MOSCOW. Oct 21 (Interfax-AVN) - The modernized attack aircraft, Sukhoi Su-25SM, has performed a flight to the airfield of the State Flight Test Center in Akhtubinsk, where it will soon start being tested, a source from the defense industry told Interfax-AVN.
"These tests aim to increase the aircraft's tactical efficiency, to study the possibility of using new aircraft weapons," the source said.
"New ammunition created in recent years will be used on Su-25SM attack aircraft," he said.
"The special tests will involve one modernized Su-25SM attack aircraft. The test program will run for approximately a year," he said.
Su-25 aircraft are being series-upgraded using a series-based technology at the aircraft maintenance plant No. 121 in Kubinka, Moscow region, he said.
The upgraded version has a new PrNK-25SM "Bars" sight/navigation system that includes a data processing and imaging system, a satellite navigation system, a close navigation system, a radio reconnaissance station, an aircraft responder, an automatic radio compass, an analog-digital weapon control system, a flight data collection, processing and registration on-board system ("Karat-B-25") and a number of other systems.
The upgraded Su-25SM attack aircraft can operate at any time of the day and night and use precision weapons outside the range of the enemy's antiaircraft weapons, the source said. "Now the attack aircraft no longer has to be within the zone of the small-caliber anti-aircraft artillery and mobile surface-to-air missile systems. The aircraft can attack targets from a distance of more than seven or eight kilometers, which exceeds the firing range of the majority of air defense weapons on the battlefield," he said.
The precision of navigation and tactical use of the Su-25SM's unguided aircraft weapons has increased two or three times, while in bombing operations it has reached the level of precision of guided aircraft weapons, the source said.