Russian Su-37 Terminator fighter – tragedy in the air

When the Sukhoi Design Bureau, a Soviet (and now Russian) defense company, first proposed the Su-37 Terminator, it said the new multi-role military aircraft had virtually no limitations in terms of angle of attack. In fact, this aircraft was the most maneuverable combat aircraft of its time.

However, despite these claims, the Su-37 did not live up to the hype. Indeed, as a derivative of the unsuccessful Soviet-era Su-27 demonstrator aircraft, probably one of the worst aircraft ever produced by the old USSR, the Su-37 will likely never achieve the fame its designers envisioned.

Su-37: The most maneuverable modern combat aircraft?

Due to the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Su-37 did not even take to the air until 1996. That same year he appeared at the Farnborough Air Show, where, according to Peter Suchu, “he performed the Super Cobra maneuver.”

This technique is a famous combat maneuver in which the pilot reduces the airspeed almost completely, causing the attacking ship to fly past. The Super Cobra, Suchu reports, is similar, but the pilot flies the plane “behind the vertical until he then pushes the nose straight up and (holds) the position for a moment before allowing it to return to flight level.”

The Russian pilot who did this caused quite a stir.

Once again, the Su-37 was demonstrated a year later at the Paris Air Show, where it became the main focus of that year’s event. Potential investors were invited to inspect the aircraft. Russian designers were delighted with the interest and excitement that their bird caused. However, ultimately no production orders were received. The plane was languishing in Russia.

No interest, no program

One of the reasons for the problems with the Su-37 is the fact that the aircraft is reportedly difficult to fly. For example, in 2002, the Su-37 suffered a software glitch after its horizontal stabilizer broke during flight. The reason the stabilizer likely broke was because the unit in question had been repeatedly pushed to its operational limits by various Russian pilots over the years and had been poorly maintained.

Of course, context is key here. In 2002, Russia was still largely emerging from the doldrums of its post-Soviet malaise. Due to a lack of money, it was necessary to cut costs to maintain all the advanced platforms that Russia possessed after the collapse of the Soviet Union. As a result, everything suffered.

Ultimately, the crash ended the operational life of the Su-37.

However, most analysts believe that the technology behind the Su-37 was advanced. So while Su-37 production may have ended due to lack of investor interest and the crash, the Su-37’s influence lives on as the technology supporting it has been incorporated into many new Russian aircraft.

About the author:

Brandon J. Weichertnational interest, national security analystis a former congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who has written for The Washington Times, Asia Times and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Conquering Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacking: China’s Race to Control Life, and Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Catastrophe We Created: How the West Lost Ukraine, can be purchased wherever books are sold. Weichert can be followed on Twitter @WeTheBrandon.