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The USAF has a long history of acquiring foreign aircraft[1], sometimes through defectors, other times by purchasing them from foreign militaries. I don't know
by Inconel 10y ago
The USAF has a long history of acquiring foreign aircraft[1], sometimes through defectors, other times by purchasing them from foreign militaries. I don't know the source of the Su-27's in question here but I believe the USAF acquired a few airframes from the Ukrainian Air Force. Various MiG's have also been acquired from the Moldovan and Belarusian Air Forces.
Also, there were two Su-27's for sale privately in the US a number of years ago[2].
[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4477th_Test_and_Evaluation_Squadron#Aircraft https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4477th_Test_and_Evaluation_Squ...
[2]http://www.prideaircraft.com/flanker.htm http://www.prideaircraft.com/flanker.htm
- sremani 10y agoAccording to Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-27#Operators https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-27#Operators) Two Su-27s were delivered to the U.S. in 1995 from Belarus.[60][72] Two more were bought from Ukraine in 2009 by a private company, Pride Aircraft to be used for aggressor training for U.S. pilots.[73]
- Inconel 10y agoThe two Su-27s that Pride Aircraft acquired and certified were big news when they were publicly put on sale around 2009-2010 but I'm not sure if they were actually bought by the USAF or a private company to do contracted DACT.
- TorKlingberg 10y agoI imagine it is tough work maintaining them. A decades old soviet plain, and you have no access to the manufacturer. I suppose the cannot just call Russia and order parts.
- trentnelson 10y agoSimilar to Iran trying to maintain a fleet of F-14s.