Su7

The Sukhoi Su-7, known to the West by the NATO reporting name Fitter, is a Soviet single-seat, swept-wing ground-attack jet developed by the Sukhoi design bureau in the 1950s. Built to perform fast, high-speed bombing at low altitude, the aircraft features a nose intake feeding a single turbojet engine. The airframe combined robust construction with simplified systems intended for ease of operation in various weather conditions and combat environments.

The prototype first flew in 1955, and production aircraft entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1959. The Su-7 saw extensive use during the 1960s and 1970s and was exported to several allied countries. It was employed for conventional bombing, battlefield support, and reconnaissance missions, valued for its speed, durability, and low-level performance. Variants included the original Su-7 and the improved Su-7B family, which featured avionics and structural adjustments. In the 1960s, Sukhoi developed the Su-17, a major redesign that introduced variable-geometry wings for greater versatility; export versions of that series were designated Su-22. The Su-7 family was progressively retired from front-line service in the 1970s through the 1990s, depending on customer fleets and modernization programs.

With its combination of speed and assault capability, the Su-7 contributed to the Soviet Union’s mid-20th-century approach to tactical air power and influenced later Sukhoi designs focusing on ground-attack and multirole capability.