Bomber · USSR / Russia · Cold War (1970–1991)
Open in interactive gallery →See aircraft like this on the live radar →The Sukhoi Su-25 (NATO reporting name Frogfoot) is a single-seat twin-engine subsonic close-air-support and ground-attack aircraft — the Soviet/Russian counterpart to the U.S. A-10 Thunderbolt II. Sukhoi began Su-25 development in 1968 in response to the same battlefield close-air-support requirement that produced the A-10. First flight came on 22 February 1975, and the type entered Soviet Air Force service in 1981. About 1,024 airframes left the line between 1978 and the mid-1990s, with Russian and export production continuing at low rates into the 2010s.
Engineering choices centred on survival over a contested battlefield. A 24 mm titanium-armour bathtub wraps the cockpit. Two Tumansky R-95Sh non-afterburning turbojets (9,920 lbf each) sit widely separated so a single hit cannot disable both, each with its own fuel and control plumbing. The airframe carries 30% structural duplication, and pilots routinely returned with damage that would have downed a Western fighter. Top speed is Mach 0.82 at sea level. Combat radius runs about 750 km on internal fuel and 1,250 km with external tanks. Armament: a 30 mm GSh-30-2 cannon plus 4,400 kg of ordnance on 10 hardpoints.
Combat history runs long. Soviet Air Force Su-25s served as the principal close-air-support aircraft during the 1980–1989 Soviet-Afghan War, where the armour and twin-engine layout proved decisive against Stinger man-portable surface-to-air missiles. About 23 Su-25s were lost in Afghanistan, most of them to Stinger hits — and the per-sortie loss rate stayed well below that of helicopter or fighter alternatives. Russian Su-25s flew in both Chechen wars (1994–1996, 1999–2000) and over Syria from 2015 onward. Ukraine fields about 30 Su-25s in service against Russian targets in 2026.
Variant lineage runs from the Su-25T (anti-tank with Maverick-equivalent Vikhr missiles), through the Su-25TM/Su-39 (all-weather upgrade), to the Su-25SM3 — the current Russian production-standard refresh. Export customers include Belarus, Bulgaria, Georgia (which used the type in the 2008 war against Russia), Iraq, North Korea, and several African nations. As of 2026 the Su-25 remains in low-rate production at the Aviastar-SP plant in Ulyanovsk, Russia, making it the only Cold War-design Russian combat aircraft still rolling off the line.
The Sukhoi Su-25 (NATO codename Frogfoot) is Russia's main close-air-support attack jet — similar to the American A-10 Warthog. The Su-25 is built to fly low and slow over battlefields, hitting enemy tanks and ground forces with bombs and rockets.
The Su-25 first flew in 1975 and entered Soviet service in 1981. It's about 51 feet long — longer than a school bus — with two big turbofan engines mounted side-by-side under the wings. Top speed is about 600 mph (slower than most fighters but fast enough for ground-attack). The Su-25 has armor around the cockpit to protect the pilot from ground fire, and it can carry up to 9,700 pounds of weapons.
Soviet Su-25s flew in the Afghan War (1979-1989). About 23 Su-25s were lost in Afghanistan to American-supplied Stinger missiles. After the Soviet Union ended, Russian Su-25s continued in service. They flew in Georgia (2008), Syria (2015+), and Ukraine (2022+).
About 1,030 Su-25s were built. They serve 20+ countries, including Russia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Iraq, Georgia, Iran, and Ukraine. Both Russia and Ukraine fly Su-25s against each other in 2026. The Su-25 will continue to be Russia's primary close-air-support aircraft for years.
Both planes do the same job — flying low and slow over battlefields to attack tanks and ground forces. They were designed at the same time (1970s) for the same reasons. But they look quite different. The A-10 has straight wings, twin tails, and a giant 30mm Gatling gun in the nose. The Su-25 has slightly-swept wings, a single tail, and a smaller 30mm cannon in the chin. The A-10 is more durable — it can take more damage and keep flying. The Su-25 is slightly faster and has a more modern cockpit. Most experts say the A-10 is the better airplane overall, but both have served well for 40+ years.
Close-air-support means using aircraft to attack enemy ground forces who are fighting near friendly soldiers. The challenge: the aircraft has to be careful not to hit its own troops. To do this safely, the aircraft has to fly low enough to clearly see the targets and aim accurately — usually within a few hundred feet of friendly soldiers. The Su-25 and A-10 are both designed for this dangerous job — armored against ground fire, with powerful guns and bombs that can be aimed precisely. Less-specialized aircraft (like F-16s) can also do close-air-support, but it's much harder for them.
Both are subsonic, twin-engine, single-seat ground-attack aircraft built specifically for close-air support of ground forces — the Su-25 from a Soviet design study in 1968, the A-10 Thunderbolt II from a parallel U.S. study. Both feature heavy cockpit armour, redundant systems, and large gun plus multi-pylon weapons fits. The Su-25 is smaller (single 30 mm cannon versus the A-10's GAU-8/A 30 mm Gatling), faster (Mach 0.82 versus the A-10's 0.6), and shorter-ranged. The mission philosophy is essentially identical.
Yes — heavily. Soviet Air Force Su-25s flew about 60,000 sorties during the 1980–1989 Soviet-Afghan War as the principal close-air-support aircraft. About 23 Su-25s were lost there, most of them to mujahideen Stinger MANPADS. The titanium cockpit armour and widely-spaced engines saved many pilots from Stinger hits that would have been fatal on a less-protected aircraft.
Yes, at low rates. The Su-25SM3 variant is in current production at Aviastar-SP in Ulyanovsk, Russia. The Su-25 is the only Cold War-design Russian combat aircraft still in production as of 2026; every other Soviet-era type has ended its production run.
Better than expected. Ukrainian Air Force Su-25s routinely return to base with heavy battle damage — wing fragments, fuselage holes, engine bay damage — that would have been fatal on lighter-built Western fighters. The 24 mm titanium cockpit armour bathtub, the widely-separated twin engines, and the structural redundancy give the type unusual survivability against ground fire and MANPADS.
The internal 30 mm Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-2 twin-barrel cannon (250 rounds, 3,000 rpm) is the primary close-attack weapon. Add 4,400 kg of external ordnance across 10 hardpoints — typical loads include S-8 / S-13 / S-25 unguided rockets, Kh-25/Kh-29 air-to-ground missiles, FAB-500 bombs, and, on later variants, Vikhr laser-guided anti-tank missiles.