Origin: Soviet Union, first flight possibly 1970.
Performance: ; service ceiling (with weapons) 57,400ft
Background: The Su-24 even in its initial production form can deliver heavy bombloads from WP airbases to Scotland or Brittany on a round trip with a substantial part flown at treetop height.
Design: General design closely follows that of the F-111 except in the importnt aspects of air inlets and landing gear. the former were brought well forward ahead of the wing to give enough length to avoid grossly distorted airflow into the engines (which caused such prolonged trouble on teh US aircraft). The main landing gears fold into teh fuselage and offer ample track for stability on rough ground, but are so arranged that heavy weapon loads can be carried on four fuselage pylons.
Avionics There is no doubt that the main radar is a completely new type, and it almost certainly has more operating modes than any previous Soviet set. Below it are probably dual TFRs. There is likewise no doubt that the Su-24 is packed from nose to tail with avionics and there is abundant evidence that the entire fit was designed in parallel with teh aircraft so that little has to be hung externally. During the past several years each new and improved photograph that has become available has revealed more and more comprehensive avionics, invariably with flush aerials. Especially at the tail early Su-24s showed an amazing absense of RWRs, IRWRs, drag chute containers and active jammers, yet all these are carried and more evidence keeps appearing. So far more than 20 flush aerials have been seen, but trying to identify their function would be guesswork. It is highly likely that the entire suite of ECM active jammers and payload dispensers in internal. Almost the only excrescences are around the nose; air data sensors, AOA probe, ice probe,, pitots,, CW blister, and laser. Everything else appears to be flush, though a good view from above has not yet emerged in the West.
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Future: By the time this book appears about 650 of these very formidable (see F-111 page 108) aircraft will be in service, 300 with five regiments of the 24th Air Army in Poland and another 300 with the 4th Air Army in Hungary and the Ukraine production is continuing at maximum rate, and no indication can be given of the eventual establishment planned. (See page 184) (Modern Air Combat, Bill Gunston Mike Spick) (See below Su-24 fencers of Frontal Aviation (now Warsaw Pact, Russia Ukraine, Poland Hungary +Gorgia?) are depicted taking out a runway ((radar installations?) (in Serbia?).Often described as the most lethal warplane in the inventory of the Soviets (Warsaw Pact), the Su-24 has much the same capability as the US Airforce's F-111.