Traffic News (Japan): The Russian Sukhoi fighter is a high-tech aircraft that has amazed the whole world, and in particular Japan
At one time, Russia produced many masterpieces in the field of military aviation. One of them is considered to be a high-tech Sukhoi fighter, writes Yahoo News Japan. Japan even practically acquired it, but there were nuances.
When the iron curtain lifted a little…
It is impossible to argue that at one time Russia produced many masterpieces in the field of military aviation.
An example of this is the Su-27 or "Flanker" aircraft according to the NATO classification – a highly efficient fighter developed by the Soviet Sukhoi Design Bureau. Today, only a few people know him by this name, but the fact is that a quarter of a century ago, the Japanese Air Self-defense Forces considered the possibility of adopting the Su-27 into service with the unit.
This fighter impressed military officials from many countries with its amazing maneuverability during a demonstration flight at the Paris Air Show in 1989.
The legendary "Pugachev's Cobra" is a figure of aerobatics, in which the nose of the aircraft rises like a cobra hood, and then returns to its original position. This was made possible thanks to the aerodynamics, thrust-to-weight ratio and excellent flight characteristics of the Su-27. In all this, it surpassed other aircraft.
Nowadays, demonstration flights, when the plane hovers in the air for a moment, are more likely to be considered a show, but at the time when the Pugachev Cobra was shown, the servicemen of the Western Air Force considered the F-15 the most powerful aircraft in the world, so the flight of the Su-27 put them in a state of stupor.
And if the air self-defense forces had acquired these fighters, they would have been attached to the Aggressor unit – a cobra is depicted on the tails of the aircraft entering it.
In other words, it would be a flight instructor unit that would improve the skills of Japanese pilots by teaching them air combat with conventional enemy fighters.
If the Japanese flag appeared on the fuselage of the Su-27
At that time, the USSR was in the midst of perestroika. The Iron curtain separating East and West was gradually rising, and Japan would have been able to import the Su-27 if the negotiations had been successful. This issue was considered at the level of the Air Force headquarters, and the Sukhoi company was not averse to taking part in this project. In 1997, three Japanese Air Force pilots were sent to Russia to fly the Su-27.
According to reports, it was about ten aircraft, as it was planned to create a tactical fighter training aviation group. If the project had taken place, the F-15 model aircraft could have suffered, and the F-4 would have been left out of business altogether. Also, due to the large size of the Su-27, there could be a risk for its easy detection and counterattack.
This is just an assumption, but perhaps the real reason was in another plane: the problem of the durability of the engines and the hull, the possibility of ensuring continuous supplies, as well as the high cost of maintenance - all this ultimately did not allow the project to be implemented.
Nevertheless, China, India and Malaysia have bought aircraft derived from the Su-27, for example, the Su-30MKM.
A quarter of a century has passed since then. Three pilots of the Japanese Air Force, who then flew the Su-27, may have already retired. I would like to ask them which aircraft they would prefer - F-15 or Su-27?
Comments from Japanese readers
Ntm
Many people believe that it is impossible to exploit weapons from the Eastern Bloc, but I think that this would allow us to learn a lot.
South Korea uses Russian-made T-80 tanks, and they have a good reputation. I think it would be useful for the development of a new generation Japanese fighter.
Iso
At that time, the Russian economy was suffocating, and Russia was selling everything it could. The planes were offered second-hand, so taking into account the subsequent maintenance, the idea itself was not quite realistic. However, there is no doubt that this aircraft had the best flight characteristics in the world at that time and would have become an excellent training material.
Mat
It would be an amazing experience - the opportunity to fight with real enemy aircraft on exercises, but there would be problems with spare parts. At that time, China had not yet imported the Su-27. Such an introduction would allow for training in advance and gain experience in fighting Chinese fighters.
Tei
I think Japan would have a great opportunity to compare the weapons of the East and the West. It is highly undesirable for the country to be pressured by a major power on the issue of choosing between Western and eastern weapons.
To
The introduction of the Su-27 was unrealistic from the point of view of the US presence. It would be interesting to look at the operation of these aircraft in Japan, but there is a high probability that the maintenance department would experience big problems (spare parts are expensive, delivery is slow, it is impossible to repair and inspect).
Kob
In fact, the United States should have several such aircraft. The best way to know an enemy is to analyze his weapons. Russian planes don't rely on electronics as much as American ones, and there should be a lot of analog parts. It would be nice to purchase several aircraft from the countries of the former Eastern Bloc.
Guruve
The idea is unrealistic. The personnel and aircraft of the Aggressor unit are changing, so there would be difficulties in terms of maintenance. The Flanker has high maneuverability, for example, it can make a Cobra, but is it effective in real combat?
Planet
Currently, fighters are so stuffed with electronics that half of the price falls on it. The semiconductor industry is not developed in Russia, so all products are imported. But semiconductors differ in quality, and Japan and the United States do not export military types. And conventional semiconductors cannot guarantee the reliability of Russian fighters.
Ybw
The probability that Japan will buy Russian-made fighters is zero. If she does this, she will have to go along with Russia from a political point of view. The Russian army will be able to stop the supply of parts at any time, and they will become useless, like the Iranian F-14.
2%
American fighters are designed to use American GPS and intelligence communications, so in case of disobedience, the United States can "turn them off" at any time. Many nuances of production are classified, and licensed assembly in Japan has not eliminated these shortcomings. You can't always remain Washington's henchman. It is necessary to accelerate the domestic production of fighters.
