cockpit useless. Konukhov emergency drill, as he later recalled; the fire of which was activating with such an emergency situation, the first Within as advertised and stopped the fire. system, which worked suppression was to 135-140mph and the aircraft down seconds my speed had dropped I found sight of my wingman, lost flight. Having able to maintain level barely navigation equipment terrain, with inoperative a featureless myself flying over blind, rendered had been I felt despair at my plight, as my aircraft on board. the radio.’ to my calls for help over and nobody replied nothing worked and the sun was to the south, so he turned was midday, It reference. available had decided the airfield. He northflew and directly for one hour towards in overflying succeeded he eventually an option, and not ejection was that to a twice owing stalling the main Caucasus ridgeline, his damaged aircraft eventually the mountains. Konukhov loss of speed while trying to climb over he landed on emergency fuel, with enough where Mozdok, managed to reach minutes of flight. in the tanks for only a fewkerosene more Molostov, and Col Oleg Nechaev although their pilots, Capt Ivan ‘08’, was Su-25SM, home. Molostov’s managed to bring their ‘Frogfoots’ shoulder-launched a PZL Grom fragments from holed in 88 places by 80 CHAPTER SIX (Author’s collection) covered withfire-suppressant foam beneath theaircraft was liberally punctured fuelline, sothetarmac the landingfuelwas leakingfrom a flew the ‘Frogfoot’ back to base. After 11 August 2008, althoughthepilot was badlydamaged by aSAMhiton ShAP, flown by CaptIvan Nechaev, Upgraded Su-25SM ‘09’ of368th © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com them beingwell hidden beneathcamouflagenetting atMarneuli. All oftheGeAF’s Su-25s thewarasaresult, mostifnotallof survived the columnthatwasbombedby theGeAF. this factbeingconfirmedby Russian journalistswhowere travelling with targets, however. No losseswere inflictedonthe58th Armyasaresult, the 250kgfree-fall bombsthatwere dropped missedtheirintended on anadvancingcolumnnearthecityofDzhava Russian–allof military reportedly managedtotakeofffrom Marneuli anddeliver theirordnance event onlyfour‘Frogfoots’ (oneSu-25KM andthree standard jets) slow the Russian advance towards the battlefield in Tskhinvali. In the during theearlyhoursof8August. It washopedthatsuch astrikewould the 58thArmyarmoured columnspassingthrough theRoki tunnel six aircraft were loaded withordnance andtheirpilotsbriefedtoattack was alsoequippedwithapairofSu-25U two-seaters. Elbit Systems ofIsrael andfourthatwere standard ‘Frogfoots’. The GeAF four ofthesejetsbeingSu-25KM Scorpionsthathadbeenupgradedby GeAF hadtenSu-25s onstrength whenGeorgia invaded South Ossetia, during theconflict–hencenumerous friendlyfire incidents. The 8 August, duringthattime. flying36+combatsorties remained committedtothecampaignforanotherthree daysafter battlefield at any given time until the end of that critical day. 461st ShAP operational tempoenabledtheRuAF tomaintainacombatpairover the the vast majority of the available pilots flying three each. sorties This the war. The firstdayoftheconflict(8August) wasthemostintense,with withdrawn from use. they were judgedtobebeyond economicalrepair andsubsequently Aircraft Repair Plant atKubinka, nearMoscow, forexamination.Here, that theywere beingattackedby aGeorgian ‘Frogfoot’. byin hisaircraft anIgla beingstruck SAMafterground troops believed that Nechaev column,resulting hadmistakenlyattackedaRussian military albeitatareduced rating.Someto run, thrust Russian researchers believe detonated. The starboard enginealsosustainedsomedamagebutcontinued enginewhenitswarheadin thetailandthenknockedoutport second attackingpasswith122mmrockets. One oftheSAMshitjet of Tskhinvali. They were fired afterthepilothadrolled infora shortly According toGeorgian combatmissionswere sources nofurther flown. Georgian Su-25s were ofthewarwhen onlyemployed start atthevery Confusingly for troops on the ground, Su-25s were flown by both sides 368th ShAP Su-25s during about100combatsorties reportedly flew All three heavilydamagedSu-25s were subsequentlysenttothe121st been targetedby five orsixSAMsover thewestern end by CaptIvan Nechaev of368thShAP, wassaidtohave fightingvehicle. andoneinfantry trucks reportedly destroyed ten Toyota pick-ups,twomilitary Molostov andhiswingman,CaptIvan Nechaev, vehicles nearMeretiGeorgian military on8August. detonated incloseproximity duringanattackon launchers and100+missiles)whenthewarhead 9K38 Igla system, Georgia having acquired 30 SAM (aPolish licence-builtversion oftheRussian Around middayon11August Su-25SM ‘09’,flown EXPORT Su-25s EXPORT S u -25 s IN COM

IN COMBAT B AT

The war between Iran and Iraq was the second local conflict of the 1980s in which the Su-25 proved it could be an effective CAS workhorse, operating mainly at low altitude and facing a wide range of air-defence weapons. The (IrAF) had been the first non- country to be officially briefed on the Su-25 in the Soviet Union, Iraqi officers being shown the aircraft in May 1986. In total, Iraq is reported by Russian sources to have acquired as many as 69 Su-25K single-seaters and four Su-25UBK two-seaters in two batches, ordered in 1986 and 1987, respectively. This quantity was sufficient to equip two ground-attack regiments. The ‘Frogfoot’ saw extensive use in the closing stages of the war with An IrAF Su-25K lies destroyed on Iran, its fairly intensive employment again demonstrating the aircraft’s the ground after being hit by a laser- guided bomb during Operation admirable degree of battlefield survivability. On one occasion an Su-25K Desert Storm in January 1991. This was even said to have survived a hit by an MIM-23 Hawk SAM missile aircraft was caught in the open at – despite the jet being heavily damaged by the weapon’s powerful Jalibah South-east airfield, which warhead, its pilot managed to land the aircraft in one piece. Two Iraqi was captured by the US Army’s 2nd Brigade, 24th Infantry Division on Su-25Ks were reportedly lost, however, while conducting combat 27 February 1991 following a brief missions during the war. engagement with 1000 Iraqi IrAF Su-25s were not used in anger during the 1991 , their troops and 20 tanks (SSgt Dean Wagner/USAF) only known flying activity being the escape of nine aircraft to Iran – two of these jets were shot down by USAF McDonnell Douglas F-15Cs on 6 February 1991. A large number of Iraqi ‘Frogfoots’ were also destroyed inside their hardened aircraft shelters during Coalition air strikes, bunker- busting Paveway laser-guided bombs making short work of the jets. The

Although a number of IrAF ‘Frogfoots’ survived the carnage of Desert Storm, they saw very little use in the years prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in March 2003. This Su-25K was one of a handful of jets that were inexplicably buried under the sand at several air bases on the eve of OIF (via Author) 81

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 82 CHAPTER SEVEN collection) Executive Outcomes(Author’s pilots from South African company aircraft were flown by mercenary against UNITA, but thistimethe 1992-95 andagain usedincombat returned to airworthy conditionin ‘Frogfoots’ are known to have been support. A smallnumberof withdrawal ofSoviet maintenance soon grounded owing to the against UNITA forces, butthey were employed itsSu-25Ksinlate 1990 The National Air Force of Angola the jet’s fin(viaTomCooper ) ‘souvenired’ theIrAFmarking from that someonehasalready Baghdad on31December2001. Note part ofamilitaryparade staged in participation inaflypastthatwas having beenappliedprior to thejet’s beneath thecockpit, thismarking the ‘Dome oftheRock’ insignia captured attheairfieldthatfeatured aeroplane was oneofseveral Habbaniyah) during OIF. This former Taqaddum airbase(near captured by UStroops atthe IrAF Su-25K25616(c/n10310) as © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com Force tookonstrength twoformerRuAF Su-25Ts upgradedtoSu-25TK the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. In March 2000 the Ethiopian Air EO operationstoseize diamondfieldsfrom therebels. known tohave operatedoutofSaurimo taskedwithsupporting airfield, company,(EO), aprivate military were employed toflythejets. They are however, pilotsprovided mercenary by South Africa’s Executive Outcomes operated incombatagainstUNITA untilthefollowing year. This time, number ofSu-25s were in1993andagain restored toairworthiness withdrawal ofSoviet support. aircraftits combatcapabilityowingfollowing toalackofserviceable the duringthecampaign,butby Marchsorties 1991the regiment had lost AAA pieces operated by UNITA. Su-25s as flew many as 25 combat 23,100 ftinlevel flightsoastostay outofreach of Stinger SAMsand (mainly OFAB-100-120 andOFAB-200-270 bombs)from 16,500ftto recalled, theyusedthetypeasabomber. Pilots dropped theirordnance proved tobeill-suitedtheSu-25 because,asSoviet advisers military Luanda. However, the Angolans’ bombing UNITA armedoppositionforces advancing towards thecapital, each consistingoffourpilots. 1989, and by August that year the squadron had twocombat-ready flights, of began in Februaryoperations, under the VVS supervision instructors, Bomber Regiment, stationedatNamib airfield. The firsttraining 1988 andtakenonstrength by asquadron withinthe26thFighter- A total of 12single-seaters anda pair oftwo-seaters were delivered inearly Another local conflict in Africa in which the type was used in anger was Another localconflictinAfrica which the typewas used inangerwas There are reports andphotographicevidencetosuggestthatasmall Angolan aircrews inlate1990, beganflyingoperationalCASsorties modus operandi for combatmissions against Eritrea, whichendedon in theclosingstageof the war part tookafter itsarrival in-country) aircraft (onewaswrittenoffshortly trained in Russia, the three surviving from basesatDebre Zeit and Mekele. standard. were Combatsorties flown seaters, upgradedtoSu-25UBK with apairofsecondhandtwo- ‘Super standard before delivery. These that sawcombatwiththe‘Frogfoot’. was anotherearlySu-25 operator Saddam Hussein. Baghdad tooverthrow President forces duringtheiradvance on represent anyreal threat toCoalition 2003. Thus, the‘Frogfoot’ didnot Operation several airbasesontheeve of were buriedunderthesandat IrAFhandful of surviving Su-25Ks Manned by Ethiopian aircrew The National AirForce ofAngola Frogfoots’ were sold together Iraqi Freedom in March 10 June 2000. One Kh-29T EXPORT S u TV-guided missile and two Kh-25ML laser-guided missiles were reportedly fired in combat by the Ethiopian pilots, who claimed -25 s

that all of the weapons had hit their IN COM assigned targets – a number of S-24 240 mm rockets were also expended.

The Kh-29T TV-guided missile was B used to destroy a hardened shelter. AT An S-24-armed Su-25UBM also took part in an attack on an Eritrean SAM position in Mendefera, some This Su-25 was one of three single- 37 miles south of the capital, Asmara, on 21 May 2000, and then targeted seaters and a solitary two-seater purchased from Ukraine by the the military training centre in Sava. Seventeen combat sorties were flown former Yugoslavian Republic of in three weeks of fighting, eight of them by Su-25TKs. Macedonia in 2001 as an urgent The fledging air arm of Macedonia took delivery of three ex-Ukrainian measure to cope with the uprising Su-25s and one Su-25UB two-seater, originally sourced from Belarus, in of ethnic Albanian separatists that had erupted in March of that year June 2001 under an urgent procurement programme. The newly acquired (Chris Lofting) ‘Frogfoots’ were immediately used in anger against ethnic Albanian insurgents occupying a number of villages, the jets being flown by Ukrainian mercenary pilots. The Su-25s arrived after the culmination of the conflict, however, and reportedly fired their weapons on only one occasion – a sole ‘Frogfoot’ performed attacks using mainly 57 mm rockets against a T-55 main battle tank that had been captured by the insurgents, but without any success. The tank-hunting mission ended with no result. Although seeing next to no combat, the newly delivered Macedonian ‘Frogfoots’ flew several visual reconnaissance and show-of-force missions over the insurgent-occupied villages. Peru took delivery of 18 ex-Belarusian Su-25s in 1998, comprising ten late-build single-seaters and eight two-seaters, and shortly thereafter they saw use in anger in an innovative role – as interceptors of drug-trafficking aircraft. In 1999 and 2000 the Peruvian ‘Frogfoots’ were rushed into action to reinforce the nation’s anti-drug campaign. The Su-25’s good thrust-to-weight ratio allowed it to easily intercept general-aviation Peru’s air arm operated as many as aircraft smuggling raw cocaine and cocaine paste from the Upper Hulanga ten single-seaters and eight two- Valley, in the northern part of Peru, into neighbouring Columbia. The seaters acquired from Belarus. This is one of the two-seaters upgraded for first such shoot-down was claimed on 18 July 2000, in an area north of use in suppressing enemy air the capital, Lima. It is believed that at least 25 drug-carrying light aircraft defences, using the Kh-58U anti- were destroyed between 2000 and 2005. radar missile (ARM). The new avionics package comprised the L150 Pastel radar warning receiver/emitter locator system, with most of its black boxes, together with the launch control and target designation equipment of the ARM, housed in a KRK-UO underfuselage pod. The rear cockpit instrument panel was modified with an IM-3M-14 monochrome CRT display, on which target and launch control information derived from the Pastel and the ARM’s seeker head was displayed (Chris Lofting via Author) 83

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 84 CHAPTER SEVEN here (MeltingTarmac Images) 1500-litre external fueltanks, as seen republics, theSu-25sroutinely carry pilots from theformer Soviet in thecountry. Flown by mercenary missions during theinternal conflict these were saw combatonseveral acquired from TAM in1999-2000, and received four factory-fresh Su-25s The Democratic RepublicofCongo (Chris Lofting ) presently believed to beserviceable supplied by Belarus in1998 are However, onlyfour ofthe18 Su-25s ‘Frogfoots’ remain inservice. the ‘Fitters’ were retired in2007, the northern Peru, in April 2005. Although and 12Su-22sat Talara airbase, in An impressive lineupof13Su-25s © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com the United Nations peacekeepingmissionandensuringthesecurity inSeptember former colonysincethecivilwarstarted 2002,supporting mistakenly targetedaFrench camp–France military hashadtroops inits strikes were on 4November undertaken and,twodayslater, thejets began attackinganti-government forces inthetown ofBouake. The first inlateOctober orearlyNovemberairfield 2004,andsoonafterwards pilot and mercenary,a Belarusian were forward-deployed to Yamoussoukro at Abidjan. The two-seaters, flown by mixed crews consistingofonelocal of whichwere two-seaters,were procured from in2004andbased Belarus government forces duringtheIvorian Civil War. At leastfouraircraft, two arm oftheIvory Coast,whichuseditsaircraft inactionagainstanti- mission profile. with four250kgFAB-250M62 HEbombs,usingahigh-low-high miles from base. The Su-25s conducted these long-range strikes laden to extendthejet’s combatradiusduetotargetstypicallybeingsome300+ tanks hadbeenfittedtothe‘Frogfoot’, havingbeenintroduced in-theatre carried 1500-litre externalfueltanks. This wasthefirsttimesuchlarge pilotsmercenary from the former Soviet republics, the Su-25s often several missions during the internal conflict in the country. Flown by acquired from TAM in1999-2000,andthesewere usedinangeron Another ‘Frogfoot’ operatorthatgainednotorietyin2004was the air The Democratic Republic ofCongoreceived Su-25s fourfactory-fresh apparently shared thesamefate, revenge. The remaining twoSu-25s by French Special Forces inanactof repair onthetarmacat Yamoussoukro Su-25UBs were damaged beyond injured. Laterthatsamedayboth American were killed, with23others French troops andavisiting their 57 mm S-5 rockets. Nine camp before rolling intounleash pilotstwicecircled the mercenary of French andforeign nationals. Two jets flown by Belarusian being badly damaged while parked EXPORT S u in their hangar at Abidjan. More recently, Su-25s have seen combat in Iran, where a fleet of three two-seaters and five single- -25 s

seaters have been operational with IN COM the aviation arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRG) since

three newly built Su-25UBKs were B delivered in 2004. The ‘Frogfoot’ AT fleet was reinforced shortly thereafter by the introduction of five ex-Iraqi Su-25Ks whose pilots fled to Iran in January 1991. These single-seaters had been returned to airworthy condition after spending between 13 and 15 years in storage. On 1 November 2012 a pair of IRG ‘Frogfoots’ were reported to have This aircraft was one of two intercepted and fired warning shots at a US MQ-1 Predator unmanned Su-25UBs of the Force Aerienne de Cote d'Ivoire that carried out an S-5 aerial vehicle (UAV) flying in international airspace over the Persian Gulf rocket attack on a French military just outside the limit of Iran’s 12-mile territorial waters and adjacent camp on 6 November 2004. Both jets airspace. The Predator attacked by the ‘Frogfoots’ was on a routine (and two single-seat ‘Frogfoots’) surveillance mission at about 0450 hrs, 16 miles from the Iranian were rendered inoperable by French Special Forces at Yamoussoukro coastline. At least one of the Su-25 pilots opened fire at the Predator with airfield a few hours later, the soldiers his aircraft’s twin-barrel 30 mm cannon, but no hits were reported and firing Milan anti-tank guided missiles the drone turned away from the coastline, pursued by the IRG pilots, who at the aircraft (via Mark Lepko) fired another burst, which also missed, before disengaging. Sudan is among the more recent Su-25 operators, having acquired 14 second-hand ‘Frogfoots’ from Belarus – 11 in 2008 and three more in 2009 – that were quickly sent into action following their arrival in-country. In 2013 it was revealed that another batch of Su-25s had been acquired, together with S-8 80 mm rockets fired from B8M1 20-round rocket

All four badly damaged ‘Frogfoots’ of the Force Aerienne de Cote d'Ivoire were removed from the runway at Yamoussoukro airfield and placed in storage in a nearby hangar. Military officials from the Ivory Coast asked the United Nations for permission to repair and overhaul the aircraft in 2012, but this request was denied following pressure from the French government (via Pit Weinert) 85

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 86 CHAPTER SEVEN (Melting Tarmac Images) pods for firing S-880mmrockets They are armed with20-round B8M1 between missionson21 August 2011. Al-Fashir airport, intheDarfur region, These jetswere photographed at ten more jetsfrom thesame source. was enlarged withtheacquisitionof during 2008-09, andin2013 thefleet Force Su-25s. These were delivered purchased 14former Belarusian Air ‘Frogfoot’ operators, having Sudan isnumbered amongthelatest (Farzad Bishop) following ISIL’s invasion ofIraq flown from Iran atshort notice Su-25UBKs andfour Su-25Kswere on 30June2014 whenthree 15-2456 was returned to IrAFcontrol AAM onitsouter underwingpylon. closest to camera carries anR-60 on thefinsofbothjets. The aircraft distinctive unitemblemcanbeseen Revolutionary Guards, whose assigned to theIran Islamic former IrAFSu-25Ksare presently following 16years instorage, these their return to airworthiness Photographed shortly in2007 after © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com El-Obeid, inNorthern Kordofan. Su-25s usedin theseoperationswere reported tohave beenbasedat Southern Kordofan, firingS-557mmandS-24 240mmrockets. The indiscriminate airstrikeson14and25June 2011intheregion of reports from Amnesty International, Sudanese Su-25s were involved in from However, oppositiongroups andtheirsupporters. according to troops, andattributedtheallegations ofattacksoncivilianstopropaganda the government claimedthattheaircraft were beingdeployed toguard being usedtoattackcitiesandvillagesinthetroubled region. At thetime deliveredthat thenewly Su-25s, togetherwithotherattacktypes,were since 2003. In 2010 and 2011, however, there were a number of reports would not be used in the conflict, Darfur where civil war has been raging of thejets’ purchase theSudanese government claimedthattheSu-25s resulted intheindependenceofSouth Sudan inJuly 2011. At thetime conflict againstinsurgentsinthenation’s southernareas thatfinally confirmed, althoughitisbelieved that uptotenjetswere delivered. packs. The numberofaircraft involved inthislatestpurchase hasnotbeen Sudanese forces have beeninvolved internal military inalong-running Current Conflicts 87 This UkAF Su-25M1, displaying the displaying This UkAF Su-25M1, grey four-tone latest-standard one of ten was ‘digital’ camouflage, for available ‘Frogfoots’ upgraded the pro-Russian against use in anger of the self-proclaimed militant forces and Donetsk people’s Lugansk of part southeastern in the republics sorties The first combat the country. of the employment that saw targets ground against ordnance at the beginning of reported were under the The weapons 2014. May are wing of this aircraft starboard general- 250 kg an OFAB-250M-54 bomb and an S-25OFM purpose ) Author via Lofting (Chris rocket © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com

he latest war in which the Su-25 has been used in anger is the the is anger in used been has Su-25 the which in war latest he erupted that mid-April in in Ukraine conflict internal bloody the military against large-scale of operations outbreak the At 2014.

All of the Su-25s were flown by the 299th Tactical Aviation Brigade Brigade Aviation Tactical the 299th by flown were All of the Su-25s had a number of importantM1 jets have components in the Su-25’s in mid April, in anger was reported Su-25s The first use of UkAF

pro-Russian separatist militia forces that had initially managed to seize seize that had initially managed to militia forces separatist pro-Russian part in the south-eastern of this former Soviet regions vast over control had a fleet of about 70 (UkAF) Air Force the Ukrainian republic, Union airworthyin be to considered were these of so or 15 only but ‘Frogfoots’, first two months of the conflict another during the condition. However, to service. been returned to have reported are six to ten aircraft and a number of the jets had been based at Nikolayev-Kulbakino, (TAB) flew prototype M1 ‘Frogfoot’ upgraded The standard. M1 to modified formally commissioned into for the first time in 2004, and it was 2010, at the same time as the first three serviceUkrainian in March and one single-seaters – two Su-25M1 aircraft upgraded and refurbished taken on strength. two-seater – were Su-25UBM1 attack suite replaced, original KN-23-1 navigation suite and the SUO-8-1 an effort to In delivery navigation and weapons accuracy. thus improving as possible, no fuselage, with the upgrade as low keep the costs involved nine as many As introduced. were alterations or powerplant cockpit the to delivered been had two-seater one and single-seaters upgraded struggled the UkAF to find early 2014. However, up to TAB 299th at the start so few of the war because qualified pilots to fly the ‘Frogfoots’ shortage on the jet due to an acute flying hours of aviators had currency airworthy insufficient caused by fuel shortages since and frequent aircraft the early 2000s. the aircraft the over missions only initially conducting show-of-force villages in and separatist-held towns regions, and Lugansk the Donetsk supporting initial push of the the Army, including forces, Ukrainian Ministry of Interior/National and Defence Territorial Guard, Service units. Forward- Security to Dnepropetrovsk deployed from airport, miles 124 some from and 180 miles Donetsk also used may have Su-25s Lugansk, CONFLICTS

CURRENT CURRENT T 88 CHAPTER EIGHT Ukraine (Author’s archive) on astrategic hillinsouth-eastern hardened defensive positionsetup missiles, neartheSaur-Mogila using Iglashoulder-launched separatist militiaforce, probably ‘Frogfoots’ were shotdown by a downed on23July2014. The remains ofonetwo UkAFSu-25s Pro-Russian separatists examinethe (via Author) Ukraine inthesummerof2014 goes insearch oftargets over eastern external fueltanks, aUkAFSu-25 bombs, andcarrying 1500-litre pods andtwo OFAB-250M-54 250kg Armed withfour 20-round B8M1 © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com who hadseized theterminalbuildingatDonetsk openingfire airport, atit successful operationagainsttheseparatistsofmilitia’s Vostok battalion not farfrom themilitia-heldterritories. number of‘Frogfoots’ were deployed forward atMariupol, totheairfield proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, inthesecondhalfofJune a external fueltanks. rockets, afullammunitionloadfor the built-incannonandtwo800-litre onlytwo20-round B8M1packsforfiringS-8KO carrying sorties, 80mm parked atDnepropetrovsk airport. and inMay andJune nofewerthanfourofits‘Frogfoots’ were spotted involved were organisedintotheso-calledReserveAviation-Attack Group, Russianairfields. researchers oftheconflicthave suggestedthattheSu-25s over separatist-heldterritories,flyingfrom Dnepropetrovsk andChuguev subsequent fire. hits by S-8KO 80 mm rockets and was completely destroyed by the a swampyarea notfarfrom thebreakaway cityofSlavyansk –ittookdirect capture ofthehelicopter’s ordnance. The doomedMi-24P wasresting inside a forced landingwell insideseparatist-heldterritory, andthereby prevent May. Its aimwastodestroy aUkAA Mi-24P attackhelicopterthathadmade Late theprevious month,on26May, UkAF Su-25s were involved ina According to Igor Strelkov, the separatist force commander in the self- Initially, Ukrainian Su-25s were onlylightlyarmedwhen flyingcombat In midandlateMay theSu-25 force continueditsoccasionaloperations urban environment. However, targets intheopen,farfrom any late May. region wasalsotargetedby Su-25s in militia trainingcampintheLugansk against theattackingSu-25s. A at leastoneunsuccessfulSAMlaunch video footageontheinternetshows be intheseparatistmilitia’s arsenal– launched SAMsthatwere known to flares todecoy theIgla shoulder- careful manner,very usingprotective ina thismissionflew performing heavy casualties. The Su-25 pair after dawnshortly and inflicting ‘Frogfoot’ force was reported on 5 The first‘hot’ missionfortheUkAF nearthecityofKramatorsk. airfield toseizedelivering the anassaultparty Mi-8MT helicopters transport Ukrainian Army Aviation (UkAA) tasked withproviding topcover for April when a single aircraft was in thewarzone was reported on 15 operating base. as a forwardChuguev airfield These attackswere flown against The firstappearanceoftheSu-25 Current Conflicts 89 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com The Ukrainian government denied that there had been an airborne had been an airborne denied that there government The Ukrainian on 3 and the city of Slavyansk battles raging around the fierce During ‘Frogfoots’ anger of UkAF The next instance of the successful use in an Su-25 shot down the separatist militia claimed to have mid-June In was used in an unusual way in force ‘Frogfoot’ the UkAF 28 June On forces After the ending of a temporary observed government ceasefire by when the Su-25s were used to attack targets in cities (such as Lugansk, as Lugansk, cities (such targets in to attack used were the Su-25s when collateral of amount a significant inflicted they and Kramatorsk) Slavyansk S-8 they employed civilians because killed a number of damage and what happened was precisely This weapon. saturation – an area rockets on the municipal government notorious attack the now during on 2 June used as the headquarters which was the city of Lugansk, building in of S-8s eight than fewer No Republic. Lugansk People’s self-proclaimed the of the building, killing seven just in front hit a park to have reported are intact. 28, while the target itself remained civilians and wounding was much evidence to the there but of Lugansk, attack in the centre observers casual by and security recorded including video footage contrary, launched rockets The use of S-8 of the city. centre cameras installed in the also was Lugansk of the centre against a target in an aircraft from and Stability for Security observers the Organisation confirmed by from a post-strike survey who conducted of the site. in Europe, shot an Su-25 city claimed the militants defending the breakaway 4 June independent sources. by been confirmed but this has never down, on the Russian–Ukrainian was in the battle for checkpoint at Marinovka, and caught troops single Su-25 a this engagement, on 5 June, In border. battalion in the open, inflicting serious losses. Vostok of the vehicles attack against the police station in the city of that launched a rocket This happened four people. the militants, killing occupied by Gorlovka, and the pilot managed to bail out and was in the early hours of 14 June, independent from was no confirmation of this claim Again, there captured. the separatists in was made by claim shoot-down Another sources. and this time amateur video footage was released days later, three Gorlovka and firing flares pumping out protective an attacking Su-25 showing final fate remains Its fire. ground also appears to be hit by that rockets another Yet listed no losses for 17 June. as the UkAF however, unknown, been confirmed by has not but its loss 19 June, was claimed on Su-25 either. independent sources airborne emergency supplies to Ukrainian – to deliver the combat zone the besieged airfield defending troops at Kramatorsk and other locations spotted performing this task, flying at were Su-25s Several in Donetsk. containers of food and dropping medium altitude and reportedly containers, These parachutes. beneath descended which medicines, converted bodies of probably underwingon the carried were pylons, failed to reach majority of the drops The vast illumination bombs. 250 kg The supplies were winds. due to strong their intended targets, however, separatists. the by subsequently seized again action in seen were ‘Frogfoots’ UkAF the July, 1 to June 21 from and, for with rockets militant forces attacking the Kramatorsk area, over on claimed shot down were ‘Frogfoots’ Two bombs. the first time, iron confirmation no was there June, in cases previous the in as but 1st, the did admit that one The UkAF sources. or independent Ukrainian from 90 CHAPTER EIGHT on 28June(Iraqi MoDvia Author) Airport by an An-124 militaryairlifter transported to BaghdadInternational ex-RuAF Su-25sthatwere urgent delivery offour orfive the summerof2014, theIrAFtook an in northern andwestern Iraq during Following therise oftheISILthreat © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com was seen inamateur video footage attacking militant positions near weapons from suchheights.On 26August, afour-shipSu-25 formation Afghanistan somethree decadesearlier, accuracy suffered indelivering by shoulder-launchedmissiles.However, asthe VVS haddiscovered in of 2014,mostlyathighaltitudeabove 16,400ftsoastoavoid beinghit Su-25sreduced tempo–witharound tensurviving duringtheautumn the UkAF continuedconducting attack missions–atasignificantly continued todenyanyinvolvement intheconflictby RuAF fighters. accusation cannot be confirmed. The Russian government has also Russian fighterfiringair-to-airmissilesfrom across theborder, butthis Ukrainian sources claimedthatoneoftheseSu-25s hadfallenvictimtoa and the wreckage of the second jet was located near the city of Shakhtyorsk. capture. The remains ofoneaircraft were foundnearthevillageof Dmitrievka by shoulder-launched missiles) their pilots ejected andmanagedtoescape jets were ofafour-aircraft mission,andaftertheyhadbeenhit(probably part stronghold atSaur-Mogila, neartheRussian border eastofDonetsk. The a prisoner exchange between thewarringparties. arrested by theseparatistsandinterrogated, before beingreleased in managed toavoid beingcaptured fornearlyamonth. Eventually, hewas Yury Shevtsov (asquadron COfrom the299th TAB) ejectedsafelyand of Marinovka, distancefrom Lugansk. ashort The pilotofthejet,LtCol a combatmission,itswreckage beingdiscovered nearthevillage fighter. Yet another UkAF ‘Frogfoot’ wasdestroyed on21July whileon of shooting down theSu-25 withanair-to-airmissilefired from aRuAF incident aUkrainian securitycouncilspokesmanaccusedRussia not farfrom theRussian border. Its pilotejectedsafely. In thewakeofthis ‘Frogfoot’ wasbrought down by anIgla SAM in the Amvrosievka area, although itspilotmanagedtoreturn tobase. That evening another afternoon of16July wasreported tohave sustainedheavydamage, following andbeenforced toeject. acombatsortie Su-25 pilot had lost control while landing at Dnepropetrovsk airport this timetheUkrainian authoritiesissuedapress release statingthatan however. Another‘Frogfoot’ shoot-down claimwasmadeon2July, and of itsSu-25s hadbeendamagedby heavymachinegunfire nearSnezhnoe, After the losses and damage sustained insome three months of combat, On 23July twoSu-25s were brought down whilebombingthemilitant An Su-25 bombing targets in rebel-held during the territory early confirmed ‘Frogfoot’ lossof Su-25 loss,on29August. The sixth taken, theUkAF suffered onemore of insurgent-launched SAMs. theinfrared seekerheads for parachutes, asdurabledecoys which slowly descended on emitting illuminationbombs, speed anddropping light-and-heat- high altitude, maintaining high the ‘Frogfoots’ atrelatively flew withRussia. This time the border Pervomaysk, 13 miles from Despite suchprecautions being Current Conflicts 91 Three ‘Frogfoots’ (one Su-25UBK and ‘Frogfoots’ Three by operated Su-25Ks) previously two in Iraq seen here are IRG Iran’s of national markings devoid in the country their arrival following military as urgent on 30 June 2014 fight the advancing assistance to flown Almost certainly of ISIL. forces their first during aircrews Iranian by the jets Iraq, missions in western pilots Iraqi to then handed over were training refresher a quick following ) Author MoD via course (Iraqi

© Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com FIGHTING ISIL MILITANTS IN IRAQ MILITANTS FIGHTING ISIL The urgent Su-25 delivery by Russia, agreed in late June, is is in late June, agreed deliveryRussia, by The urgent Su-25 In addition to the ex-Russian ‘Frogfoots’, three Su-25UBKs and four and Su-25UBKs three ‘Frogfoots’, addition to the ex-Russian In Four or five of the downed ‘Frogfoots’ were upgraded Su-25M1s, and upgraded Su-25M1s, were ‘Frogfoots’ of the downed or five Four Su-25 operations in Iraq were rejuvenated in a somewhat surprising in a somewhat surprising rejuvenated were operations in Iraq Su-25 2014 thanks to the rapid delivery of of a number manner in late June IRG Iranian three by joined shortly thereafter ‘Frogfoots’, ex-RuAF State of the Islamic in an effort of the forces aircraft, to stop the advance much of control take to managed had latter The (ISIL). Levant and Iraq of areas seizing vast 2014, in June Iraq invaded and then northernof and of Mosul including the large cities partin the western of the country, state, or caliphate, an Islamic it had set up ISIL declared June 30 On Tikrit. and Syria. territories in Iraq in the seized believed to have comprised ten aircraft. The first five were airlifted to airlifted to were The first five comprised ten aircraft. have to believed An-124 on 28 June. Antonov Airport an RuAF by International Baghdad airworthy were these of all that RuAF reveal photographs Released some service with aircraft that had undergone quick pre- life remaining 121 Aircraft delivery structural at the Kubinka-based and system checks Plant. Repair machines IrAF at short notice. Former Iran from flown were Su-25Ks they flew in 1991, their first combat missions whose pilots had fled to Iran The ex-Iranian on 1 July. Base Air Force Talib Ali bin Abi Imam from of national insignia. In devoid new camouflage and were wore Su-25s also used for in combat, these machines were addition to being flown experience, or Su-22 Su-25 pilots with previous training for Iraqi refresher missions against ISIL on combat who would subsequently fly ‘Frogfoots’ the in fighting ISIL, and by also involved pilots were Su-25 units. IRG than more flown to have reported pilots were Iranian end of July 40 combat sorties. the conflict was brought down near Starobeshevo, its pilot managing to managing its pilot the conflict near Starobeshevo, down brought was The troops. of Ukraine Guard National by was recovered He eject safely. that same day, destroyed claims for Su-25s more made three separatists or video or photographic reports not supported UkAF by but these were wreckage. footage of to base. damage but returned sustained combat examples more two or three 92 APPENDICES AE of802nd UAP) personnel of 186th IShAP) from 368th OShAP, home-based at Kalinov from 368th OShAP, home-based at Kalinov 3rd rotation period from 80th OShAP, home-based at Sital-Chai based at Artsiz to October1986atBagram,withair- andgroundcrewsfrom90thOShAP, home- from 90th OShAP, home-based at Artsiz 2nd rotation period groundcrews from 80th OShAP, home-based at Sital-Chai and groundcrews from 90th OShAP, home-based at Tiraspol 1st rotation period 80th OShAP, home-based at Sital-Chai 2nd rotation period OShAP, home-based at Sital-Chai 1st rotation period 378th OSHAP 200th OSHAE VVS ANDRUAF Su-25REGIMENTSINCOMBAT INGEORGIA, TAJIKISTAN, 368th ShAP, Budennovsk 461st ShAP, Krasnodar(in June1993itinheritedaircraftandpersonnelof3rd 802nd UAP, Krasnodar 899th GuardsShAP, Buturlinovka(inJune1993itinheritedaircraft and 186th IShAP, Buturlinovka 2nd AE–October1986to1987atBagram,withair- andgroundcrews 1st AE–October1986to1987atBagram,withair-and groundcrews 3rd AE – February 1986 to March 1987 at Kandahar, with air- and groundcrews 2nd AE–October1985toFebruary1986atKandaharandfrom 1st AE–October1985to1986atBagram,withair-and groundcrews 2nd AE–November1984toOctober1985atKandahar, withair- and 1st AE–November1984toOctober1985atBagram,withair- October 1982to1983atShindand,withair- andgroundcrewsfrom July 1981toOctober1982atShindand,withair- andgroundcrewsfrom80th VVS Su-25REGIMENTS THAT PROVIDED PERSONNELFORSERVICE IN AFGHANISTAN WITH IN CHECHNYA ANDSOUTHOSSETIA © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com APPENDICES 200th OSAEAND378thOSHAP

from 296thOShAP, home-basedatKobrin,and90thOShAP, home-basedatArtsiz from 296thOShAP, home-basedatKobrin,and90thOShAP, home-basedatArtsiz 5th rotation period at Kalinov, and 80th OShAP, home-based at Sital-Chai from 80thOShAP, home-basedatSital-Chai,368thOShAP, home-based from 187th OShAP, home-based at Chernigovka from 187th OShAP, home-based at Chernigovka 4th rotation period at Artsiz from 80th OShAP, home-based at Sital-Chai, and 90th OShAP, home-based of 16th ShAP) 90th OShAP, home-based at Tiraspol 4th rotation period groundcrews from 80th OShAP, home-based at Sital-Chai 3rd rotation period 2nd AE–October1988toFebruary1989atBagram,withair- andgroundcrews 1st AE–October1988toFebruary1989atBagram,withair- andgroundcrews 3rd AE – March 1988 to February 1989 at Kandahar, with air- and groundcrews 2nd AE–October1986to1987atBagram,withair- andgroundcrews 1st AE–October1987to1988atBagram,withair- andgroundcrews 3rd AE – March 1987 to February 1988 at Kandahar, with air- and groundcrews 4th TsBPiPLS, Lipetsk 266th ShAP, Step 18th GShAP, Galyonki 187th ShAP, Chernigovka 960th ShAP, Primorsko-Akhtarsk(in1996itinheritedaircraftandpersonnel 16th ShAP, Taganrog October 1984toNovemberatBagram,withair- andgroundcrewsfrom October 1983to1984atShindandandBagram,withair- and APPENDICES 93 This was one of a pair of two-seaters operated by 186th IShAP’s IShAP’s 186th one of a pair of two-seaters operated by was This of province at Gudauta, in the Georgian breakaway detachment Abkhazia, along with six single-seaters – the two-seaters saw particular This use in both combat and training missions. training the instructor taken on strength by was machine in January in Russia, regiment, home-based at Buturlinovka, tricolour a large Russian it wore During the deployment 1990. flag on the fin as a rapid identification measure to distinguish the GeAF in from the Su-25s operated by ‘Frogfoots’ RuAF combat in Abkhazia. A 9th Series production standard aircraft, c/n 09083 was delivered c/n 09083 was A 9th Series production standard aircraft, in among the first Su-25s It was April 1987. to 378th OShAP in camouflage, ‘Afghani’ the new-style the regiment to feature the ‘Frogfoots’ which tailored over to blend in with the terrain featured The sand-and-stone colour scheme two-tone flying. were sides thana larger proportion of light blue applied to the fuselage European-camouflage jets. been seen on had previously 8 AE/378th 63’ of 3rd Su-25UB c/n 38220113117/‘Red 1988 November Afghanistan, Kandahar, VVS, OShAP, taken on built examples newly among four two-seater was This assigned were Two October 1988. 378th OShAP in strength by AE at Kandahar. and the other two to 3rd AE at Bagram to 1st to that of their colour scheme a different two-seaters wore The Plant Aircraft single-seat counterparts, and had the Ulan-Ude The on both sides of the nose. applied badge (a Siberian Bear) Afghanistan also 378th OShAP in two-seaters operated by four rearhad non-standard the enhanced armour protection for of scabbed-on armoured steel side plates. in the form cockpit 9 AE/378th OShAP, 54’ of 1st Su-25 c/n 10077/‘Red July 1988 Afghanistan, Bagram, VVS, the sports c/n 10077 production standard Series aircraft, A 10th to 378th of self-protection modifications. Delivered full package Afghan it has the latest-style OShAP in September 1987, badge that (Rook) the traditional ‘Grach’ camouflage and displays the first personnel rotation initially introduced during withwas jet also has three white starsThe 378th OShAP in 1984-85. probably denoting successful the canopy, painted below missiles. of laser-guided launches 10 Gudauta, RuAF, IShAP, ‘Red 32’ of 186th Su-25UB 1993 March Abkhazia, 6 VVS, OShAP, AE/ 378th of 1st Su-25 c/n 08033/‘23’ July 1987 Afghanistan, Bagram, by being flown was production standard 8th Series aircraft This a OShAP when it took AE/378th of 1st Obedkov Anatoliy Maj during a low-level 1987 Dam on 28 July Stinger hit near Surubi the jet being badly damaged, mission. Despite convoy-hunting an emergency landing at Kabulthe pilot succeeded in making off written was the aircraft repair, airfield. Deemed to be beyond a to the Sukhoi Design Bureau for over and subsequently handed combat damage and an assessmentdetailed of the examination introduced on of the self-protection features of the effectiveness 8th Series production standard Su-25s. 7 AE/378th OShAP, 09’ of 1st Su-25 c/n 09083/‘Red July 1987 Afghanistan, Bagram, VVS, COLOUR PLATES COLOUR © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com Su-25 c/n 07063/‘47’ of 3rd AE/378th OShAP, VVS, VVS, AE/378th OShAP, Su-25 c/n 07063/‘47’ of 3rd 1987 October Afghanistan, Kandahar, by being flown was 7th Series production standardThis aircraft based at Kandahar, AE/378th OShAP, of 3rd Golubtsov Lt Pyotr base on a Stinger hit near the badly damaged by when it was mission a CAS performing was machine The 24 October 1987. at the time, the jet being armed with six UB-32M pods for pass, attacking during his first Struck firing S-5 57 mm rockets. managed to retain damaged Golubtsov control of the heavily a long After landing at Kandahar. a safe and perform aircraft under an experimental programme aimed at repair in situ heavy of such reparability in the event assessing aircraft to service. returned eventually damage, the jet was 5 This 6th Series production standard aircraft was flown by flown was standard 6th Series production This aircraft machine The OShAP. CO of 378th Rutskoy, Alexander Lt Col against the during a strike April 1986 lost in action on 6 was between on the border complex ‘superbase’ (Djavara) Zhawar post-strike Afghanistan while performing and Pakistan body reconnaissance with a Filin photo pod, based on the The wet-film cameras. A-39 with pod and fitted of a rocket from pilot managed to eject at the last possible second promptly rescued by and was the uncontrollable aircraft infantryArmy unit operating in an Afghanistan National the area. 4 VVS, AE/378th OShAP, of 1st Su-25 c/n 06016/‘26’ April Afghanistan, 1986 Bagram, This 5th Series production series standard aircraft was rolled out was standard 5th Series production series This aircraft AE of 387th OShAP, to 2nd and originally delivered in 1984 1984. It permanently based at Kandahar airfield, in October AE in remained in use with this squadron, re-designated 3rd until the second half of 1987. 1985, February 3 VVS, AE/378th OShAP, Su-25 c/n 05027/‘37’ of 2nd 1984 October Afghanistan, Kandahar, 2 VVS, of 200th OShAE, Su-25 c/n 01024/‘05’ July 1981 Afghanistan, Shindand, standard, built to the 1st Series production was aircraft, This Initially Tbilisi in early 1981. Plant No 31 at Aircraft rolled out of April of thattaken on strength with 80th OShAP at Sital-Chai in to 200thand OShAE handed over it was 1981 in July year, to Shindand, remaining in use in-theatre until deployed 1984. November The T8-1D prototype, wearing the bort (serial) number ‘Yellow number ‘Yellow the bort (serial) T8-1D prototype, wearing The during it wore in the colours and markings is depicted here 81’, took place between 18 Afghanistan, which in Operation Romb The first Su-25 from Shindand airfield. 1980 April and 6 June February T8-1 had made its maiden flight on 22 prototype, the hands of the Sukhoi Design Bureau’s in the capable 1975 being After Vladimir Ilyushin. test pilot, chief famous a range of and undergoing re-engined with R-95Sh turbojets alterations, it was airframe and systems extensive taking the first time in its to the air for T8-1D, re-designated 1978. guise on 21 June new 1 Design 81’ of the Sukhoi ‘Yellow T8-1D prototype 1980 June Afghanistan, Shindand, Bureau, 94 APPENDICES Budennovsk, was among thefew examples toparticipatein This upgraded‘Frogfoot’ of368thShAP, at stationed 2008 Russia, August Su-25SM ‘Red 05’of368thShAP, RuAF, Budennovsk, 16 two componentsquadrons,thefirstaircraft receivingitin 1998. to bothsingle-andtwo-seatSu-25sassigned totheregiment’s 461st ShAP, home-basedatKrasnodar, andsubsequentlyapplied wore thefamous ‘ChainedDog’badgecreatedby apilotof Chechnya between1999 and2001. Onbothsidesofitsnoseit This two-seat‘Frogfoot’ tookpart inthesecondcampaign Mozdok, Russia, September 1999 Su-25UB ‘Red 21’of1st AE/461st ShAP, RuAF, 15 aircraft saw combatinthesecondChechen war with368thShAP. Damgarten, inGermany, anddisbanded inNovember 1990. This at Squadron), anindependenttarget-towingsquadronstationed Aviatsionnaya Eskadrilya –IndependentDive-Bomber Aviation year to65thOBAE (Otdel’naya Bombardirovochnaya inherited 11 Su-25BMsoriginallydelivered inMay-August ofthat and improved navigation equipment.Inlate1990 368thShAP intended forthey target-towing, hadupratedR-195 turbojets machinestandard fromabatch of50builtin1990. Originally in Russia’s southernregion,thiswas a10th Seriesproduction An RuAF Su-25BMof368thShAP, home-basedatBudennovsk Russia, July2000 Su-25BM ‘Red 59’of368thShAP, RuAF, Budennovsk, 14 engine nacelles. of therudder and GrachAfghanistan-era (Rook) badgesonboth ‘sharksmouth’, theRussian tricolourflagatthetopofbothsides Itdisplayswas inOctober2003. established adistinctive airfield, inBase wherethe203rd Kyrgyzstan, Russian Military Russia’s Far East,thisaircraft operatedover Tajikistan fromKant An RuAF Su-25of187th ShAP, home-basedatChernigovka in Kyrgyzstan, July2004 Su-25 ‘White 51’of187th ShAP, RuAF, Kant, 13 aircraft hittheground15.5 milesfromDushanbe-Aini. during atrainingmission.Heejectedsuccessfully, andthe ShAP reportedanin-flightemergencywhenthejetcaughtfire Dushanbe-Aini, in Tajikistan. Maj Vladimir Pryadchenko of899th aircraft was lostinMayduringadeployment 2005 to 1992-93, operatingfromKokayty inUzbekistan. This particular aircraft saw combatuseduringthecivilwar in Tajikistan in which was transformed into899thGShAPinJune 1993. The This ‘sharkmouthed’RuAF Su-25BMbelongedto186th IShAP, 1993Uzbekistan, April Su-25BM ‘Red 32’of186th IShAP, RuAF, Kokayty, 12 also haditswingtippodspaintedblue,whiteandgreen. tricolour Russian flagappliedonbothsidesofthefin. Thisjet rapid visualidentificationmarkingsinthe form ofalarge the deployed were Su-25KsandSu-25UBsatGudauta given operations in Abkhazia betweenMarch andNovember 1993, foreign pilotsattheKrasnodarHigherPilotSchool. For operated by 3rd AE of802ndUAP, were originallyusedtotrain Soviet Union. These aircraft, delivered inthemid-1980s and ‘Frogfoots’ usedby theRuAF following thebreak-upof This Su-25Kwas oneof12 undelivered export model Gudauta, Abkhazia, May 1993 Su-25K ‘Red 06’of3rd AE/802nd UAP, RuAF, 11 © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com

SAMs, buttheirpilotsmanagedtoreturn tobase. were badlydamagedwhenhitby Iglashoulder-launched the fightinginSouthOssetia. Two moreupgradedmachines previous year, andoneoftheseaircraft was shotdown during regiment hadonlyreceived itsfirstbatch ofsixSu-25SMsthe the shortconflictinSouthOssetia August 2008. The Kyrgyzstan, July2005 Su-25UB ‘Red 92’of187th ShAP, RuAF, Kant, 18 beyond economicalrepair. damageassessmentafter adetailed beingdeemed underwent Aviation Repair PlantatKubinka nearMoscow, whereit Mozdok. Subsequently, thejetwas handedover tothe121st Its pilot, MajIvan Konukhov, managedtolandtheaeroplaneat badly damagedby aSAM hitintheportengineon11 August. August Forward-deployed 2008. toBudennovsk, thejetwas with Georgiaover ofSouthOssetiain thedisputedterritory An export-standardmachine, thisaircraft was usedinthewar 2008 Russia, August Su-25K ‘Red 46’of461stShAP, RuAF, Budennovsk, 17 used in combat, performing a solitary attackused incombat,performing asolitary onaRussian Army the August war 2008 inSouthOssetia,butonlyonewas actually Su-25KMs were onstrengthwiththeGeAF by theoutbreakof and to digitalise Westernise the‘Frogfoot’. Four upgraded Georgian aircraft manufacturer TAM andElbit Systems ofIsrael alsoknownKM standard, astheScorpion, ajointprojectby the itwas upgradedto home-based atMarneuli.Inthemid-2000s This aircraft was assignedtothesoleGeorgianattack squadron, Air Force, Marneuli, Georgia, August 2008 Su-25KM ‘Blue 18’ ofthe Attack Squadron, Georgian 21 troubled republic. against anumberofhigh-valueinthe pre-plannedtargets and mainlyfiredKh-25MLKh-29Llaser-guided missiles ‘Super Frogfoots’ were forward-deployed toMozdokairfield war inChechnya inSeptember-December 1999. The two this aircraft was oneoftwousedinangerduringthesecond Assigned to760th ISIAP, home-basedatLipetsk,inRussia, Russia, May 2008 Su-25T ‘Red 84’ of2nd AE/760th ISIAP, RuAF, Lipetsk, 20 at the topofthefinandonfrontof each wing pylon. applied totheengineintakes.Itsbortnumberwas repeated fin anda960thShAPbadge(alion’s head) was carefully both sidesofthenose,Sukhoilogowas displayed onthe fin were alsopaintedblue. Adistinctive ‘sharksmouth’ adorned wing pylon tips. The and leadingedgesofthewings,tailplane time, includingthebluewingtippods,under-nose and fueltank colourswerestandard appliedtotheairframeover aperiodof colourful scheme tobefound onanRuAF aircraft. Several non- in southern Russia, this‘Frogfoot’ sportedperhapsthemost Assigned to960thShAP, home-basedatPrimorsko-Akhtarsk Akhtarsk, Russia, May 2009 Su-25 ‘Red 27’of960thShAP, RuAF, Primorsko- 19 of the rudder onbothsides. Afghanistan-war eraandtheRussian tricolourflagatthetop the nose, thetraditionalGrach (Rook) badgedatingfromthe Aircraft Plant’s trademarkSiberianBear logoonbothsidesof impressive artwork,includinga‘sharksmouth’, theUlan-Ude Base atKantinKyrgyzstanItboasted Russian in2005. Military in Russia’s Far East,participatedinadeployment tothe302nd This two-seaterof187th ShAP, home-basedatChernigovka, APPENDICES 95 An export-standard two-seater, this was one of the two this was An export-standard two-seater, and supplied clandestinely in late Russia Su-25UBKs donated by along with six Su-25K single-seaters taken from the 1992, home-based at Krasnodar. inventory of 802nd UAP, 31 Ali bin Imam Air Force, 56’ of the Iraqi ‘Black Su-25K July 2014 Iraq, Base, Air Force Talib Abi to the IrAF in the originally delivered single-seater was This that managed examples one of seven and it was late 1980s, 1991 during February to flee Iraq into neighbouring Iran in were of these single-seaters Operation Desert Storm. Five spending between 13 to airworthy condition after returned air service, to the IRG’s in storage and handed over years to 15 (see the serial number 15-2456 this particular jet being given to the single-seaters returned was one of profile 22). It two of Iraq. of the ISIL invasion wake in the 2014 IrAF on 30 June 32 Ali Imam Air Force, 58’ of the Iraqi ‘Black Su-25UBK July 2014 Iraq, Base, Air Force Talib Abi bin originally aircraft, Iranian IRG two-seater is also a former This as 2014 on 30 June to Iraq delivered It too was serialled 15-2458. urgent military Iran to be used against the advancing aid from an upgraded nav/attack featuring two-seater, The of ISIL. forces service into IrAF followed reportedly suite of Iranian origin, was Su-25UBKs. two more IRG by 33 Brigade, Aviation Tactical ‘Blue 25’ of the 299th Su-25 summer 2014 Ukraine, Nikolayev-Kulbakino, April 2014, in Ukraine in At the outbreak of the civil war including ten the UkAF had a fleet of some 70 ‘Frogfoots’, of these jets were Only about 15 upgraded examples. lost in combat in and six of these were however, airworthy, that had a non-upgraded aircraft ‘Blue 25’, and July 2014. June to urgently returned was been grounded in September 2013, by the heavy losses suffered airworthy condition following easternmost It has since seen combat in Ukraine’s the UkAF. TAB. with the 299th provinces 28 11, Aeroe Grupo 112/ Esquadron of the ‘087’ Su-25UB July 2001 Talara, , Perú del Aérea Fuerza ‘Frogfoots’ Peruvian one of two two-seater was Su-25UB This missile, seen here the Kh-58U anti-radiation upgraded to use with the missile is used in conjunction This under its wing. radar-warning targetingKRK-UO underfuselage the L150 pod and demanding in the to be employed enabling the Su-25 receiver, ‘Frogfoots’ Of the 18 role. Air Defence of Enemy Suppression to are presently believed only four in 1998 supplied to Peru be serviceable. 29 El Fashir, Air Force, 203’ of the Sudanese ‘Black Su-25 August Sudan, 2010 ‘Frogfoots’ second-hand of 14 a batch amongst was aircraft This at El Fashir Based in 2009-10. Sudan from Belarus by purchased rebel targets in reportedly been used to attack have airport, they has been raging since 2003. where civil war the Darfur, 30 ‘Red 70’ of the 121st Ground-Attack Su-25UBK Gumri, Air Force, Armenian Squadron, Aviation August 2005 Armenia, © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com 24 Fighter- of the 2nd Squadron/26th ‘Red B-18’ Su-25K Aérea , Angolana Nacional Força Bomber Regiment, Angola, Namib, 1990 Iraq was an early export customer for the ‘Frogfoot’, with total the ‘Frogfoot’, for customer an early export Iraq was four amounting to 69 Su-25K single-seaters and deliveries These sources. to Russian Su-25UBK two-seaters according and light of brown camouflaged with shades two were machines large Iraqi flags on either also displayed They blue undersurfaces. 1980s, when the second of the side of their fins. By the end at equipped the ‘Frogfoots’ had been delivered, of Su-25s batch and 119th. 115th the 109th, least three operational squadrons, reportedly lost while conducting combat IrAF Su-25Ks were Two missions during the conflict with Iran. 23 Baghdad, Air Force, Iraqi Su-25K c/n 25590 of the 1989 May Iraq, 22 Islamic Revolutionary 56’ of the Iran ‘Black Su-25K 2010 August Iran, Tehran, Guards, Guards’ Revolutionary of the Iran Islamic to the fleet Assigned Air to the Iraqi originally delivered Su-25K was this force, aviation with Iran. part in the closing stages and took of the war Force it to Iran, pilot flew its in January 1991 War During the Gulf restored to airworthy condition in the latewhere the jet was airport. Tehran-Mehrabad 2000s at the IRG and issued with column on the road between Djava and Tskhinvali on the Tskhinvali and between Djava on the road column August. of 8 morning This aircraft was one of four factory-fresh Su-25s purchased from factory-fresh Su-25s purchased one of four was aircraft This Zaire) in of Congo (formerly the Democratic Republic by TAM and used in the internal conflict in the country. 1999-2000 27 Air Group, Tactical FG-500’‘White of the 2nd Su-25 Republic of the Congo, of the Democratic Air Force June 2001 Republic of Congo, Democratic Kamina, , d’Ivoire de Cote Aerienne ‘Red 02’ of the Force Su-25 2004 October Coast, Ivory Abidjan, one of a pair of was this aircraft a large ‘sharksmouth’, Displaying Air the Belarusian operated by single-seat Su-25s previously and sold to the Ivory Coast, together with two Su-25UB Force was effectively fleet entire ‘Frogfoot’ The two-seaters, in 2004. Yamoussoukro neutralised on the ramps and in the hangars at the following Forces Special French by Abidjan airfields and military both camp by on a French attack notorious S-5 rocket 2004. two-seaters on 6 November 26 Su-25UB c/n 38220113522/‘Grey 120’ of the 101st 120’ of the 101st Su-25UB c/n 38220113522/‘Grey Petrovec, Air Force, Macedonian Wing, Squadron/Air June 2001 Macedonia, previously this two-seater was An early production aircraft, two-seat one of four It was Air Force. the Belarusian operated by OShAP at Bagram, to 378th originally delivered ‘Frogfoots’ – this was in October 1988 ‘60’, the original number wearing number its delivery ‘64’ to avoid by replaced shortly after It had scabbed-on steel armour duplication with a single-seater. for additional to either side of the rear cockpit plates fitted pilot protection. 25 This Angolan Su-25K was one of 12 single-seaters and a pair of one of 12 Angolan Su-25K was This the 2nd Squadron by two-seaters taken on strength in early 1988 stationed Regiment, at Namib of the 26th Fighter-Bomber with camouflaged intwo shades of brown, is The aircraft airfield. and fuselage sides. light blue applied to its undersurfaces 96 CHAPTER EIGHT Angola cp.24(42,95),82, 82 Alyoshin, 1LtIgor31,31 Alfyorov, Maj GenVladimir11,12,13,13 Alexandrov, CaptMikhail49 aircraft Afghanistan 10–58,16,cp.1–9(35–37,93),92 Abkhazia cp.10–11(38,93–94),59,62–67 page inbrackets. with theprofilepageandplatecommentary and e.g. ‘cp.11(38,94)’referstoacolourprofile, Page referencesinboldrefertoillustrations; INDEX T8-4 7 T8-3 7–8,10–11 T8-1D prototype‘Yellow 81’cp.1(35,93) T8-1D 10–11,11 T8-1 6,7 Su-25UBK ‘Red70’cp.30(44,95) Su-25UBK ‘Black58’cp.32(45,95) Su-25UBK 60,91 Su-25UB ‘Red92’cp.18(40,94) Su-25UB ‘Red32’cp.10(38,93) Su-25UB ‘Red21’cp.15(39,94) Su-25UB c/n38220113522/‘Grey120’cp. Su-25UB c/n38220113117/‘Red63’cp.8 Su-25UB ‘087’cp.28(44,95) Su-25UB 8,62 Su-25T ‘Red84’cp.20(41,94) Su-25T 9,76 Su-25M1 87,87 Su-25SM ‘Red05’cp.16(40,94) Su-25SM ‘09’80,80 Su-25SM ‘08’79 Su-25SM 74 Su-25KM ‘Blue18’cp.21(41,94–95) Su-25K ‘RedB-18’cp.24(42,95) Su-25K ‘Red46’cp.17(40,94) Su-25K ‘Red06’cp.11(38,94) Su-25K c/n25590cp.23(42,95) Su-25K ‘Black56’cp.22(42,95),31 Su-25K 25616(c/n10310)82 Su-25K ‘46’79,8191 Su-25K ‘34’63 Su-25K ‘28’63 Su-25BM ‘Red59’cp.14(39,94) Su-25BM ‘Red32’cp.12(38,94) Su-25BM ‘55’77 Su-25BM 64,78 Su-25 ‘WhiteFG-500’cp.27(43) Su-25 ‘White51’cp.13(39,94) Su-25 ‘Red27’cp.19(41,94) Su-25 ‘Red02’cp.26(43,95) Su-25 c/n10077/‘Red54’cp.9(37,93) Su-25 c/n09083/‘Red09’cp.7(37,93) Su-25 c/n08033/‘23’32,cp.6(36,93) Su-25 c/n07063/‘47’34,cp.5(36,93) Su-25 c/n06016/‘26’23,cp.4(36,93) Su-25 c/n05027/‘37’cp.3(35,93) Su-25 c/n01024/‘05’cp.2(35,93) Su-25 ‘Blue25’cp.33(45,95) Su-25 ‘Black203’cp.29(44,95) Su-25 ‘34’24 Su-25 ‘22’29 Su-25 ‘06’46,5051 Su-25 ‘03’18 Su-25 ‘02’33 Su-25 9,21 Su-22 84 MiG21bis 18 Mi-24 21 (43, 95) (37, 93) (45, 95) 25 © Osprey Publishing •www.ospreypublishing.com ejecting 43–48,58 Edamenkov, MajVladimir78–79 Congo, DemocraticRepublicofcp.27(43,95), combat survivabilityfeatures8–9,11 cockpits 9 Chechnya 4,cp.14(39,94),20(41,59, Burak, CaptMiroslav31,31 Borisuk. ColSergey73–74 Bondaryov, MajGenViktor70 bombs andbombing Bagram airfield22,2352 badges andinsignia21,cp.9(37,93),15(39, Azerbaijan 59,60–62 armour 8,9,cp.8(37,93) Armenia cp.30(44,95),59,60–62 Araslanov, MajAlexander51–53,53–54, missiles 11,25–26,76 mine-laying 18,24,30,68 military airlifters90 Mazar-e-Sharif airfield24 Macedonia cp.25(43,95),83,83 Kurbanov, LtVaghit 60–61 Kudryavtsev, 1LtAndrey51,53 Koshkin, 1LtAlexander30,46,47–48,49–50, Konukhov, MajIvan79,94 Kononenko, 1LtT24 Kobilash, ColSergey77,77,78 Kant airbase69 Kandahar airfield28,57 Kabul airport56 Ivory Coastcp.26(43,95),84–85,85 Ivanov, Alexander10,12 Iraq cp.23(42,95),31(45,32 Iran-Iraq War (1980-88)cp.22(42,95),81 Iran cp.22(42,95),85,86 Ingushetia 59,60 Ilyushin, Vladimir7,93 guns, VPU-17A7,8,18,49 Grozny PresidentialPalace71,71 Gritskevich, 1LtSergey26,28 Goncharenko, 1LtVladislav26,27 Golubtsov, 1LtPyotr34,34,93 Golovanov, ColAlexander62 Georgia cp.21(41,94–95),59,61,62–67, fuel tanks7,18,84 Ethiopian-Eritrean War (1998-2000) 82–83 engines 9,14,50 Emelyushin, CaptSergey50,51 84, 84 70–76, 92 OFAB-250M-54 87,88 ODAB-500P thermobaric19,75 illumination 26 FAB-500M62 75 FAB-500M54 23 FAB-250 7 in Chechnya75,76 in Afghanistan11,12,13,14,17–18, in Abkhazia66 94), cp.18(40,19(41,94) 54–55, 56 Kh-29L 25,25,76 Kh-25ML 25,76 60, 61,65–66,71–72 81, 82,829091,91 76–80, 92 54–55, 54 22, rockets 11,17,75,76 Pryadchenko, MajVladimir69,94 Peru cp.28(44,95),83,83,84 Pavlykov, 1LtKonstantin29,30,31–32,31 Pavlov, CaptMikhail4,63–64,63,65,68,75 Paltusov, 1LtVladimir31,31 Pakistan raid(1986)49–50 Ossetia cp.16(40,94),1721(41, Obedkov, MajAnatoliy32–33,48,93 night combatsorties26–27 Nechaev, CaptIvan79–80 navigation/attack systems74,75–76,83 Nagorni Karabakh60–61 Muzika, Valeriy 10,12,13,13,14 Zemlyakov, 1LtViktor31,31 Yakovlev, CaptAlexander63 VVS units Ukraine cp.33(45,95),87–91,87,88 Tskhinvali 78 Terebunskiy, LtColOleg77–78 Tajikistan cp.12(38,94),13(39,59, Sudan cp.29(44,95),85–86,86 Strepetov, LtColGrigoriy33–34,46,48–49, Solovyov, Vladimir10,14 Shulimov, Maj46,47–48 Savtchenko, Ivan6 Rybakov, MajAlexander33–34, Ryabov, MajEduard48 Rutskoy, ColAlexander25,27,53,53,93 Ruban, MajPyotr20–21,20 RuAF units B8M 94–95), 59,60,76–80,92 SAMs 28,30,33 R-60 63,68,86 protection against28–29 Kh-58U cp.28(44,95),83 378th OShAP21–58,cp.3–9(35–37,93),92 200th OShAE15–21,cp.2(35,93),92 80th OShAP15,93 67–69, 92 960th ShAPcp.19(41,94),59,73,76,92 899th ShAP68,68,69,92,94 802nd UAPcp.11(38,94),60,61,63–64, 760th ISIAPcp.20(41,94) 461st ShAPcp.15(39,94),68,70–76, 368th ShAPcp.14(39,94),16(40, 266th ShAP69,92 187th ShAPcp.13(39,94),18(40, 186th IShAPcp.10(38,93),1294),64, 80th OShAP62 18th GShAP68,69,92 16th ShAP70–76,92 4th TsPLSiBP 76,76,92 UB-32M 23 S-250FM 87 S-25 64 S-24 17,5963 S-8 86,89 B8M1 69.86,88 64–67, 92 79–80, 92 70–80, 92 69, 92 65, 67–68,92 7, 3363 33, 46–47,49 48 Front Cover First published in Great Britain in 2015 by Osprey Publishing A Russian Air Force Su-25 from 960th PO Box 883, Oxford, OX1 9PL, UK ShAP, home-based at Primorsko- Akhtarsk, attacks a target with S-24 PO Box 3985, New York, NY 10185-3985, USA 240 mm rockets during the second campaign in Chechnya. At the height E-mail: [email protected] of the conflict, fought between September 1999 and August 2000, the colourful ‘Frogfoots’ of 960th Osprey Publishing is part of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc ShAP were forward deployed to Mozdok. From here they fought © 2015 Osprey Publishing Limited alongside two Su-25 regiments of 1st GShAD, 461st ShAP and 368th ShAP. The largest strike mission All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, involving the ‘Frogfoot’ during the research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Design and second Chechen campaign was Patents Act 1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a conducted on 27 September 1999, retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, just four days before the launch of the Russian ground offensive into chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without Chechnya itself. This evolution prior written permission. All enquiries should be addressed to the publisher. involved Su-25s from all three regiments of 1st GShAD, which were A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library secretively gathered at Mozdok. As many as 60 jets were scrambled in a single wave and in complete radio ISBN: 978 1 4728 0567 6 silence, tasked with mounting a PDF e-book ISBN: 978 1 4728 0568 3 devastating strike against a number of pre-planned targets. One of the e-Pub ISBN: 978 1 4728 0569 0 pilots involved in this mission was Mikhail Pavlov of 461st ShAP, a Edited by Tony Holmes and Phil Jarrett combat-experienced Su-25 veteran Cover Artwork by Gareth Hector (www.garethhector.co.uk/aviation-art/) who had participated in both Chechen campaigns (the first had Aircraft Profiles by Rolando Ugolini been fought in 1994). He recalled: Index by Alison Worthington ‘When approaching Chechnya to Originated by PDQ Digital Media Solutions, UK attack pre-planned targets, the Su-25 pairs and flights maintained a cruising altitude of between 12,500 ft and 16,730 ft. When initiating the Osprey Publishing is supporting the Woodland Trust, the UK’s leading attack, the pilot rolled the aircraft woodland conservation charity, by funding the dedication of trees. over into a 45- to 60-degree dive so as to ensure accuracy with his bombs or rockets. The Su-25’s www.ospreypublishing.com ASP-17BTs-8 electro-optical sight was used in the manual aiming mode only, without any automatic corrections, while the Klyon-PS laser designator/rangefinder was not employed due to the significant ranging errors associated with its use over mountainous terrain.’ (Cover artwork by Gareth Hector)

Previous pages In the all-new security environment following the break-up of the Soviet Union in December 1991, the small and robust Su-25 has gradually but indisputably emerged as the most useful aircraft of its generation in RuAF service, with between 350 and 400 on strength in the early 1990s. By the late 2000s, however, the active ‘Frogfoot’ fleet had been reduced to about 200 aircraft (Andrey Zinchuk collection via Author)

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