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Fighter aircraft

Russia

Sukhoi

Su-25SM3

A heavily armored single-seat close-air-support jet built around a titanium-armored cockpit tub, comparable in role to the American A-10. Upgraded Su-25SM3 aircraft remain in front-line Russian service for battlefield close air support.

In service since 1981 · 10 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

950

km/h

7,000

m ceiling

4,400

kg payload

Several performance figures for Russia-origin systems are manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification. Treat these specs as directional, not tested values.

Pricing: No public modern unit cost

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

Russian state channel

Rosoboronexport monopoly; Western sanctions exposure and payment/logistics risk for many buyers.

Channel: Rosoboronexport (state)

Fielded & proven

Established · 10 operators

In service since 1981. Status: active · ~1,075 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Compatible munitions & weapons

Publicly reported weapons the Su-25SM3 can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.

Kh-25

S-8 rockets

R-73

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Performance specifications
Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.	950 km/h Bottom 4% of fighters
Combat radius Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range.	375 km Bottom 1% of fighters
Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.	7,000 m Bottom 1% of fighters

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Firepower specifications
Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.	30 mm GSh-30-2 twin-barrel cannon
Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.	10 Stronger than 61% of fighters
Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.	4,400 kg Stronger than 20% of fighters

Protection

Armor, countermeasures and survivability.

Protection specifications
Armor Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.	Titanium armored cockpit tub

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Physical specifications
Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.	15.53 m
Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span.	14.36 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.	4.8 m
Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.	10,740 kg
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.	17,600 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.	1

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Propulsion specifications
Engine Powerplant model and type.	2x Soyuz/Gavrilov R-195 turbojets
Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.	2
Thrust Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).	44 kN Bottom 5% of fighters
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…	Turbojet

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Program specifications
Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.	1,075 Stronger than 88% of fighters
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.	10 Top 7% of fighters

Specifications compiled from public Sukhoi and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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