Azerbaijan’s defense ministry has tapped the services of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) to modernize the country’s fleet of Sukhoi Su-25 twin-engine fighter aircraft.
An agreement was signed between the two during the 2023 International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) in Istanbul last week.
According to the ministry, the modernization includes integrating ground-breaking technologies to boost the aircraft’s operational capability.
TAI plans to equip the Azerbaijani Su-25s with advanced Turkish-made smart bombs and missiles to improve their lethality.
The agreement also requires the company to provide an avionics upgrade for better in-flight navigation.
First Flight
The defense ministry revealed that the first Turkish-upgraded Su-25 had been returned to the Azerbaijani Air Force and underwent its first flight test.
Baku immediately assessed the new smart bombs and missile weapons installed on the attack aircraft.
“The work done in general has been positively evaluated by military experts,” the ministry stated, adding that the combat fighter is now part of the country’s military inventory again.
About the Su-25
The Russian-made Su-25 is a single-seat, close-support aircraft designed to defeat small mobile and stationary ground targets.
It can also engage low-speed aerial targets, such as helicopters and drones.
The Su-25’s wings feature 10 pylons carrying Kh-23 air-to-ground missiles and R-3S air-to-air missiles.
The aircraft’s maximum speed is 950 kilometers (590 miles) per hour, and it has a normal operational range of 750 kilometers (466 miles).
The combat jet is operational with the Russian Air Force and the Russian Naval Aviation forces and militaries from Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, North Korea, and Bulgaria.
