The Super Fighter That Ended Up Battling Itself



In the contested skies over Ukraine in 2024, a Soviet-era Sukhoi Su-25 streaks across the sky, its familiar silhouette unchanged since the days of the Cold War.

But as it approaches its target, something is different, as the pilot releases not Russian-made munitions but a NATO-approved French Hammer-guided bomb.

Born in the 1970s as the USSR’s answer to the American A-10 Warthog, the Sukhoi Su-25 was built to survive intense ground fire during close support missions. Its twin R-95Sh engines, each producing 9,900 pounds of thrust, push it to speeds over 600 miles per hour. With thick armor plating shielding the cockpit and a powerful twin-barrel autocannon that can fire 3,000 rounds per minute, the model has proven its worth in dozens of conflicts around the world.

From Soviet factories to desert battlefields and now carrying Western-made weapons over Eastern Europe, the Su-25 has evolved far beyond its creators’ expectations.

Today, in Ukraine’s contested airspace, this modern-day “Flying Tank” continues to adapt. As these battle-hardened aircraft crisscross the skies, they fly for both sides of the conflict. The same robust airframe that once symbolized the Soviet might now embodies the complexities of 21st-century warfare, serving in ways its designers never envisioned.

Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.

As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.

All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.

source

33 thoughts on “The Super Fighter That Ended Up Battling Itself”

  1. I predict US A 10's (Wart Hog's) will live as long as B 59's (BUFF's) and be flown multi generational like the "BUFF"

    As a kid dove hunting the Imerial Valley N/E of Salton Sea about 1984, I Got to Hear the RRRRRRRRrrr of their cannons gunnery training.
    I will "Never Forget" that sound!
    I also camped, fished and hunted as a kid near March AFB a S.A.C. base watching Chrome Doom and others going on.

    Reply
  2. Anyone else find it weird that WW1, WW2 Ukrain was on the enemy side of the allies. They committed suck heinous acts to there own citizens that the Nazi SS was shocked and horrified. They not once backed the USA or Nato in anything and yet our president sends billions to them.

    Reply
  3. Where is the so called game Changer…. Tide Turner f16s that the comedian been bragging from the beginning of the war….
    He said he needs f16 to win the war…. So they gave him…. Now what….

    His Christmas list just doesn't end….

    Reply

Leave a Comment