Sukhoi Su-17 Fitter

Summary

Category	Combat aircraft
Origin country	🇨🇳 Ex-USSR
First flight	1 January 1966
Year of introduction	1971
Number produced	2867 units
Average unit price	$6 million

Description

The Su-17 Fitter is a Soviet-designed single-seat, twin-engine supersonic fighter-bomber. It was developed in the 1960s by the Sukhoi Design Bureau as a variable-sweep wing development of the Su-7 fighter-bomber.

The first prototype, known as the Su-7IG, flew in 1966 with fixed wings. The second prototype, designated Su-17, flew in 1967 with variable-geometry wings allowing sweep settings between 28 degrees and 62 degrees. The Su-17 entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1971.

The Su-17 had a metal semi-monocoque fuselage and double-delta variable sweep wings. Early versions were powered by two Lyulka AL-7F1 afterburning turbojet engines, while later models had more powerful Lyulka AL-21F engines. Some export versions used other engine types like the Tumansky R-29.

The variable geometry wings gave the aircraft excellent performance across a wide speed and altitude range. Sweep angles could be adjusted manually by the pilot or automatically based on airspeed and g-forces. Later models added canard foreplanes for improved maneuverability.

The Su-17 can carry a variety of air-to-ground weapons on nine hardpoints, including rockets, bombs, missiles, and gun pods. Typical weapon loads include rockets, free-fall bombs, cluster bombs, napalm tanks, rocket pods, and air-to-surface missiles like the Kh-23 Grom and Kh-25ML. Internal armament is a single 30mm GSh-30-2 cannon with 200 rounds.

The Su-17 entered Soviet service in 1971 and was widely used in the 1970s and 1980s. It saw combat during the Yom Kippur War in 1973, Ethiopian-Somali Border War, Soviet war in Afghanistan, Iran-Iraq war, and other conflicts. More than 2800 were built.

The export version Su-20 was sold to a number of countries including Libya, Angola, Poland, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, and others. The Su-22 variant was exported to Syria, Iraq, and other middle eastern nations.

Notable variants include the Su-17M with Lyulka AL-21F engine, the export Su-22M with revised avionics, the naval Su-17UM trainer, and the Su-17M4 with canards and single-wheel nose gear. Advanced versions remain in limited service today in some air forces.

Technical specifications

Version: Su-17 / Su-20 / Su-22 Fitter
Crew	1 pilot
Operational range	950 km (590 mi)
Maximum speed	2140 km/h (1330 mph)
Wing area	27.5 m² (296.0 sqft)
Wingspan	10.0 m (32.6 ft)
Height	4.5 m (14.8 ft)
Length	15.3 m (50.0 ft)
Service ceiling	14500 m (47572 ft)
Empty weight	5932 kg (13078 lbs)
Max. takeoff weight	7890 kg (17394 lbs)
Climb rate	47.6 m/s (156.2 ft/s)
Powerplant	1 × turbojet TR-3 delivering 4000 kgp, up to 4600 kgp with afterburner