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Sukhoi Su-33
Sign in to saveAlso known as Flanker-D, Su-27K, Sukhoi Su-27K, Su-33
carrier-based interceptor version of the Su-27 fighter aircraft
Key facts
- Type
- Carrier-based air superiority fighter with multirole capabilities
- National origin
- Soviet Union , Russia
- Manufacturer
- Sukhoi , Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association
- Status
- In service
- Primary user
- Russian Navy
- Number built
- 24 built total
- Manufactured
- 1987–1999
- Introduction date
- 31 August 1998 (official)
- First flight
- 17 August 1987 ; 38 years ago ( 1987-08-17 )
- Developed from
- Sukhoi Su-27
- Variant
- Shenyang J-15
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Subclass of
- short takeoff but arrested recovery
- Operator
- Russian Navy
- Country of origin
- Soviet Union
- Based on
- Sukhoi Su-27
- Developer
- Mikhail Simonov
- Designed by
- Mikhail Simonov
- Official website
- www.sukhoi.org/eng/planes/military/su33
- Image
- Sukhoi Su-33 in 2010 (5).jpg
- Has use
- combat air patrol
Show 6 more facts
- derivative work
- Shenyang J-15
- Commons category
- Sukhoi Su-33
- powered by
- Saturn AL-31
- NATO reporting name
- Flanker D
- first flight
- 1987-08-17
- service entry
- 1998-08-31
Sources (3)
via Wikidata · CC0
~22 min read
Encyclopedic overview
The Sukhoi Su-33 (Russian: Сухой Су-33; NATO reporting name: Flanker-D) is a Soviet/Russian all-weather carrier-based twin-engine air superiority-focused multirole fighter designed by Sukhoi and manufactured by Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association. Derived from the Su-27 and initially known as the Su-27K, compared with its parent design the Su-33 has a number of modifications to make it suitable for carrier operations. These include a strengthened undercarriage and airframe, larger, folding wings and stabilators, new canards, upgraded engines, and a twin nose wheel.
First used in operations in 1995 aboard the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, the fighter officially entered service in August 1998, by which time the designation "Su-33" was used. Following the break-up of the Soviet Union and the subsequent downsizing of the Russian Navy, only 24 aircraft were produced. Attempted sales to China and India were unsuccessful. With plans to retire the Su-33 once they reach the end of their service life, the Russian Navy ordered the MiG-29K as a replacement in 2009.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Sukhoi Su-33” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.