Free Republic

At the height of the Cold War, the world's two superpowers created a new pair of battlefield aircraft, similar in both power and purpose. One was the U.S.'s revered A-10 Thunderbolt II, also known affectionately as the Warthog. Its Soviet cousin, originally revealed in 1981, was the Sukhoi Su-25 Grach. While the Soviet call sign "Grach" means "rook," the USSR's adversary NATO gave the Su-25 a much less imposing designation: the "Frogfoot." The A-10 has become a legend—an iconic aircraft that can change the course of a battle with a strafing blast of its 30mm GAU-8 cannon, and fights on...

Russian Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot ground-attack planes perform during the Aviadarts military aviation competition at the Dubrovichi range near Ryazan, Russia, August 2, 2015. As the Syrian military begins its push to take back opposition-held areas in northwestern Syria, Russia has provided backing through an intensifying aerial campaign. Among the planes Moscow has used to back the Syrian military's attempted advance is a Russian combat aircraft that some have compared to the US's venerated A-10 Warthog. The Russian Su-25 Frogfoot is a low-flying tank-like plane that specializes in providing aerial cover and attacking ground targets. The Frogfoot is a sturdy plane,...

Russian Air Force completes Su-25UBM flight tests The Russian Air Force has completed flight tests of the modernized Sukhoi Su-25UBM ground attack-trainer aircraft, Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said on Tuesday. “Air Force commander Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin signed off on the completion of flight tests for the Su-25UBM at the end of December 2011,” Drik said. The Su-25UBM is a heavily modernized variant of the Su-25 capable of training and strike missions, and is fitted with a new radar, more powerful and accurate weapons, an automated mission system and increased battlefield survivability and reliability. The Su-25UBM, which will...

Sukhoi's Su-25UBM completes state acceptance trials By Vladimir Karnozov Sukhoi has completed state acceptance trials for the Su-25UBM twin-seat attack aircraft and operational trainer, including the use of live weapons. The variant has undergone all the necessary tests to allow it to enter service with the Russian air force, says Vladimir Babak, general director of Sukhoi Attack Aircraft. Some documentation has yet to be completed, but once state approval has been received, the Su-25UBM will be cleared to enter series production. The new version is a deep modification of the Su-25 twin-seat operational trainer, equipped with systems that will enable...