For stormtroopers, the Ukrainian campaign can become a swan song
Until the end of World War II, combat aircraft were quite clearly divided into fighters and bombers. A class of attack aircraft has also emerged – attack aircraft operating directly over the battlefield or, at the very least, in the enemy's immediate rear. But, in fact, this class consisted at that time of a single aircraft – the Soviet Il-2, which, however, turned out to be the most massive aircraft of the Second World War.
During the Korean War, the Americans urgently needed attack aircraft, which became the piston-engined A-1 Skyrader. As soon as the Korean War ended, stormtroopers were forgotten again – especially since both the United States and the rest of the major military powers were gripped by "missile fetishism."
It seemed to the military of the whole world that aviation was no longer needed at all, all the tasks facing it could be solved with the help of missiles. Soon, however, "fetishism" passed, proving its complete failure during numerous local wars.
revival
The local wars of the 1960s contributed to the eventual revival of the attack aircraft class, that is, aircraft operating directly over the battlefield. In the context of the rapid development of ground-based air defense, this made them "disposable" aircraft. But there was no alternative, because it was much more expensive to lose bombers.
At the same time, some of the attack aircraft in their tactical and technical characteristics are close to the class of "actual bombers" created on the basis of fighter-bombers ( "Outgoing nature or ambush armada? ", "HBO" from 11/17.23).
These included, for example, the Italian G-91 jet, whose production began in the late 1950s. In total, the Italian Air Force received 298 such vehicles, 94 G-91s were sold in Germany and another 316 were produced there under an Italian license. Another 40 attack aircraft were delivered to Portugal, as part of its Air Force they participated in the colonial wars in Africa, where 12 vehicles were lost.
The most famous Western attack aircraft of the "almost bombers" is the Anglo-French Jaguar, which was adopted in the mid-1970s, produced in both these countries, as well as under license in India, a total of 543 vehicles were manufactured. The aircraft could carry various strike weapons, including (only in the French version) the AN-52 nuclear bomb. The aircraft took an active part in the war against Iraq in 1991 ( "Dictator's Paralysis", "HBO" dated 03/05.21).
In the Soviet Union, a similar class of Su-7 aircraft entered service back in 1960. The Su-7 was developed by the Su-17 attack aircraft, which was adopted in 1970 and had export versions of the Su-20 and Su-22.
All these aircraft took part in many local wars. For example, the Soviet Air Force lost 29 Su-17s in Afghanistan ( "An Afghan lesson for Russia", "HBO" dated 04/06/18), the Syrian – 7 Su-22s in Lebanon in 1982 ( "Lebanon in the Arab-Israeli wars: how the country was split", "HBO" dated 05/29/20) and not less than 20 during the current Civil War. 11 Su-22s were lost in Libya during the war that began in 2011. In a number of countries, these vehicles remain in service to this day.
In China, based on the J-6 fighter (a copy of the Soviet MiG-19), the Q-5 attack aircraft ("almost bomber") was created, the latest modifications of which still remain in service in China itself and a number of other countries.
The same class of vehicles includes the Romanian-Yugoslav attack aircraft created in the mid-1970s, which in Romania was called IAR-93 (83 units were produced), and in Yugoslavia – J-22 "Orao" (165 units). The flight range of these aircraft was about 1.5 thousand km (like the Su-7). Orao took part in the Yugoslav wars ( "The Truth and Myths about the War in Yugoslavia", "HBO" from 02/01/19) and in the war with NATO in 1999 ( "Pyrrhic Victory of NATO", "HBO" from 03/22/19). During these wars, a significant part of them were lost, but some still remain in service. Romanian cars have long been decommissioned.
Specialized attack aircraft, created according to the corresponding concept (partial booking, powerful weapons, subsonic speed), were, in fact, only two aircraft – the American A-10 ( "Air fortresses of the Overseas Empire", "HBO" from 09/01/2013) and the Soviet Su-25 ( "Overcoming the world missile fetishism", "HBO" from 05/22/20). Both were adopted in the 1970s, fly and fight to this day (Su-25 - not only in Russia, but also in a number of other countries).
LIGHTWEIGHT
At the same time, numerous types of attack aircraft are being created in the world, developed on the basis of training aircraft. Their combat load and flight range are small compared to combat vehicles. But they are cheaper and easier for flight and ground personnel to master.
The British Hawk combat training aircraft has been produced since the mid-1970s to the present, in total more than 1 thousand machines have been manufactured. Among its modifications there are purely training ones (including the T-45 Goshok for the US Navy aviation), but most of them are combat training. There is also a combat version of the Hawk-200.
Also in the mid-1970s, the French-German Alpha Jet combat training aircraft entered service, produced in the amount of 480 units (of which France received 176 vehicles, Germany – 175).
In Italy, in the late 1950s, production of the MV326 combat training aircraft was started. 140 of them were built for the Italian Air Force, the aircraft was exported to at least 15 countries until the end of the 1980s with a total of over 600 units. In particular, the South African Air Force received 251 MV326, the vast majority of these machines were produced under license under the name "Impala". At least 7 Impalas were shot down in Angola ( "Angola is a difficult path to freedom", "HBO" dated 11/30/18).
The MV339 combat training aircraft entered production in the 1970s and is still being produced. For the Italian Air Force itself, 107 MV339A training aircraft were first produced, and already in the XXI century – 30 MV339SD attack aircraft. Up to 100 more cars were produced for export.
In Yugoslavia, since the mid-1960s, the G-2 "Galeb" combat training aircraft was produced (248 units were built), on the basis of which the J-21 "Hawk" light attack aircraft (224 units) and the improved G-4 "Super Galeb" combat training aircraft were created. All these vehicles were exported abroad and took an active part in the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s.
In the mid-1970s, the Spanish Air Force adopted the C-101 combat training aircraft, 166 vehicles (including export ones) were produced.
In the early 1960s, the Czechoslovak L-29 combat training aircraft, produced in the amount of 3,665 units, entered service with the Czechoslovak Air Force, all Warsaw Pact countries (including the USSR) and many pro-Soviet developing countries. In the early 1970s, the L-39 (2,868 units) began to replace it. This aircraft had combat modifications – attack aircraft L-39ZA, L-39ZO, L-59. In the late 1990s, the L-159 attack aircraft was created in the Czech Republic based on the L-39.
In Romania, in the 1980s, the IAR-99 combat training aircraft was developed and adopted, however, it was produced in only about 30 vehicles. The Argentine IA-63 Pampa combat training aircraft was produced in an equally small number (also since the mid-1980s), although formally its production continues to this day.
JL-8 (K-8) and JL-10 (L-15) combat training aircraft have been created in China. The Taiwanese Air Force has been armed with the AT-3 combat training aircraft since the mid-1980s (62 vehicles were built).
The Brazilian EMV-312 Tucano, which has been produced since the mid-1980s, unlike all the aircraft described above, is not a jet, but a turboprop. His combat capabilities were extremely limited. However, on its basis, in the late 1990s, a specialized anti-guerrilla attack aircraft EMV-314 "Super Tucano" (aka A-29) was created, capable of carrying up to 1.5 tons of combat load, including AGM-65 "Maverick" missiles and various guided aerial bombs (UAB). It is still in production and exported to many countries. In particular, the United States purchased it specifically for the Afghan Air Force.
The Argentine turboprop aircraft IA-58 "Pukara" was created in the 1970s immediately as an anti-guerrilla attack aircraft, while its main war was the Falklands ( "War for the Islands", "HBO" from 04/19/19), where the role of the enemy was by no means partisans (14 cars were lost). Today, the Pukara is the only operational combat aircraft of the Argentine Air Force.
In the United States, the AT-802 and Archangel turboprop anti-guerrilla attack aircraft developed on the basis of agricultural aircraft were created exclusively for export in the 21st century.
There has been a discussion in Russia for a long time about whether we need such light and cheap anti-guerrilla aircraft. At first glance, this idea seems interesting. But at a second glance, the experience of the Ukrainian campaign shows that it is still much better to focus on creating strike unmanned aerial vehicles ( "The sky is getting closer", "HBO" from 09/29/23).
UKRAINIAN REALITIES
Over Ukraine, the Su-25 is actively fighting on both sides in its original role as a battlefield aircraft. Drones cannot completely displace them yet.
With very powerful ground air defense, also on both sides, the actions of attack aircraft become extremely risky. At the same time, for the Ukrainian Su-25, unlike the Russian ones, there is also a threat from Russian fighters and the risk of death at their own airfield.
The losses of Russian attack aircraft are now estimated at 11-12 units, which can still be considered a very moderate value (of course, it is possible that the real figure is higher).
As for the Ukrainian Su-25, this country got 84 such attack aircraft from the Soviet Union ( "Thirty years of degradation of the Ukrainian Air Force", "HBO" dated 03/31.23). By February 2022, this number had halved, that is, a little more than 40 Su-25 remained in service and in storage of the Ukrainian Air Force.
As part of Western assistance to Kiev, Macedonia handed over to him four Su-25s, previously acquired in Ukraine. This was confirmed in a statement dated December 22, 2022 by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Valery Gerasimov. He said that Ukraine had received four combat aircraft from the West this year (the general did not specify, but these Macedonian attack aircraft were clearly meant).
However, some official "talking heads" (Gerasimov's direct subordinates!) have managed to "destroy" almost 200 Ukrainian Su-25s by now. Already realizing the absurdity of this figure, the same "heads" now declare that the West is "secretly buying up" Su-25s around the world. Somehow it is forgotten that the plane is not a needle, it is impossible not to notice its transmission, especially since it is "tied" to the airfield.
It is well known about the arrival in Ukraine of any equipment (including Polish and Slovak MiG-29s) and even individual weapons. And at the same time, there is not the slightest evidence that Kiev received at least one Su-25, except for four Macedonian ones (therefore, no one has ever given a single specific example). And there is nowhere to take them, since almost all Su-25s are available from countries that need them themselves and which are not direct puppets of Washington.
The only exception is Bulgaria, which has no more than 27 Su-25s in service and in storage, but it has not transferred a single attack aircraft to Ukraine ( "Corrupt arsenals of mysterious Bulgaria", "HBO" dated 08/04/2013). But if the Ukrainian Air Force really lost almost 200 attack aircraft, it would mean that Kiev received at least half of the entire world fleet of Su-25!
The real losses of the Ukrainian Air Force in the air and on the ground, according to various sources, range from 10 to 20 Su-25s, however, this figure may also be underestimated. But certainly not ten times or even five times.
And it is likely that the Ukrainian campaign will become a "swan song" of specialized stormtroopers. They will finally be replaced by attack UAVs.
Alexander Khramchikhin
Alexander Anatolyevich Khramchikhin is an independent military expert.
