The Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989) was a grueling counterinsurgency conflict that tested the limits of—and ultimately broke—Soviet military might. Amid the rugged Hindu Kush mountains, where ground troops faced constant ambushes and supply line disruptions, the need for an effective close air support (CAS) aircraft became paramount.
Enter the Sukhoi Su-25 “Frogfoot,” a rugged attack aircraft designed to deliver devastating firepower while surviving intense ground fire.
Nicknamed the “Grach” (Rook) by Soviet pilots for its bird-like silhouette, the Su-25 Frogfoot played a pivotal role in the war, flying over 60,000 sorties and reshaping battlefield dynamics. While the Soviets ultimately lost the war, the Frogfoot’s role stands out as one of the few bright spots for the otherwise defeated Soviet military in Afghanistan.
- Year Introduced:
- Number Built:
- Length: 15.53 m (50 ft 11 in)
- Height: 4.8 m (15 ft 9 in)
- Wingspan: 14.36 m (47 ft 1 in)
- Weight: 19,300 kg (42,550 lb) MTOW
- Engines: Two Soyuz/Tumansky R-195 turbojet engines
- Top Speed: 975 km/h (606 mph)
- Range: 750 km (470 mi) combat range
- Service Ceiling: 7,000 m (23,000 ft)
- Loadout: One 30mm GSh-30-2 autocannon; 11 hardpoints; 4,400 kg (9,700 lb) capacity
- Aircrew: 1
The Su-25’s design was optimized for close air support missions in rugged terrain like Afghanistan’s. Its titanium-armored “bathtub” cockpit shielded the pilot from 23mm rounds, while twin Lyulka AL-21F3 turbojets provided redundancy and thrust for short takeoffs from dusty airstrips. Subsonic speeds and high-lift devices like slats and flaps enabled precise low-altitude maneuvers, crucial for stopping targets amid peaks and valleys.
Armament included a 30mm GSh-30-2 cannon, bombs and rockets such as the S-8 and S-24, and later precision-guided munitions like the Kh-25ML missile. Self-defense suites with chaff/flare dispensers and radar warning receivers further enhanced its resilience against MANPADS like the US-provided Stinger.
Together, these features made the Frogfoot a “flying tank,” ideal for the Soviet-Afghan War’s asymmetric threats.
Conceived in the late 1960s as a successor to outdated fighter-bombers like the Su-17 and MiG-21, the Su-25 Frogfoot addressed the Soviet Ground Forces’ demand for a dedicated shturmovik—a low-level jet akin to the World War II-era Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik.
Development began in 1968 under Sukhoi’s T-8 program, with the prototype’s first flight on February 22, 1975. Entering service in 1981, over 1,000 units were produced, emphasizing survivability in contested environments.
The Su-25’s Afghan debut came amid escalating Soviet commitments to the war-torn country. In May 1980, the first two aircraft arrived for trials under Operation Exam, with the full 200th Independent Attack Squadron (OShAE) deploying to Shindand airfield by June. Combat missions commenced on July 25, 1980, initially limited to four-to-five sorties per day, escalating to eight in high-tempo periods.
By 1982, squadrons operated from Bagram and Shindand, supporting the Fifth Motorized Rifle Division with CAS strikes on Mujahideen cave complexes, supply caches, and ambush sites.
Tactics evolved rapidly. Early operations involved low-level “train” attacks—strings of bombs and rockets raked across valleys—but risks from small-arms ground fire prompted innovations. Pilots adopted the “star” formation, circling targets from multiple angles for surprise strikes, or parallel approaches from opposite directions to disorient defenders.
The Su-25 Was a Dogged Fighter
The Su-25 often led assaults, softening positions before more vulnerable Mi-24 Hind gunships followed. In April 1986, the integration of laser-guided Kh-29 missiles into the Frogfoot’s arsenal allowed high-altitude standoff attacks, reducing exposure to AAA and SAMs. Despite navigational limitations barring night or poor-weather flights, the plane’s 750-kilometer combat radius with drop tanks enabled deep insertions, from Kabul to remote border regions.
Notable exploits underscored its daring role in Afghanistan. In one 1987 raid, a formation of Su-25s disguised as a lumbering An-12 transport plane to lure Pakistani-based mujahideen, then unleashed a barrage across the border. Soviet pilots averaged 360 sorties per year per aircraft, amassing 60,000 total missions that terrorized insurgents, giving th plane the moniker “Gatch” (“Blackbird of Death”).
Sadly, for the Soviet Air Force, the Su-25 was no invincible. Mujahideen fighters quickly developed countermeasures—bolstered by US-supplied Stinger missiles from 1986 onward. The Mujahideen exacted a heavy toll on the Su-25s: 23 were shot down by ground fire, 12 were lost in accidents, and nine were destroyed on the ground in Kabul and Kandahar.
The first Su-25 loss occurred on January 16, 1984, when a mujahideen Strela-2 missile downed a Frogfoot near Urgun. High-profile incidents included Colonel Alexander Rutskoy’s August 1988 ejection after his bird received AAA damage, leading to his capture in Pakistan—and the wreckage of his downed plane allegedly analyzed by US intelligence. These losses, a quarter of Soviet fixed-wing casualties, highlighted vulnerabilities in contested airspace.
Yet the Frogfoot’s effectiveness ultimately outweighed its setbacks.
The Soviets desperately needed a CAS-dedicated fighter that could sustain itself in intense combat. They got that with the Su-25 Frogfoot. Its 4,000 kg payload inflicted heavy attrition on Mujahideen logistics, allowing Soviet troops to venture deeper into guerrilla strongholds. Modifications from Afghan experience—including enhanced electronic countermeasures (ECM) and mountain-optimized weapons—boosted survivability, proving the Frogfoot’s adaptability.
Insurgents adapted by dispersing forces and using decoys, but the aircraft’s presence forced tactical shifts, underscoring its psychological edge.
The Su-25 Frogfoot’s Afghan crucible forged a legend. By the 1989 withdrawal, it had validated the shturmovik concept, influencing successor aircraft like the Su-39. Exported widely, it saw action in Chechnya, Syria, and Ukraine, but its Soviet-Afghan War baptism—amid 60,000 sorties and brutal losses—cemented its status as a CAS icon. For the Red Army, it exposed air-ground integration flaws, spurring doctrinal reforms.
Today, amid renewed great-power competitions, the Frogfoot is a reminder of the truth of air warfare: it’s not just firepower but a sustained presence in the face of chaos on the modern battlefield.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert is a senior national security editor at The National Interest. Recently, Weichert became the host of The National Security Hour on America Outloud News and iHeartRadio, where he discusses national security policy every Wednesday at 8pm Eastern. He is also a contributor at Popular Mechanics and has consulted regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including The Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, The Asia Times, and others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Shutterstock / Vitalii Masliukov.
