Ukrainian air power grows as Su‑27s integrate Western tech
Ukrainian aviation is slowly gaining strength thanks to aircraft deliveries from the West. These new additions are supplementing the dwindling number of post-Soviet machines, which still make up the majority of the force due to the experience of their pilots. The loss of a Su-27 is excruciating for Ukraine.
Ukraine cannot replenish these machines, as spare parts are produced only by Russia and China. The available aircraft are located in countries that are, at best, neutral toward Ukraine. However, there's a silver lining—although the shot-down aircraft was lost, the pilot survived and can return to action in the future.
According to a statement from Ukrainian aviation on Telegram dated April 28, 2025, the plane was on a mission to repel a Russian air attack. It is unknown whether it lost a duel with a Russian counterpart or was shot down by Russian or Ukrainian air defense. Notably, "friendly fire" has resulted in losses on both the Russian and Ukrainian sides.
Fortunately, the pilot managed to eject safely and was quickly found by a search and rescue team, then transported to the hospital. Over time, the shot-down pilot may return to combat piloting, such as in an F-16 or Mirage 2000, as pilot training continues intensively.
Su-27 - Ukraine’s only heavy air superiority fighter
The Su-27 fighter jet, designed by the Sukhoi design bureau, first flew in May 1977. It was the Soviet counterpart to the American F-15, resulting in a heavy twin-engine machine with an empty weight of 35,000 pounds and a takeoff weight of 66,000 pounds.
A significant portion of the weight was due to the fuel reserves in internal tanks, which totaled 21,000 pounds. The armament, which could be mounted on 10 pylons, weighed 10,000 pounds. Thanks to this, the Su-27 had a significantly greater operational range than the MiGs, reaching about 2,175 miles, and an altitude ceiling of up to 62,000 feet.
With its excellent aerodynamics and maximum speed of Mach 2.35, it was the most formidable aircraft NATO pilots could encounter during the Cold War. After the dissolution of the USSR, these aircraft ended up in countries like China, where they were copied and put into service as the J-11. Meanwhile, the Russians continued to develop the Su-27 design, creating models such as the Su-30, Su-34, and Su-35, which found buyers in countries reluctant to purchase American planes, mainly in Africa and some Asian countries.
The Su-27's armament mainly included the short-range air-to-air missiles Vympel R-73 and outdated medium-range R-27 missiles, as well as aerial bombs weighing up to 500 kg (1,100 pounds) and rocket launchers. However, the key weapon of the Su-27 was the Vympel R-77 medium-range missile, developed toward the end of the USSR. With a range of up to about 50 miles, it is conceptually similar to the AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, hence its nickname "Amraamski."
It was the first Soviet/Russian air-to-air missile with an active radar homing head of the "fire and forget" type, which could track a target independently from a distance of about 12 miles, thanks to its onboard radar. Ukraine had an unknown number of these missiles, and the Artem plant in Kyiv had some of their design plans as a co-designer.
Ukrainian Su-27s with Western weapons
Although a few Ukrainian Su-27s have been integrated with Western weapons, Ukrainians managed to adapt the Su-27 to work with Western armaments, as evidenced by recordings of the use of anti-radiation missiles AGM-88 HARM and guided bombs JDAM-ER. It is worth noting that Ukraine probably has a minimal number of flight-capable Su-27s.
Before the war, Ukraine had just over 30 of these machines. At least 17 were destroyed, including the one described. A significant portion of the remaining ones may have been taken out of service due to wear and tear and issues with spare parts.
