Su-25 Frogfoot From Russia Vs A-10 Warthog From the US, Who deserves To Be Called a Flying Tank

Su-25 Frogfoot From Russia Vs A-10 Warthog From the US, Who deserves To Be Called a Flying Tank
Su-25 Frogfoot (left), A-10 Warthog (right) /Defense View

International Military - The name of the Su-25 Frogfoot fighter has recently surfaced. Last April, the US sent a military aid package, namely a Su-25 fighter, to Ukraine. This support from Western allies has boosted Ukraine's air capabilities and its military in general, such as attacks on the town of Bucha in Kyiv Oblast and elsewhere. Prioritizing defensive performance, the Su-25 Frogfoot is a competitor to the US-made A-10 Warthog, also dubbed the flying tank.

During the Cold War, both the Soviet Union and the US had created many advanced weapons and ultimately put these two countries in the same domain (Superpowers). One of their "masterpieces" is a fighter aircraft with a very strong defensive power, even up to the current modern era.

The Soviet Union or Russia with the Su-25 Frogfoot, while the US with the A-10 Warthog, are both nicknamed the flying tank. These two platforms are rivals in air support missions for ground combat units.

Read Also: Dubbed the Flying Tanks, Bulgaria and Georgia Send Su-25 Fighter Planes To Ukraine

The Su-25 and A-10 are one of the world's leading symbols, namely fighter aircraft with armor, low altitude, high attack power, and the support role of ground units. Starting from a Russian product, the Su-25 is the Air Force's first mass-produced fighter aircraft there that is purposely designed for close air support or CAS missions.

The Su-25 is a simple, effective, and durable fighter. As of 2021, the Su-25 has fought in approximately 40 conflicts. The Frogfoot is known as the most cost-effective ground attack fighter available to the Russian Air Force, according to The Aviation Geek Club.

Prior to the Su-25, the Soviets used the Su-17, Su-22, MiG-23BN, and MiG-27 to launch ground attacks. But deploying this single-engine, no-armor fighter for a ground attack would be suicidal.

Read Also: Russia-Ukraine War, Who Will Really Benefit If The War Continues

An example is the case in Afghanistan, where these very young warplanes were shot down by ground fire, quoted from the National Interest. Thus, the Soviets needed a fighter with armor or armor and a two-engine configuration to increase their survivability.

The Su-25 born in 1978 looks almost identical to the A-10 Warthog. In fact, the Su-25 is Russia's answer to the US-made A-10. The Russian Air Force recognized the need for a low-flying fighter with high survivability.

Then, the A-10 Warthog was born after the US military learned from its experiences on the Vietnam battlefield. Beginning in 1972, the US Air Force recognized the need for specialized aircraft for ground attack purposes.

Read Also: Finland and Sweden's Closeness to NATO Is Getting More Real, How Will Russia Respond

Prior to the A-10, the US used the F-4 Phantom, F-111 and A-1 Skyraider for ground attack missions, but these three planes weren't quite as good.

Armament Su-25 from Russia And A-10 Warthog from USA

Dubbed the flying tank, it's incomplete to talk about the Su-25 and the A-10 without seeing the weapons they have. Starting from the A-10, the most iconic thing about this fighter is the GAU-8 engine cannon mounted on the nose of the aircraft. It is a brutal machine gun that can release 4,000 rounds per minute.

This cannon is specially designed to penetrate armor, allowing it to destroy tanks. In addition, there are 11 hardpoints on the wings of the A-10 which can carry a total of 7.2 tons of weapons. These hardpoints can carry conventional bombs, cluster bombs, air-to-ground missiles such as the AGM-65 Maverick and AIM-9 Sidewinders.

Read Also: NATO Secretary General Says Russia-Ukraine Conflict Has Turned To Long-Term War

Whereas the Su-25 is simpler, it has a dual gun GSh-30-2 which is three times lighter than the GAU-8 A-10. The Su-25 also has 11 hardpoints on its wings which can accommodate a payload of about 4 tons. To launch its ground attack, the Su-25 is equipped with Kh-23, Kh-25, Kh-29 surface-to-air missiles, bombs and rockets. Su-25SM. This Soviet-era fighter aircraft is also capable of carrying out air strikes using R-73 air-to-air missiles.

The A-10 Warthog has the advantage of very strong firepower, while the Su-25 is proficient in speed and maneuverability. The size of the Su-25 is smaller but has a titanium armor coating of up to 1,100 kg while the A-10 only has about 540 kg., quoted from Defense View.

And the Su-25 has a cockpit armor thickness of 10 to 25mm, while the A-10's cockpit is protected by titanium weighing more than 0.5 tons with a thickness of almost 4cm.

The Su-25 has a cockpit armor thickness of 10 to 25mm, while the A-10's cockpit is protected by titanium armor which weighs over 0.5 tons, is almost 4 cm thick. The Su-25 Frogfoot is one of the most famous icons of the Russian Air Force.

Since its debut in the 1980s in the Afghanistan war, the Su-25 has been used in many conflicts between the Soviet Union and Russia, from Chechnya to Georgia and Syria.

Likewise with the A-10 Warthog, since serving in the US military, he is always deployed to battlefields where the US participates. Known for its great firepower, the A-10 was a nightmare for both infantry and enemy tanks.

Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post