MiG-27K (MiG 23) Flogger Fighter Bomber Aircraft, Russia

The MiG-27K fighter bomber aircraft is manufactured by RSK MiG and the Irkutsk Aircraft Production Association Joint Stock Company. Both the MiG-23 fighter aircraft and the MiG-27 fighter bomber aircraft are sometimes referred to by the NATO codename Flogger.

The MiG-27 entered service with the air force of the Soviet Union in 1975. The aircraft is no longer in service with Russia but remains in service with India (130 aircraft) and Sir Lanka (seven).

The MiG-27K variant of the MiG-27 family is a variable geometry wing fighter bomber. The primary mission of the aircraft is the destruction of moving and stationary, fixed and mobile ground targets including hardened targets.

MISSILES

The aircraft carries three types of air-to-surface missile. The Kh-23M air-to-surface missile (NATO codename AS-7 Kerry) is supplied by the Zvezda-Strela State Research and Production Centre, Moscow. Kh-25ML (NATO designation AS-12 Kegler), also supplied by Zvezda, has semi-active laser guidance and the range is between 2.5km and 10km. The missile is equipped with a high-explosive (HE) 86kg warhead.

The Kh-29ML (NATO designation AS-14 Kedge), built by Vympel, uses semi-active laser guidance and has a range up to 10km. The missile is equipped with a 317kg penetrating warhead.

The anti-radar missile is the Zvezda Kh-27PS (NATO designation AS-12 Kegler).

The air-to-air missile carried on the MiG-27K is the R-60M (NATO designation AA-8 Aphid) supplied by Vympel. The missile has the capability to engage targets manoeuvring at an acceleration up to 12g. The R-60M has a range of target designation angles to ±20° and an infrared homing head with photodetector cooling.

ORDNANCE

The aircraft can carry the KAB-500L laser-guided bomb and KAB- 500KR television-guided bomb, which are supplied by the Region State Research and Production Enterprise in Moscow. The KAB-500L has semi-active laser homing and is armed with a 380kg high-explosive warhead.

The KAB-500KR television-guided bomb operates on the 'drop and forget' principle. Target lock-on for a parked aircraft is achieved at a range of 15km-17km in visibility of 10km. The warhead can pierce a reinforced concrete barrier up to 1.5m thick.

The aircraft can also carry S-24, S-25, S-8, S5 unguided rockets, and a range of aerial bombs up to 500kg size, cluster bombs and incendiary devices.

GUNS

The aircraft has a built-in 30mm Sh-6-30 gun with 260 rounds of ammunition. The gun, supplied by the Instrument Design Bureau, based in Tula, fires HEFI rounds and AO-18 cartridges. The maximum fire rate is 5,000 rounds a minute and the muzzle velocity is 850m/s.

The aircraft is also equipped with an SPPU-22 two-barrel, 23mm gun pod with 200 rounds of ammunition. The SPPU-22 pod houses a GSh-23 aircraft gun. The maximum fire rate is 3,000 rounds a minute and the muzzle velocity is 715m/s.

COUNTERMEASURES

The MiG-27K aircraft is equipped with a modern electronic countermeasures suite, including a new passive jamming system.

AVIONICS

The MiG-27K is equipped with the PrNK-23K integrated navigation and aiming system, which consists of an Orbita-20-23K digital computer, an optical television indicator and a Kaira-1 laser and television sighting system for KAB-500L and KAB-500KR guided aerial bombs. The target lock-on range is 7km-8km.

The KN-23 navigation system installed on the MiG-27K incorporates a Radical navigation system in place of the RSBN-6s short-range radio navigation system.

The MiG-27K does not carry any airborne radar.

The radio-command systems installed on the MiG-27K are the Delta-NM and the Viyuga anti-radar missile control system for the Kh-27PS missile, which is installed in an externally mounted pod.

ENGINE

The aircraft is equipped with an internally installed single-turbojet engine with afterburn. The aircraft can carry up to four PTBB-800 external fuel tanks.

The aircraft is capable of a maximum speed of 1,800km/h at altitude and 1,250km/h with a normal mission missile payload flying at low altitude. With high-altitude flight, the aircraft's operational range is 2,100km, while low-level flight gives an operational range of 1,080km. The aircraft is rated for a maximum g-loading of 7g.