SU-24M FENCER FRONT LINE BOMBER,
RUSSIA
The Su-24M front line bomber is manufactured by the Sukhoi Design
Bureau Joint Stock Company, based in Moscow, and the Novosibirsk
Aircraft Production Association, Novosibirsk, Russia. The Su-24M
entered service in 1983 and is a development of the Su-24, known by
the NATO codename 'Fencer'. Over 900 Su-24s have been delivered,
and the aircraft is in service with the Russian Air Force and Navy
and the air forces of Azerbaijan, Algeria, Iran, Libya, Poland,
Syria and the Ukraine.
The Su-24M front line bomber is designed to penetrate hostile
territory and destroy ground and surface targets in any weather
conditions, by day and night. Variants of the Su-24 have also been
produced, designed for reconnaissance and electronic
countermeasures.
400 Russian Air Force Su-24M are to have navigation and weapons
systems upgraded to enable launch of new versions of Kh-29 and
other missiles. Upgrades include a new SV-24 computer, liquid
crystal displays, ILS-31 head-up display, digital moving map and
global positioning system.
DESIGN
The aircraft has a conventional aerodynamic configuration with a
variable-sweep shoulder wing. The fuselage is of
rectangular-section semi-monocoque design, with a two-seat
pressurised cockpit. The wing sweepback angle varies from 16° to
69°, with respect to the wing leading edge with four outer-wing
panel fixed positions of 16°, 35°, 45° and 69°.
The tail unit comprises all-moving horizontal tail surfaces and a
single-fin vertical tail fitted with a rudder. The horizontal tail
surfaces function as an elevator when deflecting symmetrically, and
as ailerons when deflecting differentially. Tricycle-type landing
gear allows the aircraft to be operated from either concrete or
unpaved runways.
WEAPONS
The Su-24 is armed with the following types of air-to-surface
missiles: Kh-23 or Kh-23M (NATO codename AS-7 Kerry) radio-command
guided missiles (range 5km; up to four missiles carried); Kh-28
(AS-9 Kyle) and Kh-58 passive radar-homing missiles (range 90km; up
to two missiles carried). Up to two Vympel R-60 (AA-8 Aphid)
IR-homing air-to-air missiles with a range of 3km are also
carried.
The Su-24M aircraft is armed with: Kh-25L (AS-10 Karen)
laser-guided missiles (range 20km; up to four missiles carried);
Kh-29LT (AS-14 Kedge) laser/TV-guided missiles (range 10km; up to
three missiles carried); Kh-31P (AS-17 Krypton) passive
radar-homing missiles (range 180km; up to two missiles carried);
and Kh-59 (AS-13 Kingbolt) TV-command-guided missiles (range 90km;
up to two missiles carried). It is also armed with KAB-50OKR
TV-guided and KAB-1500L laser-guided air bombs, supplied by the
Region State Research and Production Enterprise of Moscow.
Both aircraft can carry up to six rocket pods. The weight of
conventional bomb armament amounts to between 7.5t and 8t.
The aircraft can carry up to three gun pods with 23mm Gsh-6-23
guns, which have a rate of fire of 9,000 rounds per minute and fire
unit of 500 rounds. Gsh-6-23 guns are manufactured by the
Instrument Design Bureau of Tula, Russia.
TARGETING
The Su-24 bomber's integrated navigation and aiming system is the
PNS-24. PNS-24, in conjunction with radio navigation equipment, can
perform the following functions: terrain warning; detection of
targets and their destruction by level and toss bombing; target
designation for missiles; detection of operating radars and launch
of missiles on these radars; and automatic and semi-automatic
aircraft control during landing approach to a height of 40m to
50m.
The Su-24M aircraft is equipped with the PNS-M modified integrated
navigation and aiming system, which includes a laser/TV-sighting
system for the air-to-surface laser/TV-guided missiles.
ENGINES
The power plant comprises two A-F turbojets, with a thrust of
11,200kif each. Fuel is accommodated in fuselage integral tanks.
Two external fuel tanks with a capacity of 3,000 litres each can be
suspended from the centre-wing section, with one external fuel
tank, with a capacity of 2,000 litres, suspended from the fuselage.
An inert gas system is installed for fire safety. The Su-24M
aircraft is equipped with a flight refuelling system.
The Su-24M has a maximum speed of 1,550km per hour and a range of
over 3,000km. Service ceiling is 11,000m. Maximum rate of climb is
9,000m per minute.
