These planes contributed the bulk of strike and CAS airpower for the Soviets during the Cold War.
For many military watchers, the Sukhoi name is synonymous with the clean flowing lines of the Su-27, Su-30, and Su-35 series of Flanker aircraft or the squat and stubby Su-25 ground attack aircraft. However, during the majority of the Cold War, the swing-wing Su-17 (known as the Su-22 for export) formed the bulk of strike and CAS aircraft for Soviet and Warsaw Pact forces.
Some of these aircraft still fly today in the service of former Soviet allies. The aircraft has seen extensive service in the Syrian Civil War. But how does it stack up to North Atlantic Treaty Organization fighter-bombers of the same era?
assume for some kind of statement from gadhafi. it turned out to be a photo op. i cannot make this up, a photo op of a huge statue of a fist crushing a plane. a fighter plane. that is what we had offered to us today. plus another pro-gadhafi demonstration going in and coming out of that headquarters. i m going to throw it back to you at this point. jim maceda, so many thing happening as we watch the video from earlier today. one of the jets falling to the ground there, and let s bring in colonel jack jacobs. msnbc analyst. that happened this morning. we were reporting that. also the breaking news now in terms of military action of french plane firing a first shot, from what we understand, at a vehicle of some sort. what do you make of what s happening? reporter: the plane getting shot down looked like an old su-17 or 22. it may have been flown by rebels and shot down air to air by gadhafi s forces.