Su-39 (Su-25TM) Attack aircraft

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NATO reporting name: Frogfoot
Russian name: Grach (named after Rock (bird))

The Su-39 is a subsonic all-weather attack aircraft powered by two R-195 turbojet engines 4,500 kgf each. It is, essentially, a top-to-bottom upgrade of the Su-25 aircraft.

The Su-25 improvement programme was launched in 1980 when the Sukhoi design bureau started a development of its antitank derivative, Su-25T, fitted with the Shkval night-capable automatic laser-TV sighting system, the Vikhr antitank guided missile system, sophisticated flight navigation equipment, electronic countermeasures kit and a beefed-up guided weapons selection. 

The Su-25T prototype first flew on 17 August, 1984.

Then, the Tbilisi-based aircraft plant manufactured another seven aircraft that had been in official testing till 1993. Six of them were handed over to the Lipetsk Combat Training and Conversion Centre for operational evaluation (opeval).

Construction of a 12-ship batch was launched in Tbilisi in 1990-1991. An exports variant, Su-25TK, was derived in 1991.

A further derivative of the Su-25T was the upgraded Su-39 (Su-25TM) attack aircraft featuring the Shkval system, the Kopyo-25 pod-mounted radar and extra air-to-air guided missiles, such as the RVV-AE, R-27R and R-73. 

The first prototype was manufactured in 1995 by the Ulan-Ude aircraft plant, with the second being built in 1997. Its production has been prepared for launch by the Ulan-Ude plant, the manufacturer of the Su-25UB, Su-25UBK and Su-25UTG twinseaters.

Technical specifications