In support of the advance of government forces in southeastern Syria, against the Caliphate militias, the Russians would deploy Sukhoi SU-25BM ground-based fighters in the Tyas airbaseFrogfoot in NATO code).
The first flight of the Frogfoot goes back to the 1975, as a response to the American Fairchild A10 Thunderbolt II - practically a GAU8 / A cannon Avenger with seven 30mm rotating barrels with an airplane built around. The intent of the Soviets was to create a tactical support aircraft, equipped with effective armor (capable of withstanding the fire of self-propelled small-caliber anti-aircraft artillery) and a vast assortment of bombs and missiles, capable of attacking enemy armored forces.
Having entered service in the 1980, his baptism of fire takes place in Afghanistan where he is used as an anti-guerrilla means; it is conceivable that the introduction of this aircraft (together with the massive use of Mil-Mi 24 attack helicopters Price) forced the Americans to supply infrared-guided shoulder missiles - first Redeye and then Stinger - Mujahidin guerrillas.
Also in Syria its role is to Close Air Support (CAS) to Russian and Syrian ground troops engaged in clashes with militants of the Islamic state. In fact, the tactical scenario that is now taking shape in the Syrian theater allows the Russian aircraft to make the most of its technical features, allowing it to hit groups of Islamic fighters fleeing the advance of the government.
The titanium armor plate of Sukhoi allows it to withstand the blows of small arms and those of anti-aircraft gunners - KPV from 14,5 mm and complex Su-23 units from 23 mm, mounted on pick-ups. Heavier artillery systems, such as the S-60 cannon from 57 mm, much more effective are probably abandoned because they would interfere with their mass withdrawn - as well as the possibility of being able to use the GSh-30-2 twin-tube gun from 30 mm, extremely effective against low-protected vehicles, and UV-32-57 rockets from 57 mm (the Frofoot can carry up to 8 rocket from 32 shots) with HE heads, turning it into a real flying gunboat able to deliver an enormous volume of fire.
(photo: US Army / Russian Fed. MoD)
