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{{Short description|Soviet strike fighter aircraft}}
{{For|the World War II mixed-power prototype|Sukhoi Su-7 (1944)}}
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{{Infobox aircraft
 |name= Su-7
 |image= File:Sukhoi Su-7BKL, Poland - Air Force AN2202869.jpg
 |long_caption=   A Polish Su-7BKL photographed in 1991. 
 |type= [[Fighter aircraft|Fighter]] and [[fighter-bomber]] / [[attack aircraft|ground-attack aircraft]]
 |national_origin= Soviet Union
 |manufacturer= [[Sukhoi]] 
 |first_flight= 7 September 1955
 |introduction= 1959
 |retired=
 |status= In limited service with the [[Korean People's Army Air Force]] 
 |primary_user= [[Soviet Air Forces]] (historical)
 |more_users= {{plainlist|
* [[Indian Air Force]] (historical)
* [[Korean People's Army Air Force|North Korean Air Force]] 
}}
 |produced= 1957–1972
 |number_built= 1,847
 |developed_from= 
 |variants=
 |developed_into= [[Sukhoi Su-17]]
}}

The '''Sukhoi Su-7''' ([[List of NATO reporting names for fighters|NATO designation name]]: '''Fitter-A''') is a [[swept wing]], [[supersonic speed|supersonic]] [[fighter aircraft]] developed by the [[Soviet Union]] in 1955. Originally, it was designed as a tactical, low-level [[dogfight]]er, but was not successful in this role. On the other hand, the soon-introduced '''Su-7B series''' became the main Soviet [[fighter-bomber]] and [[ground-attack aircraft]] of the 1960s. The Su-7 was rugged in its simplicity, but its [[Lyulka AL-7]] engine had such high fuel consumption that it seriously limited the aircraft's [[payload]], as even short-range missions required that at least two [[hardpoint]]s be used to carry [[drop tank]]s rather than [[aircraft ordnance|ordnance]].<ref>Wheeler 1992, p. 143.</ref>

==Design and development==
=== Original Su-7 fighters ===
On 14 May 1953, after [[Joseph Stalin]]'s death, the [[Sukhoi]] [[OKB]] was reopened<ref name="sukhoi">[http://www.sukhoi.org/eng/planes/museum/su7/ "Sukhoi Su-7."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090607092050/http://www.sukhoi.org/eng/planes/museum/su7/ |date=2009-06-07 }} ''Sukhoi Company Museum.'' Retrieved: 28 January 2011</ref> and by the summer, it began work on a swept-wing front-line{{#tag:ref|In Soviet terminology, the ''front-line'' fighter (''frontovoi istrebitel'', фронтовой истребитель; also called ''frontal'' or ''tactical'' fighter) is the one that is intended to be operationally deployed within [[Front (Soviet Union)|''fronts'']] for use over the battlefield, as opposed to [[interceptor aircraft]] deployed by [[Soviet Air Defence Forces]] (PVO).|group=N|name=f}} fighter. The first prototype, designated '''S-1''', was designed to use the new [[Lyulka AL-7]] turbojet engine. It was the first Soviet aircraft to utilize the all-moving tailplane and a translating centerbody, a movable [[inlet cone]] in the air intake for managing airflow to the engine at supersonic speeds.<ref name="green">Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. ''The Great Book of Fighters.'' St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing, 2001. {{ISBN|0-7603-1194-3}}.</ref> The aircraft also had a wing sweep of 60°, irreversible hydraulically boosted controls, and an [[ejection seat]] of Sukhoi’s own design.<ref name="sukhoi"/>

The S-1 first flew on 7 September 1955 with A. G. Kochetkov at the controls. Fitted with an [[afterburner|afterburning]] version of the AL-7 engine after the first eleven flights, the prototype set a Soviet speed record of 2,170&nbsp;km/h (1,170&nbsp;kn, 1,350&nbsp;mph, [[Mach number|Mach 2.04]]) in April 1956.<ref name="green"/> The prototype was intended to be armed with three 37&nbsp;mm [[Nudelman N-37]] cannons and 32 spin-stabilized 57&nbsp;mm (2.25&nbsp;in) unguided rockets in a ventral tray.<ref name="green"/> The second prototype, '''S-2''', introduced some aerodynamic refinements. Testing was complicated by the unreliable engine, and S-1 was lost in a crash on 23 November 1956, killing its pilot I. N. Sokolov.<ref name="sukhoi"/> Only 132 have been produced between 1957 and 1960, and the aircraft entered service as '''Su-7''' in 1959.

=== Su-7A fighter ===
The first production variant: a frontline{{#tag:ref||group=N|name=f}} fighter that saw limited operational use in the Far East from 1958. However, in 1959, a decision was made to prioritize production of the [[MiG-21]], thus less than 200 Su-7a's were deployed. The Su-7A was retired in 1965 with operational deployment.<ref name="sukhoi" />

=== Su-7B fighter-bomber ===
[[File:Su-7B Fitter A.jpg|thumb|Su-7s of the [[Polish Air Force]].]]
On July 31, 1958, Soviet tactical aviation (''Frontovaya Aviatsiya'',{{#tag:ref||group=N|name=f}} фронтовая авиация) tasked Sukhoi with developing a ground-attack variant of the Su-7, which could replace the scrapped [[Ilyushin Il-40]]. The resulting prototype, designated the '''S-22''', incorporated structural refinements for low-altitude operations at high-speed. The prototype first flew in March 1959; entering service in 1961 as the '''Su-7B'''.<ref name="green" />

Operationally, Su-7s were hampered by a high landing speed of 340–360&nbsp;km/h.<ref name="whale">Rakshak, Bharat. [http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/Aircraft/Su-7.html "A whale of a fighter: Su-7 in IAF service."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091230183851/http://bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/Aircraft/Su-7.html |date=2009-12-30 }} ''bharat-rakshak.com.'' Retrieved: 28 January 2011.</ref> This was dictated by the highly swept wing. Combined with poor visibility from the cockpit and the lack of an [[instrument landing system]], operations were very difficult, especially in poor weather or airfields.<ref>Nijboer and Patterson 2003, pp. 174–177.</ref>  In 1961–1962, Sukhoi experimented with [[blown flap]]s on '''S-25''' but the benefit was too small to warrant implementation. [[JATO]] rockets tested on '''S-22-4''' proved more useful and were incorporated into the Su-7BKL. Attempts to improve takeoff and landing performance eventually resulted in the variable geometry [[Sukhoi Su-17]].

The Su-7B and its variants became the main Soviet ground-attack aircraft of the 1960s. They were also widely exported (691 planes,<ref name="sukhoi" /> including some trainers). However, the very short combat radius and need for long runways limited the Su-7's operational usefulness. On the other hand, despite its notoriously heavy controls, the Su-7 was popular with pilots for its docile flight characteristics, simple controls and considerable speed even at low altitudes. It also had a reputation for easy maintenance.

In 1977–1986 the Su-7s remaining in Soviet service were replaced by [[Sukhoi Su-17|Su-17]]s and [[MiG-27]]s.

==Operational history==

===Egypt===

[[File:Su-20 Military Museum of Egypt.jpg|thumb|An Egyptian Su-7BMK displayed in the Egyptian Military Museum in Cairo Citadel.]]
The Su-7 saw combat with Egypt in the 1967 [[Six-Day War]], the subsequent [[War of Attrition]], and saw use in the [[Yom Kippur War]] by the Egyptians to attack Israeli ground forces.

===India===

The [[Indian Air Force]] (IAF) used the Su-7 extensively in [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|the 1971 war with Pakistan]]. Six squadrons, totaling 140 aircraft, flew almost 1,500 offensive sorties during the war,<ref name=whale /> and undertook the bulk of the daytime attack missions. The IAF managed to retain a very high operational tempo with its Su-7s, peaking at a sortie rate of six per pilot per day.<ref name=whale />  Fourteen Su-7s were lost during the war, mostly due to anti-aircraft fire.<ref name=whale /> After the war, it was found that the aircraft had high survivability, being able to fly home safely despite receiving heavy damage. For example, Wing Commander H.S. Mangat's Su-7 was badly damaged by a PL-2 missile fired by a [[Pakistan Air Force]] [[Shenyang J-6|F-6]]. The impact was so severe that half the rudder was missing, the elevators, ailerons, and flaps were severely damaged, and half the missile was stuck in the chute pipe.<ref name=whale /> <ref>''The chute pipe is the section of the engine intake located just before the turbine''</ref>  The pilot made it back to his base. The death of at least one Indian pilot can be attributed, at least indirectly, to poor cockpit design. A pilot had moved his seating forward to a dangerous position, "because he found the bombsight and the front gun sight easier to operate" while in that position and was killed on ejection.<ref>Dikshit, Mohan B. [http://web.squ.edu.om/squmj/includes/tng/pub/tNG_download.asp?id=1172b760c9d4b2802a63c1abfb2bfd5a "To Err is Human Case Reports of Two Military Aircraft Accidents."] ''SQU Med J,'' Volume 10, Issue 1, 2010, pp. 120–125.</ref>

Indian Su-7BMKs shot down at least two [[Shenyang J-6|Shenyang F-6s]] in the 1971 war,<ref name="whale" /> while losing three Su-7s to F-6s according to Pakistani sources.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.defencejournal.com/2002/may/salute.htm |title=Final Salute to F-6 |website=www.defencejournal.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030103080245/http://www.defencejournal.com/2002/may/salute.htm |archive-date=2003-01-03}} </ref>

==Variants==
[[File:Sukhoi S-26 @ Central Air Force Museum.jpg|thumb|S-26 on display at Monino]]
[[File:Su7bkl mob2.jpg|thumb|Su-7BKL landing gear with the unique skid, and a UB-16 57&nbsp;mm rocket launcher]]
[[File:Su-7UMK-1998.jpg|thumb|Two-seat trainer variant Su-7UMK (NATO designation: ''Moujik'')]]
A total of 1,847 Su-7 and its variants were built.<ref name="sukhoi"/>

;Su-7A
:First production version. The only production version that was a tactical air superiority fighter. Factory designation S-2. Manufactured 1957–1960 with 132 built. Remained in operational service until 1965.
;Su-7B
:The first ground-attack version, factory designation '''S-22'''. Manufactured 1960–1962 with 431 built.<ref name="goebel">Goebel, Greg. [http://www.vectorsite.net/avsu17_1.html "Sukhoi Su-7."] ''Aviation Vectors,'' 1 August 2009. Retrieved: 28 January 2011.</ref>
;Su-7BM
:Upgraded AL-7F-1 engine, upgraded fuel system with external piping on either side of the fuselage spine, fuel tanks installed in the wings, "wet" underwing hardpoints for carrying external fuel tanks, capable of carrying tactical [[nuclear bomb]]s. Manufactured 1963–1965 with 290 built.<ref name="goebel"/>
;Su-7BKL
:Rough field-capable variant with skids fixed to the sides of the main landing gear, provision for two SPRD-110 [[JATO]] rockets of 29.4&nbsp;kN (13,300&nbsp;lbf) thrust, and twin brake parachutes. Introduced in 1965, factory designation S-22KL. Manufactured 1965–1972 with 267 built.<ref name="goebel"/>
;Su-7BMK
:A simplified export version of the Su-7BM. Manufactured 1967–1971 with 441 built.<ref name="goebel"/>
;Su-7U (NATO ''Moujik'')
:Two-seat trainer version of the Su-7B with reduced fuel capacity. First flight 25 October 1965. Manufactured 1966–1972 in parallel with the export version, designated '''Su-7UMK'''.
;Su-7UM (NATO ''Moujik'')
:Two-seat training version of the Su-7BM.
;Su-7UMK (NATO ''Moujik'')
:Two-seat training version of the Su-7BMK. All Su-7 trainers amounted to 411 built.<ref name="goebel"/>
;Su-7IG
:Experimental [[variable geometry wing]] aircraft which was developed into [[Sukhoi Su-17]].
;100LDU Control Configured Vehicle
:A Su-7U modified with [[Canard (aeronautics)|canard]]s and a longitudinal stability augmentation system. It was designed as a testbed for a [[fly-by-wire]] system for the [[Sukhoi T-4]]. It was later used in 1973–1974 during the development of the [[Su-27]]'s fly-by-wire system.

=== OKB-51 designations ===
;S-1
:(Strelovidnoye [krylo] – swept wings) OKB-51 designation for the first prototype of the Su-7 / Su-9 family.
;S-2
:OKB-51 designation for the first production version of the Su-7.
;S-22
:OKB-51 designation for the Su-7B production aircraft.
;S-22-2
:OKB-51 designation for the prototype of the Su-7BM.
;S-22M
:OKB-51 designation for the Su-7BM production aircraft.
;S-22KL
:OKB-51 designation for the Su-7BKL production aircraft, incorporating the short field equipment tested on the S-22-4.
;S-23
:As a precursor to the S-22-4 tests, the S-23 was tested with a pure ski undercarriage and with skis on the main legs only
;S-22-4
:An S-22 tested with wheel / ski undercarriage, brake parachute and SPRD-110 [[JATO]] boosters for rough/unpaved field operations.
;S-25
:This aircraft was used for Boundary Layer Control (BLC) tests, with compressor bleed air blown over the leading edges to reduce takeoff length.
;S-25T
:A Su-7 fitted with the Boundary Layer Control system, rigged especially for use in a full-scale wind tunnel.
;S-26
:A continuation of the S-22-4 testing with wheel/ski undercarriage, double brake parachute and JATO boosters (The S-26 survives on display at the Russian Air Force Museum, Monino).
;S-22MK
:A simplified export version of the Su-7BKL, designated Su-7BMK
;U-22
:A belated trainer version with two seats in tandem in an extended nose based on the Su-7BM.
;U-22MK
:OKB-51 designation for the export version of the Su-7U, designated Su-7UMK by the [[Soviet Air Force]]
;S-3
:A projected interceptor version of the S-2, with "Izumrud" radar and avionic equipment in a reconfigured nose section.
;S-41
:OKB-51 designation for an experimental version of the S-1/S-2 with a lengthened nose and area-ruled rear fuselage.
;T-1
:A [[delta-wing]] tactical fighter project, based on the S-2, cancelled with the prototype nearly complete.
;T-3
: A delta-winged interceptor version of the S-2, developed in parallel to the S-3 and T-1. This would eventually lead to the T-43 prototype of the [[Su-9]] interceptor.

==Operators==
{| class="wikitable floatright" 
|-
|+ align=center style="background:#BFD7FF"| Military operators of the Su-7
| align=center colspan=2 | [[File:World operators of the Su-7.png|frameless|upright=1.35]]
|-
! width=50% | {{legend|#1a00ff|Current}}
! width=50% | {{legend|#ee0010|Former}}
|}

===Current operators===

;{{PRK}}
*[[North Korean Air Force]] – received at least 28 Su-7BMK/-7UMK in 1971. The aircraft were ordered in 1969.

===Former operators===
{{flag|Afghanistan|1980}}
* [[Afghan Air Force]] – 24 Su-7BMK and 16 Su-7U trainers, were delivered to Afghanistan from 1972. Constant fighting, a high accident rate in the high altitude and poor maintenance caused substantial attrition. An additional 79 used replacements from Soviet stocks were supplied during the 1980s. None remain in service.
{{DZA}}
* [[Algerian Air Force]] – 40 Su-7BMK.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cooper |first1=Tom |last2=Grandolini |first2=Albert |title=Showdown in Western Sahara, Volume 1: Air Warfare over the Last African Colony, 1945-1975 |date=2018 |publisher=Helion & Company Publishing |location=Warwick, UK |isbn=978-1-912390-35-9 |page=49}}</ref>
{{CZS}}
* [[Czechoslovak Air Force]] – the Czechoslovak Air Force was the first foreign operator of the Su-7 in 1963. Totals included 64 Su-7BM, 31 Su-7BKL and Su-7U. During operations service, 30 aircraft were lost in accidents. The remaining aircraft were phased out in 1990.
{{Flag|Egypt|1972}}
*[[Egyptian Air Force]] – The first batch of 14 Su-7BMK was destroyed during the [[Six-Day War]]. From 1967–1972, Egypt received an additional 185 Su-7BMK/SU-7UMK. Those which survived the [[Yom Kippur War|October War]] with Israel were retired in the mid-1980s.
{{IND}}
[[File:B784 (13988518612).jpg|thumb|Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-7 preserved at the Indian Air Force Academy Museum]]
*[[Indian Air Force]] – 140 were delivered in 1968, equipping six squadrons. An additional 14 attrition replacements were provided. The last aircraft were retired in 1986.<ref>Rakshak, Bharat. [http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/Aircraft/Su-7.html "Su-7."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091230183851/http://bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/Aircraft/Su-7.html |date=2009-12-30 }} ''IAF History.'' Retrieved; 28 January 2011.</ref>
{{Flag|Iraq|1963}}
*[[Iraqi Air Force]] – The first contract for up to 34 Su-7BMK was signed in 1965,<ref>{{harvnb|Sipos|Cooper|2020|p=60}}</ref> with deliveries starting in the spring of 1967.<ref>{{harvnb|Sipos|Cooper|2020|p=63}}</ref> An additional order for 20 Su-7BMK was signed in July 1967.<ref>{{harvnb|Sipos|Cooper|2020|p=74}}</ref> No longer in service.
{{POL}}
*[[Polish Air Force]] – operated 6 Su-7BM, 33 Su-7BKŁ and 8 Su-7U from July 1964 until June 1990; no longer in service.
{{USSR}}
*[[Soviet Air Force]]
{{SYR}}
*[[Syrian Air Force]] – Shortly after the [[Six-Day War]] of 1967, Syria received 25 Su-7s. In the [[Yom Kippur War|October War]] of 1973, Syria lost most of the aircraft supplied. After 1973, The Soviet Union  resupplied Syria with 35 more aircraft. By the mid 1980s, the Su-7 had been transferred to the reserves, and by the 1990s were decommissioned.

==Specifications (Su-7BKL)==
[[File:Sukhoi Su-7 3-view line drawing.svg|thumb|3-view drawing of Sukhoi Su-7]]
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Green,<ref name="green"/> Sukhoi<ref name="sukhoi"/>
|prime units?=met
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|crew=1
|length m=16.8
|length note=
|span m=9.31
|span note=
|height m=4.99
|height note=
|wing area sqm=34
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil='''root:''' TsAGI SR-3S (5.9%); '''tip:''' TsAGI SR-3S (4.7%)<ref name="Selig">{{cite web |last1=Lednicer |first1=David |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=m-selig.ae.illinois.edu |access-date=16 April 2019}}</ref>
|empty weight kg=8940
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=13570
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=15210
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity={{cvt|3220|kg|0}}
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=[[Lyulka AL-7F-1]]
|eng1 type=afterburning turbojet
|eng1 kn=66.6
|eng1 note=
|power original=
|thrust original=
|eng1 kn-ab=94.1
<!--
        Performance
-->
|max speed kmh=1150
|max speed note= / 0.94 at sea level
::::{{cvt|2150|km/h|mph kn}} / M1.74 at high altitude
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed note=
|range km=1650
|range note=
|combat range km=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling m=17600
|ceiling note=
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|climb rate ms=160
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|wing loading kg/m2=434.8
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|thrust/weight=0.71

|more performance=
<!--
        Armament
-->
|guns=2 × [[30 mm caliber|30 mm]] [[Nudelman-Rikhter NR-30]] [[autocannon]]s (70 rounds per gun, 140 rounds total)
|hardpoints=4 × under-wing & 2 × under-fuselage stations for {{convert|2000|kg|lb|abbr=on}} of disposable stores.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sukhoi.org/eng/planes/museum/su7/lth/|title=Sukhoi Company (JSC) - Airplanes - Museum - Su-7 - Specifications|last=www.3ebra.com|first=IT-Bureau Zebra -|website=www.sukhoi.org|access-date=2017-09-25|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925083458/http://www.sukhoi.org/eng/planes/museum/su7/lth/|archive-date=2017-09-25}}</ref>  2 × reserved for {{convert|2300|L|impgal usgal|abbr=on}} drop tanks
|hardpoint rockets=[[UB-16 (rocket pod)|UB-16]]-57U [[rocket launcher#Rocket pod|rocket pod]]s for [[S-5 rocket]]s
|hardpoint bombs=<br />
***[[FAB-250]] [[general-purpose bomb]]
***[[FAB-500]] GP bomb
***[[8U69]] [[nuclear weapon|nuclear bomb]]

|avionics=
}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Aviation}}
{{aircontent
|related=
* [[Sukhoi Su-17|Su-17/Su-20/Su-22]]
* [[Sukhoi Su-9]]
* [[Sukhoi Su-11]]
|similar aircraft=
* [[Dassault Mirage IIIE]]
* [[HAL HF-24 Marut]]
* [[Hawker Hunter]]
* [[Nanchang Q-5]]
* [[Republic F-105 Thunderchief]]
|lists=
* [[List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS]]
|see also=
}}

==References==

===Notes===
{{Reflist|group=N}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last=Gordon |first=Yefim |title=Sukhoi Su-7/-17/-20-22: Soviet Fighter and Fighter-Bomber Family |year=2004 |location=Hinckley, UK |publisher=Midland Publishing |isbn=1-85780-108-3}}
* Nijboer, Donald and Dan Patterson. ''Cockpits of the Cold War.'' Eden Prairie, Ontario: The Boston Mills Press, 2003. {{ISBN|1-55046-405-1}}.
* {{cite magazine |last=Singh |first=Pushpindar Chopra |title=A Whale of a Fighter...The Su-7 in IAF Service |magazine=[[Air International]] |date=September 1982 |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=133–140, 152–154 |issn=0306-5634}}
* {{cite book |last1=Sipos |first1=Milos |last2=Cooper |first2=Tom |title=Wings of Iraq, Volume 1: The Iraqi Air Force, 1931-1970 |date=2020 |publisher=Helion & Company Publishing |location=Warwick, UK |isbn=978-1-913118-74-7}}
* Wheeler, Barry C. ''The Hamlyn Guide to Military Aircraft Markings.'' London: Chancellor Press, 1992. {{ISBN|1-85152-582-3}}.
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Sukhoi Su-7}}
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/su-7.htm Su-7 from Global Security]
* [http://www.globalaircraft.org/planes/su-7_fitter-a.pl Su-7 from Global Aircraft]
* [http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=69 Su-7 from Military Factory]
* [http://toniosky7.blogspot.com/2010/08/sukhoi-su-7-bkl-fitter-walkaround.html Su-7 BKL walkaround]

{{Sukhoi aircraft}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Sukhoi aircraft|Su-07]]
[[Category:1960s Soviet attack aircraft]]
[[Category:1950s Soviet fighter aircraft]]
[[Category:Single-engined jet aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1955]]
[[Category:Mid-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Second-generation jet fighters]]