Kit unboxing and aircraft background vid for the Italeri & Bilek 1/72 scale Sukhoi Su22UM Fitter. - Kit Ref 052
Su-22 Fitter background Ref to Charlie Gao nationalinterest.org
The Sukhoi Su-22 (NATO codename Fitter) is a fighter-bomber developed in the Soviet Union. It is an improved version of the Su-17, which was first commissioned as a production model in 1966. The Su-22 was intended to be a direct successor to the Su-20 and thus mainly as an export aircraft, but was also used by the air forces of former Soviet states.The Su-22 is mainly designed for high-speed flight near ground level. Like most fighter-bombers, it is only of limited suitability for fighting other aircraft, as it has a laser range and target illumination system (Klen-54) for ground targets in the bow instead of radar to detect air targets. Other improvements included location, control, and target acquisition electronics. In addition, the Su-22 was equipped with systems for disrupting enemy targeting and locating. Installation of extended sensor equipment for reconnaissance operations is possible.The Su-17 saw significant service in the Soviet war in Afghanistan. It served in many roles during that conflict, including reconnaissance, strike, and minelaying. Combat experience in this conflict led to the fitting of chaff and flare dispensers and additional armor to the aircraft. Su-17s left Russian service alongside their MiG-23BN and MiG-27 counterparts during defense reforms during the 1990s and 2000s as single-engine aircraft were not considered survivable enough for air-to-ground combat. In the role as a close air support aircraft, the double-engined squat Su-25 replaces it. In the role as a faster strike aircraft, the Su-34 replaced the Su-17.As a member state of the Warsaw Pact, Poland received a total of 110 Su-22 aircraft. The Polish Air Force is the last European user – a modernisation programme has been running since February 2015 to enable the fleet to operate for another ten years.
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