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Russia Sukhoi
Su-27
Twin-engine air-superiority fighter that became the foundation of an entire family (Su-30, Su-33, Su-34, Su-35, J-11) built to counter Western fourth-generation fighters. Still operated in original or upgraded form by Russia and several export customers.
In service since 1985 · 9 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
2,500
km/h
3,530
km range
18,500
m ceiling
6,000
kg payload
1.13
T/W
Pricing: Out of production; no reliable public unit-cost figure
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Russian state channel
Rosoboronexport monopoly; Western sanctions exposure and payment/logistics risk for many buyers.
Channel: Rosoboronexport (state)
Fielded & proven
Established · 9 operators
In service since 1985. Status: active · ~809 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the Su-27 can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 2,500 km/h Stronger than 89% of fighters
- Max speed (Mach)
Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.
- 2.35 Mach Stronger than 89% of fighters
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 3,530 km Stronger than 69% of fighters
- Combat radius
Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range.
- 1,500 km Stronger than 85% of fighters
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 18,500 m Stronger than 83% of fighters
- Thrust-to-weight
Engine thrust divided by loaded weight. Above 1.0 the aircraft can accelerate going straight up.
- 1.13 Top 5% of fighters
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 10 Stronger than 64% of fighters
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 6,000 kg Stronger than 32% of fighters
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
- Countermeasures
Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.
- chaff, flares, internal EW suite
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 21.9 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 14.7 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 5.93 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 16,380 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 23,430 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 1
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 2x Saturn AL-31F afterburning turbofans
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 2
- Thrust
Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).
- 123 kN Stronger than 60% of fighters
- Fuel capacity
Internal fuel volume.
- 9,400 L
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turbofan
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Radar
Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.
- N001 Myech pulse-Doppler radar
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- OEPS-27 infrared search and track
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 809 Stronger than 86% of fighters
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 9 Stronger than 89% of fighters
Specifications compiled from public Sukhoi and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
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Dassault Aviation Rafale F4 Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Sukhoi Su-27? +
The Sukhoi Su-27 has a maximum speed of 2,500 km/h.
What is the range of the Sukhoi Su-27? +
The Sukhoi Su-27 has a maximum range of 3,530 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Sukhoi Su-27? +
The Sukhoi Su-27 can carry up to 6,000 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Sukhoi Su-27 weigh? +
The Sukhoi Su-27 has a combat weight of 23,430 kg.
How many crew does the Sukhoi Su-27 require? +
The Sukhoi Su-27 requires a crew of 1.
What is the main armament of the Sukhoi Su-27? +
The Sukhoi Su-27's primary weapon is the 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon.
What engine does the Sukhoi Su-27 use? +
The Sukhoi Su-27 is powered by the 2x Saturn AL-31F afterburning turbofans.
What is the Sukhoi Su-27 used for? +
The Sukhoi Su-27 is a fighter aircraft typically used for air superiority.
How many countries operate the Sukhoi Su-27? +
The Sukhoi Su-27 is operated by 9 countries.
How much does the Sukhoi Su-27 cost? +
Sukhoi Su-27: Out of production; no reliable public unit-cost figure. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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