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Sukhoi Su-15 (Flagon)

1965 COLD WAR

History

Like the United States and Britain after World War II, the Soviet Union has a long history of perfecting turbojet-powered fighter jets. For every success there are many failures, and these failures span fighter jets, bombers, professional attack platforms and interceptors. In the latter case, the Sukhoi Su-15 (NATO codename "Flagon") proved to be a successful entry point???.

Production totaled 1,290 and the Ukrainian Air Force (its only foreign operator) was still in its final operational form until 1996.

The main conventional threat to Soviet air defenses in the 1950s was the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress - a jumbo jet heavy bomber introduced to the USAF in early 1955. The plane flew high and carried heavy war bombs. The aircraft proved to be a capable platform, and the 744 was eventually built (the design has been in existence - 2016).

At this point in Soviet aviation history, the main interceptors were the Sukhoi Su-9 and Su-11, and Soviet authorities realized that they did not have the interception capability needed to deal with the B-52 threat and other threats from the United States and the United Kingdom.

In addition, there are many unbuilt Su-15 types, including the "U-58UM" based on the Su-15UM with the Taifun-M radar, and the "Su-15Sh" designed to be used as a supersonic ground attack aircraft and "Su-15-30", which will carry the radar installation and missile weapons of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 "Foxbat" interceptor. None of them were used in mass production.

The Su-15bis is the Su-15TM powered by R-25-300 series engines, with 15,652 lbs of thrust and afterburner capacity. Although it was officially accepted by the Soviet Air Force, the lack of an engine hindered its development.

The Su-19 (based on the T-58PS prototype) was another proposed model intended to carry R-25-300 series engines and a new wing kit, but never materialized.

As soon as the Su-15 entered service, it became a key feature in the Soviet defense of its vast airspace, and was intended to be used in conjunction with the faster Mig-25 family as a formidable "double-strike" enemy bomber. In its current form, the Su-15 was a fast, high-flying aircraft at the time, with an excellent rate of climb and a rapid response to enemy threats: its robust radar adaptability guided the aircraft to the ground to its target via a data link The control center, the missile will attack the target as soon as it comes into range.

Early Su-15s carried two air-to-air missiles (AAM) with infrared homing (IR) or semi-active radar (SAR) homing, while later Su-15s received four hardpoints, including a Fixtures for mounting gun pods (2 x GSh-23L guns per pod).

However, as soon as the Su-15 arrived, its operational days ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The aircraft was withdrawn from Russian service in 1993 and will be scrapped or put into storage for the foreseeable future.

Only Ukraine continued to use it until 1996, when the line was almost replaced by a new generation of fighter jets - namely the Mig-29 and Su-27.

In one of the more infamous public stories about the Su-15 and the West, Soviet-controlled interceptors attacked Korean Air Flight 007 near Moneron Island, killing all 269 people on board.