MiG-21
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Indian Airforce's first Sukhoi: The Su-7
Sadly, not many people are aware of the first Sukhoi to serve the Indian Airforce given the limited literature available on this plane. But even limited literature doesn't take away the visible mark the Su-7 left in history of the subcontinent.
During the 1960s the IAF, owing to delays in the Marut program and diminishing squadron numbers(sounds familiar doesn't it?) with the retirement of Mystere, was in urgent need for a Fighter-Bomber. It selected the Su-7 in record time to arrest the diminishing squadron numbers. Even more frighteningly astonishing is that the IAF inducted 140 Su-7s in just 1.5 years!! That's an average induction rate of 8 fighters each month between March 1968 and September 1969, all thanks to the massive Military-Industrial complex of the Soviet Union at that time. It was almost as if they were expecting the 1971 $hit-storm in advance and preparing for it.
At that time each Su-7 cost was 1.11 million dollars each. When adjusted to 2012 inflation, it costs 7.3 million dollars each. Apart from the 140 mentioned above, another 14 were procured later for attrition replacements. So in total 154 Su-7 Fighter-Bombers were bought from the Soviet Union directly without any local assembly.
Su-7's combat record during the only war it fought, the 1971 war, was excellent with it being heavily used against Airfields, Armour and Troop concentrations while destroying aircrafts, tanks and bunkers on the ground. Its turn around time was very low owing to its easy maintenance and rugged construction, the latter which enabled it to fly despite being peppered by heavy anti-aircraft fire.
Being a ground attack jet with very poor maneuvering/dog-fighting capabilities, 5 Su-7BMK were shot down by the PAF. Of which a Mirage-3 bagged 1 with an Aim-9b, F-6(Chinese MiG-19 clone) bagged 3 of which 1 was by Aim-9b and 2 from 30mm cannon, and 1 by a F-86 SabreMk6 by Aim-9b.
However despite its very dismal dog-fighting capabilities, the Su-7 piloted by IAF pilots got 2 PAF fighters. It damaged 1 F-86 sabre and shot down 1 F-6(MiG-19 clone). The Su-7 doesn't carry any Air-Air missile and has only Cannons and Air-Ground weaponry.
(1.5 : 5)
Just for comparison its contemporary the MiG-21 has shot down 4 F-104 Star Fighters, 2 F-6(MiG-19 clones), 1 F-86 Sabre, 1 Atlantique, and has damaged 1 F-86 Sabre, 1 F-104 Star Fighter and 1 UAV, while getting shot down just once by the PAF.
That's a combat record of (9.5 : 1)
The above kills and deaths are taken from neutral sources(ACIG & Aces), not IAF or PAF claims!!
(Normal international practice is to award 0.5 for damages)
The Pilot, Flight Lieutenant Malhotra, who shot down the PAF F-6 was later nicknamed "Mad Mally" because he not only shot down the Chinese origin fighter using a sluggish "whale" plane like the Su-7, but he did it without jettisoning his fuel tanks!
Su-7 had a very rugged construction. It often comes back with guns shot wounds all over its fuselage and flies back again with minimum patch up work. Its wings support 4 hardpoints while the fuselage supports 2. Of the 6 hardpoints, 4 are capable of carrying fuel tanks with capacities ranging from 600L in the underbelly to 900L under the wings. This apart from 3,000kg internal fuel capacity in its thick wings and fuselage. This huge fuel carrying capacity contributes a decent ferry range which is very useful for recon missions. Each inner wing hardpoint can carry 500kgs of bombs and rockets while the outer wing hardpoint can carry a maximum of 250kgs each. The Aircraft's maximum payload is 2000kgs. To augment the 2 Tonne payload, it has 2 cannons with 80 rounds each. Each round weighs just 100gms short of a Kilogram, and can be used even against semi-armored targets. The plane weighs as much as an F-16 Block 52 when empty, weighting 8900kgs. Its engine Lyulka AL-7F-I throws out a jaw dropping 9,600kgf in afterburner, 6,800kgf during Dry Thrust.
In bombing competitions held after the war, Su-7s often wins when compared to their compatriots once again exhibiting their ground attack credentials. The IAF received 2 versions of the Su-7b, the MK and the U trainer version. Although the MKI is an informal designation of this Author, the MK was specially customized by the IAF to drop West European origin bombs as well. Apart from the Bombing role, it also carried out tactical recon of the battlefield since 1 out of 4 models came with a camera. It's the first aircraft in the IAF to have an Autopilot feature, and also a jet assisted take-off facility.
However, as record breaking its induction was into the IAF, so was its retirement with the last units being phased out around 1986, barely 20 years in service. The Su-7BMK was no doubt prematurely withdrawn when more advanced MiG-27s and Jaguars made their way into the IAF's arsenal. But one hopes the mark left by the Su-7 will live on.
Sadly, not many people are aware of the first Sukhoi to serve the Indian Airforce given the limited literature available on this plane. But even limited literature doesn't take away the visible mark the Su-7 left in history of the subcontinent.
During the 1960s the IAF, owing to delays in the Marut program and diminishing squadron numbers(sounds familiar doesn't it?) with the retirement of Mystere, was in urgent need for a Fighter-Bomber. It selected the Su-7 in record time to arrest the diminishing squadron numbers. Even more frighteningly astonishing is that the IAF inducted 140 Su-7s in just 1.5 years!! That's an average induction rate of 8 fighters each month between March 1968 and September 1969, all thanks to the massive Military-Industrial complex of the Soviet Union at that time. It was almost as if they were expecting the 1971 $hit-storm in advance and preparing for it.
At that time each Su-7 cost was 1.11 million dollars each. When adjusted to 2012 inflation, it costs 7.3 million dollars each. Apart from the 140 mentioned above, another 14 were procured later for attrition replacements. So in total 154 Su-7 Fighter-Bombers were bought from the Soviet Union directly without any local assembly.
Su-7's combat record during the only war it fought, the 1971 war, was excellent with it being heavily used against Airfields, Armour and Troop concentrations while destroying aircrafts, tanks and bunkers on the ground. Its turn around time was very low owing to its easy maintenance and rugged construction, the latter which enabled it to fly despite being peppered by heavy anti-aircraft fire.
Being a ground attack jet with very poor maneuvering/dog-fighting capabilities, 5 Su-7BMK were shot down by the PAF. Of which a Mirage-3 bagged 1 with an Aim-9b, F-6(Chinese MiG-19 clone) bagged 3 of which 1 was by Aim-9b and 2 from 30mm cannon, and 1 by a F-86 SabreMk6 by Aim-9b.
However despite its very dismal dog-fighting capabilities, the Su-7 piloted by IAF pilots got 2 PAF fighters. It damaged 1 F-86 sabre and shot down 1 F-6(MiG-19 clone). The Su-7 doesn't carry any Air-Air missile and has only Cannons and Air-Ground weaponry.
(1.5 : 5)
Just for comparison its contemporary the MiG-21 has shot down 4 F-104 Star Fighters, 2 F-6(MiG-19 clones), 1 F-86 Sabre, 1 Atlantique, and has damaged 1 F-86 Sabre, 1 F-104 Star Fighter and 1 UAV, while getting shot down just once by the PAF.
That's a combat record of (9.5 : 1)
The above kills and deaths are taken from neutral sources(ACIG & Aces), not IAF or PAF claims!!
(Normal international practice is to award 0.5 for damages)
The Pilot, Flight Lieutenant Malhotra, who shot down the PAF F-6 was later nicknamed "Mad Mally" because he not only shot down the Chinese origin fighter using a sluggish "whale" plane like the Su-7, but he did it without jettisoning his fuel tanks!
Su-7 had a very rugged construction. It often comes back with guns shot wounds all over its fuselage and flies back again with minimum patch up work. Its wings support 4 hardpoints while the fuselage supports 2. Of the 6 hardpoints, 4 are capable of carrying fuel tanks with capacities ranging from 600L in the underbelly to 900L under the wings. This apart from 3,000kg internal fuel capacity in its thick wings and fuselage. This huge fuel carrying capacity contributes a decent ferry range which is very useful for recon missions. Each inner wing hardpoint can carry 500kgs of bombs and rockets while the outer wing hardpoint can carry a maximum of 250kgs each. The Aircraft's maximum payload is 2000kgs. To augment the 2 Tonne payload, it has 2 cannons with 80 rounds each. Each round weighs just 100gms short of a Kilogram, and can be used even against semi-armored targets. The plane weighs as much as an F-16 Block 52 when empty, weighting 8900kgs. Its engine Lyulka AL-7F-I throws out a jaw dropping 9,600kgf in afterburner, 6,800kgf during Dry Thrust.
In bombing competitions held after the war, Su-7s often wins when compared to their compatriots once again exhibiting their ground attack credentials. The IAF received 2 versions of the Su-7b, the MK and the U trainer version. Although the MKI is an informal designation of this Author, the MK was specially customized by the IAF to drop West European origin bombs as well. Apart from the Bombing role, it also carried out tactical recon of the battlefield since 1 out of 4 models came with a camera. It's the first aircraft in the IAF to have an Autopilot feature, and also a jet assisted take-off facility.
However, as record breaking its induction was into the IAF, so was its retirement with the last units being phased out around 1986, barely 20 years in service. The Su-7BMK was no doubt prematurely withdrawn when more advanced MiG-27s and Jaguars made their way into the IAF's arsenal. But one hopes the mark left by the Su-7 will live on.
