OVERVIEW: OVERVIEW: The Su-27SKM aka "Flanker B"  is a single-seat, twin-engine, long-range, all-weather, +4 -generation multi-role air superiority fighter capable of BVR engagements and precision ground attack, SEAD and anti-ship strike.

DETAILS:  Similar in concept to the USAF's heavyweight/lightweight F-15/F-16 fighter fleet mix, the Su-27 was developed as a heavyweight fighter to complement the lighter Mig-29 and is roughly comparable to the F-15E Strike Eagle.  

 The Su-27SKM is an export version of  the Su-27SM, which was a modernization of the earlier Su-27SK.  In contrast to the Su-27SK, the Su-27SM and SKM  has an  improved radar, an advanced cockpit management system ('glass cockpit'), improved ECM/IRCM and navigation systems and an in-flight refueling system. 

The Su-27 is designed to be a highly maneuverable aircraft.  To achieve this, it was designed to be unstable.  The wing and fuselage form a single aerodynamically lifted frame, providing a high aerodynamic efficiency and high lift coefficient.  This, along with its low wing loading, high thrust-to-weight ratio and an analogue quad-redundant fly-by-wire system, making it highly agile even at low air speed. The Su-27 can sustain 9.0 g maneuvers, and bubble cockpit, gives the pilot excellent visibility.  These characteristics, combined with the pilot’s helmet-mounted target designator and the all-aspect AA-11 missile and a 30mm cannon, make the Flanker an excellent dog fighting aircraft.

The Su-27SKM uses a N011M PESA radar, providing it with a LD/SD capability and when combined with the AA-10 or AA-12 missile, a BVR capability.   The radar also has a ground mapping capability allowing it to detect ground and ship targets.

The Su-27SKM is armed with a single 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon with 150 rounds in the starboard wingroot.  The Su-27SK has up to 10 hardpoints forup to 8,000 kg of missiles and other weapons.   For air-to-air combat, it carries the R-27R/R-27T series (AA-10A Alamo-A / AA-10B Alamo-B), an all-aspect medium-range missile with semi-active radar homing or with infrared homing.  These have a range from 0.27-32 nm.  It also carries the R-73 series (AA-11 Archer) all-aspect, close-combat air-to-air missile with infrared homing and a range from 0.17-11 nm. It can also carry the long-range (60 nm) R-77 (AA-12 Adder) AAM.   For strike missions, ordinance includes a variety of guided munitions, including  Kh-29T/TE TV-guided missiles and Kh29 laser-guided missiles, Kh-31A active radar homing ASMs, Kh-31P ARMs, KAB-500Kr and KAB-1500Kr ‘smart bombs’ and other ordinance. It can also carry free-fall boms and the S-8/S-13/S-25 series rockets.

The countermeasures system includes a pilot illumination radar warning receiver, chaff and infrared decoy dispensers, and active multi-mode jammers, normally carried in wingtip pods in lieu of R-73 missiles in the wingtip hardpoints. The jammers are capable of mutual and group protection.  

The Su-27 is powered by two widely separated AL-31F afterburning turbofans, each producing 7800 kgf (17,200 lbs). of thrust (military) or 12,500 kgf (27,558 lbs) of thrust at afterburner, giving it a 1.07  thrust-to-weight ratio. Each engine has two air intakes: a primary wedge intake and a louvred auxiliary air intake. The design maximum speed is Mach 2.35 at altitude.

NOTES: IOC: 2010. Claimed to have "50% more combat capability" than early Flanker-Bs.


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