Profile
- Type
- Variable-sweep wing fighter-bomber / ground-attack aircraft
- Conflict side
- Syrian government and allies
- Origin
- Soviet Union
- Service note
- Cold War design with export variants still appearing in later conflicts
Aircraft & UAVs
Su-17
The Su-17 Fitter is a Soviet variable-sweep wing fighter-bomber developed from the Su-7 and exported as the Su-20 and Su-22. Built for low-level strike and bombing missions with rockets, bombs, missiles, gun pods, and cannon armament, the family remained visible in later conflicts through operators such as Syria.
- Conflict side
- Syrian government and allies
- Built by
- Sukhoi
- Built in
- Soviet UnionRussia
Service History
- In service
- Introduced around 1970; export Su-20 and Su-22 variants remained in limited service with some operators
- Used by
- Syrian Arab Air Force, Soviet Air Forces, Azerbaijani Air Forces, Polish Air Force, Vietnam People's Air Force
- Wars
- Syrian Civil War
Production History
- Designer
- Sukhoi Design Bureau
- Designed
- 1960s variable-geometry development from the Su-7B
- Built by
- Sukhoi
- Built in
- Soviet UnionRussia
- Produced
- 1970-1990, with later Su-22M4 production reported into 1991 by the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
- Variants
- Su-17, Su-17M, Su-17M2, Su-17M3, Su-17M4, Su-20, Su-22, Su-22M4
- Developed from
- Su-7B
Specifications
- Crew
- One
- Role
- Ground attack and fighter-bomber missions
- Length
- 61 ft 6 in (18.76 m), per FAS Su-17/Su-22 reference data
- Wingspan
- 45 ft (13.8 m), per FAS Su-17/Su-22 reference data
- Payload
- About 3,500 kg in FAS reference data; NMUSAF lists 9,370 lb of stores for the Su-22M4
- Armament
- Bombs, rockets, missiles, gun pods, and 30 mm cannon armament depending on variant
- Engine
- Lyulka AL-21F-3 turbojet on the Su-22M4, with 24,700 lb thrust with afterburner
- Maximum speed
- NMUSAF lists 1,550 mph (Mach 2.09) for its Su-22M4 reference
- Wing
- Variable-sweep wing with fixed positions for low, intermediate, and high-speed flight
Conflict Usage
- Syrian Civil War
- Side: Syrian government and alliesRole: Manned ground-attack sorties
Syrian government forces fielded the Su-22 export variant for ground-attack missions; CENTCOM reported a Syrian regime Su-22 dropping bombs near SDF fighters south of Tabqah on June 18, 2017, before a U.S. F/A-18E shot it down.
Su-17 Images
Related Weapon Systems
AH-64 Apache attack helicopterTwin-engine attack helicopterThe AH-64 Apache is a U.S. twin-engine attack helicopter built for armed reconnaissance, close combat, and precision attack missions with a 30 mm chain gun, rockets, and Hellfire missiles. In the United States-Iran Conflict, official Operation Epic Fury material identified Apaches among U.S. assets, and DVIDS imagery documented AH-64E aircraft from the 82nd Airborne Division operating with rockets and Hellfire missiles in the CENTCOM area.
AH-64A Peten attack helicopterAttack helicopterThe AH-64A Peten is the Israeli Air Force's Apache attack helicopter, a twin-seat strike platform built around the Apache airframe and used for close support and precision attacks. During the Israel-Hamas War, 190 Squadron Peten crews were part of the October 7 response missions, showing the older AH-64A remained in active combat use.
Su-22 fighter-bomberVariable-sweep-wing fighter-bomber / ground-attack aircraftThe Su-22 is the export member of Sukhoi's Su-17 Fitter family, a Soviet variable-sweep fighter-bomber built for low-level strike, ground attack, and battlefield interdiction. In the Nagorno-Karabakh archive it represents Azerbaijan's earlier post-Soviet fixed-wing strike fleet, with direct sourcing for a Su-22 loss in 1994 rather than for 2020 combat employment.
Su-34Twin-seat fighter-bomber / strike aircraftThe Su-34 Fullback is a Russian twin-seat fighter-bomber derived from the Su-27 family and built for long-range strike, interdiction, and reconnaissance missions. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Russian forces have relied on Su-34s as key launch aircraft for stand-off glide bombs, allowing heavy ordnance delivery while trying to remain outside many Ukrainian short-range air-defense envelopes.
Su-57Fifth-generation multirole fighter aircraftThe Su-57, NATO reporting name Felon, is Russia's Sukhoi-designed fifth-generation multirole fighter, built for air-to-air combat and standoff strike missions with low-observable shaping, integrated avionics, and internal weapons carriage. In the Russia-Ukraine War it has appeared as a scarce Russian Aerospace Forces asset used cautiously, with documented Ukrainian reporting of a June 2024 strike against an Su-57 at Akhtubinsk airfield rather than routine overflight of defended Ukrainian airspace.
Sukhoi Su-30Twin-engine multirole fighter aircraftThe Sukhoi Su-30 is a two-seat, twin-engine multirole fighter developed from the Su-27 family and fielded in several Russian and export variants. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Russian Su-30SM aircraft have been used around the Black Sea for combat aviation missions, where Ukrainian forces have documented high-profile losses including a 2025 naval-drone missile engagement near Novorossiysk.Sources
Sukhoi SU-22M4Publisher: National Museum of the United States Air Force | Note: Supports Su-22M4 background, variable-sweep design context, exported Fitter family details, technical specifications, and public-domain U.S. Air Force image provenance. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Su-17, -20, -22 FitterPublisher: Federation of American Scientists | Note: Supports Su-17/Su-20/Su-22 family background, role, export designations, user countries, and reference specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Coalition Defends Partner Forces from Syrian Fighter Jet AttackPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: Supports Syrian Civil War direct use: a Su-22 was fielded by Syrian government forces and used to drop bombs near SDF fighters south of Tabqah on June 18, 2017. | Accessed: 2026-06-20