1/72 Calibre Wings (CA722402) Sukhoi Su24MR Fencer-E (Yellow 15) Starokostiantyniv AB, 7 BrTA, Ukraine Air Force (Limited Edition #018 of Only 800

The Sukhoi Su-24 (NATO reporting name: Fencer) is a supersonic, all-weather attack aircraft developed in the Soviet Union. The aircraft has a variable-sweep wing, twin-engines and a side-by-side seating arrangement for its two crew. It was the first of the USSR's aircraft to carry an integrated digital navigation/attack system. The Su-24MR is a dedicated tactical reconnaissance variant that first flew on 25 July 1980 as T-6MR-26 and entered service in 1983. The Su-24MR retains much of the Su-24M's navigation suite, including the terrain-following radar, but deletes the Orion-A attack radar, the laser/TV system, and the cannon in favor of two panoramic camera installations, 'Aist-M' ('Stork') TV camera, RDS-BO 'Shtik' ('Bayonet') side-looking airborne radar (SLAR), and 'Zima' ('Winter') infrared reconnaissance system.  

Sukhoi Su-24MR Fencer-E

Designed as a tactical bomber/reconnaissance aircraft to replace the Yak-28, the Su-24 was first flown on July 2nd, 1967.

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Ukraine reportedly had 10 to 20 operational Su-24s prior to the invasion by Russia in 2022.^[57][58] Lack of standoff missiles meant that Ukrainian crews had to fly into range of Russian air defences to strike their targets. The 7th Tactical Aviation Brigade suffered many losses in the first few months of the invasion.^[59]

In the first hours of the invasion, the Ukrainian Air Force used at least two Su-24Ms during the Battle of Antonov Airport against Russian Airborne Forces that had flown in the airport in helicopters.^[60] On 27 February, one Ukrainian Su-24 was lost near Bucha, Kyiv Oblast. The pilots, Major Ruslan Oleksandrovich Bilous and Captain Roman Oleksandrovich Dovhalyuk, were killed and were posthumously awarded with the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky.^[61][62] Another bomber was reported lost on 3 April, when a video emerged showing the crash site with the remains of a blue-coloured AL-21 engine employed by the Su-24.^[63] On 22 March, another Ukrainian Su-24M was shot down by Russian forces in Izyum. The navigator ejected successfully, but the pilot, Major Oleksiy Oleksandrovich Kovalenko, was killed.^[64] On 19 May, a Su-24 was lost near Pylove. The pilot, Lt. Colonel Igor Khamar and the navigator, Major Ilya Negar, were killed.^[65][66]

On 9 August, explosions at Saky Airport in Novofedorivka, Crimea, destroyed and damaged several aircraft on the ground, among them at least five Russian Naval Aviation Su-24s.^[67] Russia denied the loss of any aircraft, though this was rebutted by satellite imagery.^[68] On 9 October 2022, a Russian Su-24 crashed during landing i n the Rostov region in Russia due to technical malfunction.^[69]

 

In May 2023, the United Kingdom supplied Ukraine with Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles,^[70] allowing Su-24s to launch strikes from a safer distance.^[71] On 24 May, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov tweeted a c omposite image of a Su-24MR carrying a Storm Shadow missile on its right wing glove pylon. As a Storm Shadow weighs almost 2,900 pounds, only the Su-24 or Su-27 can carry it.^[72] On 2 July, it was reported that Ukrainian Su-24s were modified with pylons taken from decommissioned RAF Panavia Tornado GR4s in order to carry and launch at least two Storm Shadows at once. It appears that the coordinates have to be entered while the aircraft is on the ground.^[73][74]

On 11 July 2023, Russian Lieutenant general Oleg Tsokov was killed in an airstrike on the command post of the 58th Combined Arms Army in occupied Berdiansk, during the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive; Russian state media alleged he was killed by a Storm Shadow missile launched from a Ukrainian Su-24.^[75]

On 9 September 2023, Russian sources claimed that six boats of an attempted Ukrainian amphibious operation near Cape Tarkhankut were intercepted by a Russian Su-24M and that three of the boats were sunk using RBK-500 bombs.^[76]

On 13 September 2023, an attack on Sevastopol Shipyard resulted in damage to port facilities, the submarine Rostov-na-Donu and the landing ship Minsk, both of which were in dry dock. Ukrainian Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk strongly implied the use of either British Storm Shadow or French SCALP missiles launched by Ukrainian Su-24s.^[77][78][79] On 22 September, Ukrainian Su-24s firing Storm Shadow missiles struck the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol.^[80][81] The Ukrainian military alleged that the strike was timed to coincide with a meeting of naval officials and there were casualties.^[82]

On 4 November 2023, at least three Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles launched by Ukrainian Su-24s struck the newly built Russian corvette Askold at the Zalyv Shipbuilding Yard in Kerch.^[83] The ship, which was to enter service in the second half of 2023,^[84] suffered extensive damage to its port si de.^[85] On 5 December 2023, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk stated that a Ukrainian RBS 70 MANPAD downed a Su-24 in Odesa Oblast.^[86]

As of 6 December 2023, Oryx open-source intelligence website equipment loss tracker reported Russian losses as 1 Su-24M strike aircraft, 1 Su-24MR tactical reconnaissance aircraft, and 10 Su-24M/MR strike/tactical reconnaissance aircraft; and Ukrainian losses as 18 Su-24M strike aircraft, 1 Su-24MR tactical reconnaissance aircraft, and 1  unspecified Su-24 type.^[87]

On 26 December 2023, the Russian landing ship Novocherkassk was destroyed by Ukrainian Su-24s using cruise missiles.^{[8 8][89]} Russian officials claimed that two Ukrainian Su-24s were shot down, but this claim was refuted by a Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson.^[90][91]