Russia’s Su-33 Aircraft Carrier Fighter Nightmare Is Just Getting Started

We support our Publishers and Content Creators. You can view this story on their website by CLICKING HERE.

Key Points: The Su-33 Flanker-D, a carrier-based variant of the Su-27, symbolizes the Soviet Union’s ambition to rival U.S. naval air power.

-Despite its multirole capability, maneuverability, and robust design for aircraft carrier operations, the Su-33 suffers from limited range, outdated avionics, and a cumbersome size that restricts its operational utility.

-Its use from the aging Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier and in conflicts like Syria and Ukraine highlights its declining relevance in modern warfare.

-Once a hallmark of Soviet naval power, the Su-33 reflects Russia’s struggle to maintain its aircraft carrier fleet and adapt its aging assets to contemporary battlespaces.

Su-33: Russia’s Aircraft Carrier-Based Fighter Faces Decline Amid Modern Challenges

Russia’s Su-33 (NATO designation “Flanker-D”) is an aircraft carrier-version of the Su-27 (“Flanker”). Initially built by the old Soviet Union, in its final years of life, the Su-33 was meant to extend Soviet air power over maritime environments, providing both air superiority and strike capabilities. 

In fact, the creation of the Su-33 coincided with the Soviet Red Navy’s plan to make the USSR into an aircraft carrier power, just like the Americans were. The Su-33 was developed at a time when investments were made into what has become the floating joke that is Russia’s sole aircraft carrier today, the Admiral Kuznetsov.

Operational History for Su-33

Beginning in the 1970s, the Soviet Union sought to balance what was viewed as significant American advantages at sea—notably in the US Navy’s surface fleet. The T-10K was the designation the Reds gave to the prototype. It made its first flight in 1987, in the final years of the Soviet Union’s lifespan. Although, the Su-33 did not fully enter service until 1999, when the Soviet Navy became a much-reduced Russian Navy. These birds operated from the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier.

They would not make their combat debut, however, until 2016 during Russia’s controversial intervention in the Syrian Civil War on behalf of the now-deposed Syrian strongman, Bashar al-Assad. 

Because the Su-33 was designed to fly from carriers, the Soviets made certain changes to the design that did not exist on the older Su-27. To withstand the harsh conditions of carrier operations, the Su-33 was built with strengthened airframe so that it could operate under the duress of catapult launches and arrested landings on an aircraft carrier deck. 

Capabilities 

Su-33s came equipped with folded wings to better conserve space on what was to be the flight decks of the Soviet aircraft carrier force (that never came to fruition). Soviet designers added canards to improve lift and control during the notoriously difficult takeoffs and landings on aircraft carriers. The Naval Flanker was also given larger wing areas for better low-speed handling.

Two Saturn AL-31F3 turbofan engines power the plane, enabling the Su-33 to reach supersonic speeds and engage in High-G maneuvers. 

As a multirole fighter, the Su-33 is equipped to perform air-to-air combat, air-to-surface attacks, and reconnaissance missions. For air-to-air combat these birds were meant to carry a coterie of armaments, including the R-73 and R-27 to engage enemy aircraft more effectively. In terms of air-to-ground attack missions, these warbirds carried with them a variety of bombs and anti-ship missiles, including weapons like the Kh-31 and Kh-41. As for recon mission sets, the Su-33 could be equipped with two additional surveillance pods.

These birds were definitely not as good as their American carrier-based counterparts. Its operational range without aerial refueling was extremely limited, making the Su-33 a very constrained operator in terms of conducting extended naval operations far removed from their carrier. 

As a cousin of the Su-27, the Su-33 is reputed to be a very maneuverable Soviet-era aircraft. The Su-27 was known for its agility and the Su-33 imported that feature. Thus, the Su-33 is meant to be a formidable dogfighter. As noted above, its payload was highly flexible, meaning it was the epitome of a multirole fighter. 

Yet, the Su-33 is a relatively larger fighter meaning it took up much space on a limited carrier flight deck. So, fewer aircraft could be housed on carriers, like the Admiral Kuznetsov, when the Su-33s were present. The Su-33 is also notorious for operational issues, including several notable accidents during carrier operations. Further, the post-Soviet Russian regime has not properly upgraded its avionics and weapon systems when compared to newer jets, thereby reducing its effectiveness in contemporary battlespaces. 

Su-33 Image: Creative Commons.

Ultimately, the Flanker was reassigned from the failing Admiral Kuznetsov carrier to the Russian Khmeimim Air Base in Latakia, Syria. That’s because the Admiral Kuznetsov, which is nothing but an aging, Mazut-fuel-spewing, barely floating mess heap had to be recalled to Russia for repairs and Moscow wanted the carrier’s airwing to continue operating against the Syrian jihadist terror groups that were fighting the Assad regime. 

Russia’s Interventions in Syria & Ukraine

Beyond Syria, the Russians have deployed what are supposed to be carrier-based birds, the Su-33, in a limited fashion in Ukraine. The Su-33s have performed poorly, with the Ukrainians filming their air defenses, knocking these birds out of the sky during combat operations in Kharkiv, for example. 

These planes represent a bygone era in which the predecessor to the Russian Federation, the Soviet Union, was at the apex of its power as well as the end of that power in the 1980s. 

Still clinging to the Marxist-Leninist dream (a nightmare for most people) of the world communist revolution, the Soviets were preparing for the next phase of their Cold War competition with the United States: challenging the Americans at sea with aircraft carriers of their own. But these dreams were merely delusions. 

Su-33. Image Credit: Artist Rendering.

Even today, as Russia has been restored to being a relatively serious military player, it has limited naval capability. Maintaining either the Admiral Kuznetsov carrier or the Su-33 fleet wastes precious resources. It symbolizes another mass delusion on the part of Russian leaders today (mainly that they will somehow become an aircraft carrier power, like the Americans or even the Chinese). 

About the Author 

Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior Editor at 19FortyFive.com and a contributor at Popular Mechanics, consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, The American Spectator, and the National Interest. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.