The Sukhoi Su-25 has seen combat use in numerous conflicts since its operational introduction in 1980. Originally deployed by Soviet forces during the Soviet–Afghan War, the aircraft has since been operated by the air forces of many countries across multiple continents. This article covers the combat history of the Su-25 chronologically, from its first operational use in Afghanistan through conflicts in the Middle East, Africa, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe. The Su-25 has participated in conflicts including the Soviet–Afghan War, the Iran–Iraq War, the Persian Gulf War, the Chechen Wars, the Russo-Georgian War, the Syrian Civil War, and the War in Donbas, among others. It has been operated by the air forces of Russia, Ukraine, Iraq, Georgia, Angola, Sudan, Chad, Ivory Coast, and several other nations.
1980–1989
Soviet–Afghan War In total, the Sukhoi Su-25 amassed a total of 60,000 sorties throughout its service in Afghanistan until the Soviet withdrawal in February 1989. The first combat Su-25 unit to be formed was the 200th Independent Attack Squadron (OShAE) based out of Sital-Chai in Soviet Azerbaijan. The first aircraft from the unit arrived in Afghanistan in May 1980 with the full unit deploying in June to Shindand airfield in the western part of the country. The deployment was called Operation Exam and involved a team of engineers and technicians who would oversee the aircraft and evaluate its performance. The first Su-25 combat missions began on 25 July with the 200th OShAE flying counterinsurgency sorties and close air support in support of the 5th Motorized Rifle Division. By 1982, the Su-25's area of responsibility expanded and the aircraft began flying missions sometimes as far as Kabul with pilots flying on average 4–5, sometimes as many as 8, sorties a day. The aircraft typically flew with external fuel tanks to increase its range but was barred from flying in poor weather conditions or nighttime due to faulty navigational equipment. By the time the squadron left Afghanistan in October 1982, its Su-25s had logged more than 2,000 sorties with no losses, however some had sustained damage due to ground fire. The deployment allowed engineers to make several modifications to the aircraft's weapons systems, replacing them with ones more suited for mountain operations and installing increased countermeasures and defensive systems.
The introduction of the Su-25 in Afghanistan led to a vastly expanded scope of operations by Soviet ground commanders who could now insert their troops deeper into guerrilla territory with better air cover. The Mujahideen grew to fear and respect the Su-25 as the war grew on, adapting their tactics around the assumption of its use. Su-25s were used as development platforms for Soviet precision guided munitions, being some of the first Soviet aircraft to use such munitions in combat, typically against cave entrances or weapons storage sites. In April 1986, the Su-25 used a precision-guided weapon in combat for the first time, firing a Kh-25 and Kh-29 missile against enemy targets. The introduction of precision bombs and missiles allowed the Su-25 to begin flying missions at higher-altitude, reducing the risk posed by anti-aircraft artillery and shoulder launched surface-to-air missiles.
Because Su-25s were often tasked with flying low-altitude, subsonic, close air support missions in support of ground forces in combat, they made frequent targets for Mujahideen anti-aircraft fire and surface-to-air missiles. Some 23 aircraft were shot down over the course of the war, with an additional dozen or so were lost in non-combat related incidents, while another dozen were written off due to extensive damage, and a further nine were destroyed by bombardments on the ground in Kabul and Kandahar. In all, Su-25s represented a quarter of Soviet Air Force (VVS) fixed-wing losses in the campaign.
On 16 January 1984, a Su-25 piloted by a Soviet lieutenant colonel was struck by a 9K32 Strela-2 missile and downed near Urgun, Afghanistan, making it the first shootdown of a Su-25 in the war.
In August 1988, a Su-25 piloted by Colonel Alexander Rutskoy was hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed. Rutskoy ejected but landed on Pakistani soil where he was captured and later repatriated to the Soviets. Some sources state he was shot down by Pakistani warplanes. The aircraft's wreckage was reportedly salvaged by Pakistan and handed over to the United States. In October of that year, a Su-25 sustained a powerful hit at high-altitude north of Gardez, heavily damaging it but remaining flyable. The strike was reportedly the result of a missile fired by a Pakistani fighter jet.
In January 1989, a missile hit a Su-25 near Kabul killing the pilot in the last combat loss of the aircraft in Afghanistan.
Iran–Iraq War The Iraqi Air Force was the first non-Eastern Bloc country to receive the Su-25, with Iraq receiving 69 'K' single-seat variants and four 'UBK' two-seater variants between 1986 and 1987, enough to equip two ground-attack regiments. The Su-25 saw extensive use in the latter stages of the Iran–Iraq War, its first action outside of Afghanistan, in combat against Iranian forces. One Su-25K purportedly survived a direct hit from an Iranian MIM-23 Hawk surface-to-air missile battery, managing to return to base and land. In total, the Su-25 took part in 900 combat sorties in the conflict and many of their pilots were personally decorated by Saddam Hussein. Two Su-25Ks were lost in combat in the war, of which one was lost to Iranian air defenses.
1990–1999
Persian Gulf War
The Iraqi Air Force's Su-25 aircraft played little part in the Persian Gulf War as did most Iraqi aircraft. At least one Su-25 squadron saw action during the August 1990 Invasion of Kuwait. During the war, seven of the IAF's Su-25 aircraft were flown to neighboring Iran to shield them from air strikes.. Jane's Defence Weekly, 13 September 2006. Two Su-25 jets were shot down by U.S. F-15C interceptors on 6 February 1991 using AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. However, most of Iraq's Su-25 fleet was destroyed on the ground in precision strikes on hardened aircraft shelters during the war and they were not used for ground attack against coalition forces.
Angolan Civil War Angola received its first batch of Su-25 jets from the Soviet Union in 1988. During the Angolan Civil War, the Angolan Air Force used the Su-25 against UNITA forces advancing on Luanda but to little tactical effect as they often flew bombing missions from high altitudes, reducing the aircraft's effectiveness, an issue exacerbated by a withdrawal of Soviet support in 1991 which caused serviceability issues. The Su-25 was also flown by mercenaries from the South African private military company Executive Outcomes based out of Saurimo Airport against UNITA forces beginning in the early 1990s.
War in Abkhazia During the War in Abkhazia, the Su-25 was used by the Georgian Air Force, the Abkhazian Air Force, and the Russian Air Force in a series of combat actions in the breakaway province. The Georgian Air Force flew as many as 215 combat missions in the Su-25 during the war. Russian Su-25s flying on the side of Abkhazian separatists performed numerous raids on Georgian positions near the besieged port city of Sukhumi, flying out of an airfield in Gudauta. On at least one occasion, a Russian Su-25 bombed a residential district of Sukhumi, killing a civilian and destroying numerous homes and other buildings. During the conflict, the Russian government asserted that Su-25s bombing Georgian positions were not Russian but, in fact, Georgian warplanes with painted Russian insignia, a claim that drew much doubt since many of these Su-25 aircraft were flying uninhibited through Russian airspace. On 6 January 1993, a Georgian Su-25 crashed in Abkhazia province with the pilot ejecting to safety. On 19 March 1993, a Russian Air Force Su-25 piloted by Major Vazlav Shipko was shot down by Georgian air defenses near Sukhumi, however some sources state he was flying a Su-27. On 4 July 1993, a Georgian Su-25 was struck by an Abkhazian surface-to-air missile, forcing the aircraft into the sea off Sukhumi and killing the pilot.
Eritrean–Ethiopian War The Ethiopian Air Force operated the Su-25 during the Eritrean–Ethiopian War, after receiving a delivery of a pair of Su-25Ts and two Su-25UBKs from the Russian Air Force in March 2000. Combat operations were flown from Mek'ele and Debre Zeyit. On 15 May 2000, a Su-25 piloted by Flight Lieutenant Wondu Ghenda was shot down by an Eritrean Air Force MiG-29, killing the pilot. acig.org. Retrieved: 10 August 2010.
First Nagorno-Karabak War During the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, both Armenia and Azerbaijan used Su-25 aircraft inherited from the Soviet Union. However, Armenia's use of its modest five jets during the war was minimal while the Azeri Air Force utilized it heavily in strafing and bombing missions against Armenian targets. At least three Su-25s operated by Azerbaijan were downed during the conflict. One was shot down in 1992 by a missile while conducting a ground attack mission over Armenian territory. In 1994, two were lost in separate incidents. One in February where the aircraft was struck by ground fire causing the pilot to eject and become captured. Another Su-25 was lost the following April with the pilot managing to eject. Human Rights Watch alleges in a 1994 report that Azerbaijan used its Su-25 aircraft in an indiscriminate manner against civilian population centers in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.
Chechen War Su-25s saw heavy use by the Russian Air Force again during the First and Second Chechen War. During the First Chechen War, some 140 Su-25s flew 5,300 strike sorties, notably playing an instrumental role in the destruction and the capture of the heavily defended Grozny Presidential Palace, dropping BETAB-500 anti-concrete bombs on it. However, Russian Su-25s rarely operated at night or in poor weather due to faulty equipment and insufficient training, and aircraft rarely used precision munitions, utilizing unguided bombs and rockets for the most part instead. This lack of precision munitions and poor training led to several friendly fire incidents where Russian aircraft hit buildings occupied by Russian troops. However, Russian air losses during the campaign were low due to a lack of capable air defenses. Four Su-25s were lost in combat.
On 4 February 1995, a Su-25 piloted by Major Nikolay Bairov crashed southeast of Grozny after being hit by ZSU-23-4 anti-aircraft fire. The pilot was able to eject but was still killed after his parachute failed to fully deploy. Another Su-25 piloted by Lieutenant Colonel Evgeny Derkulsky was damaged but was able to return to base. On 5 May 1995, a Su-25 piloted by Colonel Vladimir Sarabeyev from the 4th Air Army was hit by 12.7mm DShK fire while flying a low altitude patrol near the village of Serzhen-Yurt. The bullets pierced the unarmored side canopy glass of the cockpit, killing the pilot and causing the plane to crash. Chechen rebels managed to recover maps and charts from the wreckage. On 4 April 1996, a Su-25 piloted by Major Alexander Matvienko flying a reconnaissance mission near Goiskoye was shot down with a Stinger missile forcing the pilot to eject. The pilot was successfully rescued by helicopter. On 5 May 1996, a Su-25UB crewed by Colonel Igor Sviryidov and Major Oleg Isayev was shot down by a 9K34 Strela-3 shoulder-launched surface to air missile while flying near Serzhen-Yurt, killing both pilots.