Key takeaways
- The Su-25 is the Soviet attack aircraft: first flight 1975, troop service from 1981, more than 1,000 aircraft built.
- It never flew with the NVA: in East Germany only the Soviet forces stationed Su-25s, last at Brandis near Leipzig and at Tutow, which was the last to be vacated, in 1993.
- Eastern European users included Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Georgia and North Macedonia; Ukraine and Belarus inherited large stocks from the Soviet Union.
- Identification works via the wingtips: no other common jet has pods with split airbrakes.
- In museums you can find the Su-25 in Prague-Kbely and at the Central Air Force Museum in Monino, for example.
Contents
Profile
| Manufacturer | Sukhoi Design Bureau, series production in Tbilisi (Georgia) and Ulan-Ude; Sukhoi is today part of the United Aircraft Corporation |
|---|---|
| Role | Attack aircraft for close air support of ground troops |
| NATO reporting name | Frogfoot |
| First flight | February 22, 1975 (prototype T-8-1, pilot Vladimir Ilyushin) |
| Entry into service | 1981 with the Soviet air forces |
| Built | more than 1,000 aircraft of all versions |
| Crew | 1 (UB/UBK/UTG trainer versions: 2) |
| Engines | 2 × Tumansky R-95Sh (about 40 kN each), later series R-195 (about 44 kN each), no afterburner |
| Length | about 15.5 m (with pitot boom) |
| Wingspan | 14.36 m |
| Top speed | about 975 km/h at low altitude |
| Armament | GSh-30-2 twin-barrel cannon (30 mm), unguided rockets, bombs and guided missiles on five stations per wing; payload about four tonnes |
| In East Germany | only with the Soviet forces (Brandis near Leipzig and Tutow), not with the NVA |
Identifying features
Is this really the aircraft type in front of you?
- Nearly straight, high-mounted wing with only slight sweep – unusually broad and sturdy for a jet
- Elongated pods on the wingtips whose rear sections can open upward and downward as split airbrakes
- Two engines in nacelles on the sides of the fuselage beneath the wing root, with air intakes directly behind the cockpit
- Long, pointed nose with a flat glass window at the tip instead of a radome
- A single, tall vertical stabilizer and a horizontal stabilizer at the rear of the fuselage
- Compact, heavily framed cockpit with a thick armored glass panel; the UB trainer version has two staggered seats and a humped canopy
- Up to ten weapon stations under the wings, often loaded with rocket pods and drop tanks
Updated: October 2026 – A gray-green camouflaged jet with an almost straight wing, two engines close to the fuselage and strange pods on the wingtips: that is the Sukhoi Su-25, christened “Frogfoot” by NATO. It is not an elegant fighter but a flying workhorse, built to circle low and slow over the battlefield and support ground troops. For spotters in eastern Germany it has a special history – though a different one from what is often told. Here you learn how to recognize the Su-25, which versions exist, who flew it in Eastern Europe and where you can find it in museums today.
Frogfoot in your hangar
With Planetrack you post every Su-25 you see at an air show or in a museum with photo, version, serial and location, and check off the type in your hangar. Planetrack is launching soon – join the waitlist and get early access.
What is the Su-25?
The Su-25 is a single-seat, twin-engine attack aircraft. Its job is close air support: it helps ground troops directly over the battlefield, attacks tanks, positions and vehicles, and survives hits from small arms and light anti-aircraft fire while doing so. That makes it the Soviet counterpart to the American A-10 Thunderbolt II, which came about at the same time.
The first prototype with the factory designation T-8-1 took off on February 22, 1975, with test pilot Vladimir Ilyushin at the controls. Series production began in 1978 at the aircraft plant in Tbilisi in Georgia, and from 1981 the aircraft reached the troops. The two-seaters were later built at the plant in Ulan-Ude in Siberia. In total more than 1,000 Su-25s were built; depending on the source and how the versions are counted, the figures are considerably higher. The Sukhoi Design Bureau, which also designed the Su-27, is today part of the state-owned United Aircraft Corporation.
The Su-25 is powered by two jet engines without afterburner: at first the Tumansky R-95Sh with about 40 kilonewtons of thrust, on later series the more powerful R-195. It manages little more than just under 1,000 km/h – and does not need to. More important are maneuverability at low altitude, a large payload of about four tonnes and the ability to operate from short, poorly prepared runways.
Built to take hits
The heart of the Su-25 is a welded titanium tub that encloses the pilot and key systems. Wall thickness is about 12 to 24 millimeters depending on the location, and there is also a thick armored glass windscreen. The engines sit in separate nacelles so that a hit in one engine does not automatically knock out the second. Self-sealing tanks and a rugged landing gear for grass runways round off the concept. In pods under the wings, the Su-25 can even carry equipment to work from a field airstrip without a large ground organization.
The Soviet Union first used the Su-25 in combat in Afghanistan. Later it flew in numerous conflicts, from the wars in the Caucasus via Iraq to the war in Ukraine, where both sides use the type and have suffered heavy losses.
The most important versions
The Su-25 was developed further over decades. These versions are of most interest to spotters in Europe:
| Version | Role | Recognizable by |
|---|---|---|
| Su-25 | First production version, single-seater for the Soviet air forces | Classic shape, glass window in the nose tip |
| Su-25K | Export version, e.g. for Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria | Externally like the base type |
| Su-25UB / UBK | Two-seat trainer (UBK for export) | Two staggered seats, much taller humped canopy |
| Su-25UTG | Trainer for carrier pilot training, only about ten built | Two-seater with arresting hook |
| Su-25T / TM (Su-39) | Anti-tank version with new targeting electronics | Wider, longer nose, enlarged spine |
| Su-25SM / SM3 | Russian upgrade, program start 2000 | Externally similar, modernized avionics |
| Su-25KM “Skorpion” | Georgian-Israeli modernization, first flight in the early 2000s | New cockpit, externally close to the base type |
| Su-25M1 / UBM1 | Ukrainian modernization from about 2010 | Externally close to the base type |
Many modernizations take place inside: new cockpit displays, navigation and targeting systems. Externally, the two-seater with its tall canopy and the T version with the wider nose look clearly different.
How to recognize the Su-25
At first glance the Su-25 looks unspectacular. That is exactly what makes it unmistakable: hardly any other jet in Europe looks so “down to earth”. Three steps are usually enough.
Check the wingtips
Elongated pods on both wingtips whose rear section can open into split airbrakes. No other common combat jet has this detail.
Look at the wing shape
A broad, high-mounted wing with only slight sweep, often with a whole row of rocket pods and bombs beneath. Modern fighters, by contrast, have heavily swept or delta wings.
Engines and tail
Two engine nacelles close to the fuselage, air intakes just behind the cockpit, a single vertical stabilizer. The nose ends in a point with a flat glass window.
In the end, the serial confirms country and version. The Czechoslovak and later Czech Su-25Ks carried four-digit numbers on the fuselage, while Soviet and Russian aircraft mostly had two-digit, colored tactical numbers on the nose. If you want to look up serials and fleets of military aircraft, the article on the Scramble database is a good starting point.
Practical tip for detail photos
In a museum, a shot from an angle behind onto the wingtip is worthwhile: the split line of the airbrakes is then easy to see. Also photograph the glass window in the nose and the armored tub around the cockpit. In Planetrack you attach such detail pictures directly to your sighting.
Su-25, A-10 or Alpha Jet?
Straight wing, lots of external load, slow and low: several types roughly fit this picture. The finder helps you narrow it down.
Quick ID: ground attack aircraft
Sukhoi Su-25
Engine nacelles on the fuselage, one vertical stabilizer and pods on the wingtips are typical of the Frogfoot. A tall, staggered canopy points to the UB two-seater.
Fairchild Republic A-10
Engines mounted high on the tail and the twin vertical stabilizers give away the A-10 Thunderbolt II, the American counterpart.
Alpha Jet or L-39
A small jet with intakes on the fuselage suggests a light trainer such as the Alpha Jet or the L-39 Albatros, both of which also took on light ground attack duties.
You can find more distinctions between Eastern and Western jets in the overview Identifying fighter jets in Europe.
The Su-25 in East Germany: Soviet, not NVA
You often read that the Su-25 belonged to the NVA. That is not true. In 1989 the NVA air forces flew the MiG-21, the MiG-23, the MiG-29 and the Su-22 as combat aircraft, plus helicopters such as the Mi-24 – there was no Su-25 among them. Su-25s were nevertheless stationed in eastern Germany: with the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (from 1989 the Western Group of Forces), whose 16th Air Army used numerous airfields in East Germany.
Brandis near Leipzig
In October 1985 the 357th Independent Attack Aviation Regiment with Su-25s and L-39s moved to Brandis-Waldpolenz airfield east of Leipzig. It stayed here until the withdrawal in 1992. In March 1992 the first L-39s went back to Russia, in April eight Su-25s were transferred to Tutow, and the rest were relocated to Buturlinovka in Russia at the end of April. The last flights of Soviet units at Brandis were thus Su-25 flights.
Tutow in Western Pomerania
The 368th Attack Aviation Regiment moved into Tutow airfield permanently in 1988, likewise with Su-25s and L-39s as trainers. Tutow was thus one of the last active combat aircraft bases of the former Soviet army in eastern Germany. On June 15, 1993, the regiment left the field with its Su-25s; after final transport flights in August 1993, the site was handed over to the German authorities.
| Period | Location | Unit | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985–1992 | Brandis near Leipzig | 357th Attack Aviation Regiment | Su-25s and L-39s, withdrawal in April 1992 |
| 1988–1993 | Tutow | 368th Attack Aviation Regiment | Su-25s and L-39s, withdrawal on June 15, 1993 |
For spotters who were on site back then, these withdrawal flights were among the last opportunities to see Soviet combat jets over Germany. If you want to trace the history of East German military aviation today, the best place to go is the Military History Museum Berlin-Gatow (photography tips there in the Gatow spot profile): there you find the NVA types from the MiG-15 via the MiG-21 and MiG-23 to the MiG-29 and the Su-22, that is, the environment in which the Soviet attack aircraft operated.
Military airfields: follow the rules
Different rules apply at the fence of an active military airfield than at a commercial airport. What is allowed and where you had better not stand is in the article Photographing military airfields.
Users in Eastern Europe
Outside the Soviet Union, the Su-25 was not standard equipment for all Warsaw Pact states. Export customers of the Su-25K in Europe were mainly Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria. After 1991 Ukraine, Belarus and Georgia inherited large stocks, and further countries were added later. The overview shows the state of the latest available information; for October 2026 the same applies: fleets change quickly, so when in doubt check current reports.
| Country | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic | retired | Inherited 24 Su-25Ks and one UBK from Czechoslovakia; retired in December 2000, twelve aircraft later sold to Georgia |
| Slovakia | retired | Twelve Su-25Ks and one UBK, based at Malacky-Kuchyňa; in 2004 ten Su-25Ks and the UBK sold to Armenia |
| Bulgaria | active, small fleet | Su-25Ks and UBKs since 1985, base at Bezmer; in 2025 only about a handful of aircraft in service |
| North Macedonia | retired | Three single-seaters and one two-seater from Ukraine after 2001, stored from 2004, returned to Ukraine in 2023 |
| Georgia | unclear | Own production in Tbilisi, modernization to the Su-25KM; information on current flight operations is contradictory |
| Ukraine | active | Large inventory from Soviet times, modernization to the Su-25M1, heavy losses in the war and additions from other states |
| Belarus | active | One of the largest fleets in Europe, focus at Lida |
Remarkable is the path of the Eastern European aircraft: Czech Su-25s went to Georgia, Slovak ones to Armenia, Macedonian ones back to Ukraine. If you trace a specific serial, you sometimes find an aircraft again in a completely different country.
In the Eastern European NATO states today, Western multi-role jets such as the Gripen and F-16 take over close air support as well; a pure attack aircraft like the Su-25 has not received a direct successor there.
Never miss a Frogfoot
Put the Su-25 on your wish list and get notified by a sighting alert when an aircraft of the type is reported at an airport. Planetrack is launching soon – join the waitlist here.
Where to see the Su-25 today
Flying: become rare
Seeing a flying Su-25 in the West is difficult. The remaining European operators are either tied up in war, like Ukraine, or hardly accessible to Western spotters, like Russia and Belarus. Photographing near military installations is risky there; what you need to know is in the article Photography bans in Russia and Belarus. More realistic are appearances by Bulgarian aircraft at events in their own country. Which shows are worthwhile for military fans is in the overview Air shows in Europe and in the profile of AIRPOWER in Zeltweg. Why you often cannot find military jets in tracking services is explained in the guide Tracking military aircraft online.
In a museum
It gets much easier in a museum. Well-documented addresses:
| Location | What you see | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Letecké muzeum Kbely in Prague | Su-25 from Czech stocks | Large variety of Warsaw Pact types, combines well with the MiG-21 and MiG-29 |
| Central Air Force Museum Monino | Su-25 in the collection of Soviet combat aircraft | Currently only accessible to Western visitors to a limited extent |
Kbely is the most obvious destination for spotters from Germany. The Su-25 stands there among jets you also know from the NVA. More information on getting there and the collection is on the page for the Prague-Kbely aviation museum. Exhibitions are occasionally rearranged; ask before a targeted visit whether the aircraft is currently accessible.
Ready for your Su-25 tour?
- I have checked the museum’s current opening hours and admission.
- I know whether the Su-25 stands in the hall or the outdoor area.
- I have a wide-angle lens with me for hall shots.
- I also photograph the serial and the information board.
- I know the differences between the single-seater, two-seater and T version.
Photo tips for the Su-25
The Su-25 is no beauty, but a rewarding subject: it is full of details that tell its role.
Show the underside
With a full external load the Su-25 is at its most typical. A shot from below at an angle or from the side at eye level shows rocket pods, bombs and tanks beneath the broad wing.
Capture the airbrakes
With the flaps on the wingtips open, the Su-25 looks as if fitted with small crocodile mouths. In a museum, watch whether the flaps are closed or spread – spread makes for a much stronger subject.
Cockpit and nose
The heavy framed canopy, the armored glass and the window in the nose tip deserve a close-up of their own.
Master the hall light
In museum halls the light is mixed. A fast lens and a higher ISO bring more than long focal lengths.
How to reliably identify older and rare types in general is shown in the guide Recognizing vintage aircraft.
Common mix-ups and how to rule them out
It points to the Su-25 if …
- elongated pods with a split line sit on the wingtips
- the wing is broad, almost straight and high-mounted
- two engine nacelles lie close to the fuselage and there is only one vertical stabilizer
- the nose ends in a point with a flat glass window
Take a closer look if …
- two seats sit one behind the other under a tall canopy – that is the UB two-seater
- the nose looks conspicuously wide and the spine raised – then it could be an Su-25T or TM
- the aircraft stands in camouflage without national markings – then only the information board helps
It is not an Su-25 if …
- the engines sit high on the tail and there are two vertical stabilizers – that is the A-10
- you see two vertical stabilizers and heavily swept wings – think of the MiG-29 or Su-27
- the wings change their sweep in flight – then it is a swing-wing type like the Su-22, MiG-23 or Tornado
- you only see a small trainer with a slim fuselage – more likely the L-39 or Alpha Jet
Conclusion
The Su-25 is the workhorse of Soviet military aviation: armored, rugged, heavily armed and in service in countless conflicts since 1981. In eastern Germany it did not fly with the NVA but with the Soviet forces at Brandis near Leipzig and Tutow, where the last aircraft left in 1993. In Eastern Europe the Czech Republic, Slovakia and North Macedonia gave it up long ago, and Bulgaria keeps only a few examples. If you want to study it at your leisure, go to Prague-Kbely.
Quick verdict
Broad, almost straight wing, engine nacelles on the fuselage, one vertical stabilizer and airbrake pods on the wingtips: that is the Su-25. Flying, it has become rare in the West; in a museum the easiest place to find it is Prague-Kbely.
Summary
- Sukhoi developed the Su-25 as a rugged, armored aircraft for supporting ground troops; the T-8-1 prototype flew on February 22, 1975.
- It was built mainly in Tbilisi, with the trainer versions in Ulan-Ude; the Su-25K export version went to allies of the Soviet Union.
- In eastern Germany the Su-25 was flown by two Soviet attack regiments, at Brandis near Leipzig until 1992 and at Tutow until 1993; the NVA itself did not have the type.
- In Europe, according to the latest available information, mainly Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and, in small numbers, Bulgaria use the Su-25; the Czech Republic, Slovakia and North Macedonia gave them up long ago.
Frequently asked questions
What does the NATO name “Frogfoot” mean?
“Frogfoot” is simply what it sounds like: a frog’s foot. NATO assigned Soviet combat aircraft reporting names starting with F. An added letter distinguishes versions, such as Frogfoot-A for the single-seater and Frogfoot-B for the two-seater. In Russia the nickname “Grach” (rook) is common.
Did the NVA have the Su-25?
No. In 1989 the NVA air forces flew the MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-29 and Su-22, among others, but no Su-25. Su-25s were in East Germany only with the Soviet forces: the 357th Attack Aviation Regiment was at Brandis near Leipzig from 1985, and the 368th at Tutow in Western Pomerania from 1988. Both withdrew after reunification, and Tutow was vacated in June 1993 as the last Su-25 base.
How do I tell the Su-25 from the A-10?
Both are armored attack aircraft with a straight wing, but they look quite different. The A-10 carries its engines in nacelles high on the rear fuselage and has two vertical stabilizers. On the Su-25 the engines sit in nacelles on the sides of the fuselage beneath the wing root, and there is only one vertical stabilizer. On top of that come the typical pods on the wingtips.
What are the pods on the wingtips?
They house the airbrakes. Their rear section spreads open upward and downward, similar to a crocodile’s mouth. That lets the Su-25 shed speed in a steep attack dive without flaps on the fuselage disturbing the airflow. In flight with the brakes extended, it is an especially striking photo subject.
Which countries still fly the Su-25?
In Europe, according to the latest available information, mainly Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, plus Bulgaria with only a few aircraft left. Outside Europe, Iraq and other states in Asia and Africa fly them, among others. Fleets change constantly, especially due to the war in Ukraine; when in doubt, check current reports.
Where can I see an Su-25 in a museum?
Well documented are the Prague-Kbely aviation museum, which shows an Su-25 from Czech stocks, and the Central Air Force Museum in Monino near Moscow. In Germany the type is rare in the big military museums; ask before a targeted visit.
Is there an ICAO type designator for the Su-25?
For military jets the ICAO code plays hardly any role in everyday spotting, because they mostly fly without a civil flight plan and often without visible data in tracking services. More reliable are the serial, national markings and design.
Collect the Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot, don’t just see it
Post a photo with registration, type, airport and spot, check off the type in your hangar and get an alert when a registration you are looking for lands. Planetrack is launching soon – join the waitlist and get early access.
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