# Sukhoi Su-33
The **Sukhoi Su-33** (NATO reporting name Flanker-D), originally designated Su-27K, is a navalized, carrier-capable version of the [Sukhoi Su-27](https://www.edgepedia.org/sukhoi-su-27) fighter, built for ski-jump takeoff and arrested recovery from the [Russian Navy](https://www.edgepedia.org/russian-navy)'s sole aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov.[1](https://migflug.com/aircraft/su-33-flanker-d/) First flown in 1987 and formally adopted in 1998, it remains in limited shore-based service and is the heaviest fighter routinely flown from a ski-jump carrier.[1](https://migflug.com/aircraft/su-33-flanker-d/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origin | Navalized derivative of the Su-27, developed as the Su-27K (T-10K) for Soviet carrier projects; first flight 17 August 1987[1](https://migflug.com/aircraft/su-33-flanker-d/) |
| Service entry | First batch of four entered service in 1993; official adoption 31 August 1998 under the Su-33 designation[2](https://ftp.idu.ac.id/wp-content/uploads/ebook/tdg/MILITARY%20PLATFORM%20DESIGN/The%20World%E2%80%99s%20Greatest%20Military%20Aircraft_%20An%20Illustrated%20History.pdf) • [3](https://www.wardrawings.be/Modern/Site/Air/Russia/Fighters/Su-27_37/Data/Su-33.htm) |
| Production | Estimates range from about 18 to 26 airframes; no further production after the early 1990s[4](https://janes.migavia.com/rus/sukhoi/su-33ub.html) • [5](https://www.cna.org/archive/CNA_Files/pdf/iop-2020-u-028810-final.pdf) |
| Carrier takeoff | Ski-jump launch, no catapult; maximum carrier take-off weight 30 tonnes[6](https://idsa.in/about-mp-idsa/system/files/strategicanalysis_rsukumaran_0304.pdf) |
| Dimensions and weight | Length 21.94 m, wingspan 14.70 m, empty weight 16,000 kg, maximum takeoff weight 32,000 kg[7](https://aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/fighter/su33/) |
| Performance | Two AL-31F afterburning turbofans; maximum speed Mach 2.17 at altitude; typical range 3,000 km[7](https://aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/fighter/su33/) |
| Combat use | First offensive deployment in 2016-17 from Admiral Kuznetsov over Syria; one aircraft lost to an arresting-gear failure, no air-to-air engagements[8](https://redsamovar.com/2017/08/20/dossier-sukhoi-su-33-le-flanker-marin/) • [9](https://migflug.com/fighter-aircraft-combat-statistics/su-33/) |
## Development
Sukhoi began serious work on a navalized Flanker in 1982 in collaboration with TsAGI, the Soviet central aerodynamics institute, and full-scale design of the Su-27K as the "T-10K" started under the guidance of designer Konstantin Marbyshev in 1984.[1](https://migflug.com/aircraft/su-33-flanker-d/) • [10](https://aviationsmilitaires.net/v3/kb/aircraft/show/17363/sukhoi-su-33-otan-flanker-d) Ramp trials had already begun in August 1982 at the NITKA shore test facility in Crimea, which replicated the ski-jump ramp and arresting gear of the carrier then being built.[1](https://migflug.com/aircraft/su-33-flanker-d/) Viktor Pugachyov flew the first T-10K prototype on 17 August 1987, with a second prototype following on 22 December.[1](https://migflug.com/aircraft/su-33-flanker-d/) • [11](https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/scalemodellingnow/pdfs/FR-Ac-Kinetic-Su33-Flanker-D-1.48.pdf)
The [Soviet Navy](https://www.edgepedia.org/soviet-navy) ran the Su-27K against the [Mikoyan MiG-29K](https://www.edgepedia.org/mikoyan-mig-29k), and both were originally envisioned for carrier service.[7](https://aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/fighter/su33/) After the collapse of the Soviet Union left Russia with a single Kuznetsov-class carrier, the Navy chose a single type and selected the Su-27K for its greater range and payload; the tradeoff was a larger, more expensive aircraft that reduced the number storable aboard ship.[7](https://aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/fighter/su33/) A later comparison put the Su-33's combat radius at 650 km against the MiG-29K's 450 km.[12](https://www.historyrise.com/article/the-role-of-the-su-27-in-russian-naval-aviation-with-the-su-33-variant/)
## Carrier adaptations
Compared with the shore-based Su-27, the Su-33 gained an arrester hook, canard foreplanes, folding wings and tailplanes, a folding tail "sting", a strengthened twin nosewheel, a modified flight control system, an increased-area fin, and a retractable in-flight refueling probe.[2](https://ftp.idu.ac.id/wp-content/uploads/ebook/tdg/MILITARY%20PLATFORM%20DESIGN/The%20World%E2%80%99s%20Greatest%20Military%20Aircraft_%20An%20Illustrated%20History.pdf) The structure and undercarriage were reinforced to withstand the stress of carrier landings, including non-flare approaches in which the aircraft does not float before touchdown, and the airframe received corrosion protection.[7](https://aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/fighter/su33/)
The canards, mounted on the leading-edge root extensions, were the first such fit in the Su-27 family; they improve maneuverability while reducing takeoff distance and landing speed.[7](https://aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/fighter/su33/) The landing gear was also modified from the standard Su-27's to accommodate the roughly 30 percent load increase imparted as the aircraft rolls up the ski-jump ramp.[13](https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1996/november/professional-notes) The fins were reportedly shortened so the aircraft would fit the Kuznetsov's hangar.[6](https://idsa.in/about-mp-idsa/system/files/strategicanalysis_rsukumaran_0304.pdf)
## Production and service
Series production ran in the early 1990s, with the first batch of four Su-33s entering service in 1993 and up to 24 accepted by 1998.[2](https://ftp.idu.ac.id/wp-content/uploads/ebook/tdg/MILITARY%20PLATFORM%20DESIGN/The%20World%E2%80%99s%20Greatest%20Military%20Aircraft_%20An%20Illustrated%20History.pdf) Totals differ by source: Jane's records some 18 built in the early 1990s with no further production,[4](https://janes.migavia.com/rus/sukhoi/su-33ub.html) a US Naval Institute account of the 1995-96 cruise lists 18 Su-33s in the planned air wing,[14](https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1996/april/republic-navies-dream-come-true-sorta) MiGFlug states about 24 production aircraft were built,[1](https://migflug.com/aircraft/su-33-flanker-d/) and a CNA study puts naval procurement in the 1990s at 26.[5](https://www.cna.org/archive/CNA_Files/pdf/iop-2020-u-028810-final.pdf) All served with the 279th Independent Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment at Severomorsk-3.[1](https://migflug.com/aircraft/su-33-flanker-d/)
Budget cuts hampered carrier deployments through the 1990s and early 2000s, and the aircraft operated primarily from shore bases.[7](https://aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/fighter/su33/) The first Mediterranean deployment departed on 23 December 1995 for a 90-day cruise carrying 13 Su-33s, still the largest number embarked.[14](https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1996/april/republic-navies-dream-come-true-sorta) • [8](https://redsamovar.com/2017/08/20/dossier-sukhoi-su-33-le-flanker-marin/) A two-seat combat-capable trainer, the Su-33UB (Su-27KUB), first flew on 29 April 1999 and made its first carrier landing and takeoff from Kuznetsov on 6 October 1999, but no production followed.[4](https://janes.migavia.com/rus/sukhoi/su-33ub.html)
## Syria, 2016-17
The type's first offensive deployment came in October 2016, when Admiral Kuznetsov sailed from Severomorsk with 10 Su-33s and 4 MiG-29K(UB)Rs to support Russian operations in Syria.[8](https://redsamovar.com/2017/08/20/dossier-sukhoi-su-33-le-flanker-marin/) On 15 November 2016 Su-33s flew their first combat strikes, attacking targets in Syria's Idlib and Homs provinces with 500 kg bombs.[8](https://redsamovar.com/2017/08/20/dossier-sukhoi-su-33-le-flanker-marin/) Six of the embarked aircraft had received the Gefest SVP-24 targeting update, which allowed unguided bombs to be delivered with near-guided accuracy, while four flew air cover for the group.[8](https://redsamovar.com/2017/08/20/dossier-sukhoi-su-33-le-flanker-marin/)
The deployment cost two fighters. On 13-14 November a MiG-29K was lost after running out of fuel while waiting for the arresting gear to be repaired,[15](https://news.usni.org/2016/12/30/top-stories-2016-international-operations) and on 3 December 2016 a Su-33 rolled off the deck after its arresting cable broke on landing; the pilot ejected and survived.[16](https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-aircraft-carrier-kuznetsov-second-warplane-lost/28157018.html) By late November, satellite imagery showed eight Su-33s and one MiG-29KR operating from Hmeimim air base in Syria rather than from the carrier.[17](https://www.twz.com/6202/russian-carrier-jets-move-to-syrian-land-base-as-aleppo-begins-to-fall) The sole combat deployment produced ground-strike sorties and the landing accident, with no air-to-air engagements.[9](https://migflug.com/fighter-aircraft-combat-statistics/su-33/)
## Upgrades and replacement
After the Syrian cruise the Defense Ministry decided to fit the entire Su-33 fleet with the SVP-24-33 computing subsystem, developed by Gefest&T, with installation in 2017-2018 following routine maintenance.[18](https://interfax.com/newsroom/top-stories/29465/) [United Engine Corporation](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-engine-corporation) produced a new batch of AL-31F series 3 turbofans for the fleet in 2017,[19](https://alert5.com/2017/06/29/russia-has-produced-a-new-batch-of-al-31f3-turbofans-for-its-su-33s/) and a re-engining program was sized for 18 aircraft.[1](https://migflug.com/aircraft/su-33-flanker-d/) Naval Aviation chief Major-General Igor Kozhin said at MAKS 2017 that all Su-33s would be upgraded to the Su-30SM level, with half the fleet already carrying advanced air-to-surface weapons.[20](https://www.armyrecognition.com/archives/archives-naval-defense/naval-defense-2017/russia-s-naval-aviation-to-upgrade-all-su-33-fighters-to-su-30sm-level) A deeper Su-33M modernization proposed in the early 2000s, with new cockpit, wider armament range, and AL-31FM1 engines, was never funded.[8](https://redsamovar.com/2017/08/20/dossier-sukhoi-su-33-le-flanker-marin/)
Replacement came from the MiG-29K. When replacement became necessary in the mid-2010s, it was cheaper for the Russian Navy to buy MiG-29K/KUBs, whose development had been financed by the Indian order, than to restart the Sukhoi production line; a contract for 24 aircraft was placed in 2012 and deliveries were complete by 2015.[21](https://doria.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/185874/Russia%20Seminar%20publication%202022_web.pdf) The ship's planned air wing of 18 Su-33s was to give way to up to 20 MiG-29K/KUBs.[14](https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1996/april/republic-navies-dream-come-true-sorta) • [22](https://thediplomat.com/2017/03/russia-to-upgrade-aircraft-carrier-in-2017/)
## Later status and foreign derivative
Admiral Kuznetsov entered refit in 2017 and has not returned to service; since then the Su-33 fleet, roughly 17 to 19 airframes on charge, has operated from shore bases, primarily Severomorsk-3, and by the end of 2023 the aircraft were reassigned to land-based operations with a mixed aviation corps of the [Northern Fleet](https://www.edgepedia.org/northern-fleet).[1](https://migflug.com/aircraft/su-33-flanker-d/) • [23](https://en.defence-ua.com/analysis/while_the_admiral_kuznetsov_aircraft_carrier_rusts_russia_uses_its_su_33_fighters_to_escort_tu_95ms_bombers_from_the_olenya_airbase-13437.html) In February 2025, Norwegian F-35s intercepted two Tu-95MS bombers escorted by two Su-33s flying from the Olenya airbase, a land-based escort role.[23](https://en.defence-ua.com/analysis/while_the_admiral_kuznetsov_aircraft_carrier_rusts_russia_uses_its_su_33_fighters_to_escort_tu_95ms_bombers_from_the_olenya_airbase-13437.html)
The airframe found a larger life abroad through copying. China purchased the T-10K-7 prototype from Ukraine and reverse-engineered it into the [Shenyang J-15](https://www.edgepedia.org/shenyang-j-15) carrier fighter, which was successfully test flown in 2009.[10](https://aviationsmilitaires.net/v3/kb/aircraft/show/17363/sukhoi-su-33-otan-flanker-d) • [24](https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/20140715_RL33153_69e15a9df46b89c1b0446ddd0f357e1065ecbd8d.pdf) Russia had also been reported in 2006 to be negotiating the sale of up to 48 Su-33s to China, but no order was finalized.[7](https://aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/fighter/su33/)
## References
1. [Sukhoi Su-33 Flanker-D — History, Specs & Stories, MiGFlug](https://migflug.com/aircraft/su-33-flanker-d/)
2. [The World's Greatest Military Aircraft (entry on Su-27K/Su-33)](https://ftp.idu.ac.id/wp-content/uploads/ebook/tdg/MILITARY%20PLATFORM%20DESIGN/The%20World%E2%80%99s%20Greatest%20Military%20Aircraft_%20An%20Illustrated%20History.pdf)
3. [Sukhoï Su-33 Flanker D, War Drawings data sheet](https://www.wardrawings.be/Modern/Site/Air/Russia/Fighters/Su-27_37/Data/Su-33.htm)
4. [SUKHOI Su-33UB (Su-27KUB), Jane's](https://janes.migavia.com/rus/sukhoi/su-33ub.html)
5. [CNA, Russia's Carrier Aviation (December 2020)](https://www.cna.org/archive/CNA_Files/pdf/iop-2020-u-028810-final.pdf)
6. [R. Sukumaran, Operationalising the Gorshkov: An Appraisal, Strategic Analysis (2004)](https://idsa.in/about-mp-idsa/system/files/strategicanalysis_rsukumaran_0304.pdf)
7. [Aerospaceweb Aircraft Museum: Su-33 Flanker](https://aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/fighter/su33/)
8. [Dossier Sukhoï Su-33, le Flanker marin, Red Samovar (2017)](https://redsamovar.com/2017/08/20/dossier-sukhoi-su-33-le-flanker-marin/)
9. [Su-33 Combat Record, MiGFlug](https://migflug.com/fighter-aircraft-combat-statistics/su-33/)
10. [Sukhoï Su-33 (OTAN : Flanker-D), AviationsMilitaires](https://aviationsmilitaires.net/v3/kb/aircraft/show/17363/sukhoi-su-33-otan-flanker-d)
11. [Kinetic Su-33 Flanker D 1/48 build review PDF](https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/scalemodellingnow/pdfs/FR-Ac-Kinetic-Su33-Flanker-D-1.48.pdf)
12. [The Role of the Su-27 in Russian Naval Aviation With the Su-33 Variant, History Rise](https://www.historyrise.com/article/the-role-of-the-su-27-in-russian-naval-aviation-with-the-su-33-variant/)
13. [Professional Notes, Proceedings, November 1996, US Naval Institute](https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1996/november/professional-notes)
14. [Norman Polmar, The Republic Navies, Proceedings, April 1996, US Naval Institute](https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1996/april/republic-navies-dream-come-true-sorta)
15. [Top Stories 2016: International Operations, USNI News](https://news.usni.org/2016/12/30/top-stories-2016-international-operations)
16. [russian aircraft carrier off syria loses second fighter jet in weeks](https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-aircraft-carrier-kuznetsov-second-warplane-lost/28157018.html)
17. [Russian Carrier's Jets Move To Land Base In Syria, The War Zone](https://www.twz.com/6202/russian-carrier-jets-move-to-syrian-land-base-as-aleppo-begins-to-fall)
18. [All of Russian Navy's carrier-based Su-33 aircraft to be equipped for more accurate bombing, Interfax](https://interfax.com/newsroom/top-stories/29465/)
19. [Russia has produced a new batch of AL-31F3 turbofans for its Su-33s, Alert 5](https://alert5.com/2017/06/29/russia-has-produced-a-new-batch-of-al-31f3-turbofans-for-its-su-33s/)
20. [Russia's Naval Aviation to Upgrade All Su-33 Fighters to Su-30SM Level, Army Recognition](https://www.armyrecognition.com/archives/archives-naval-defense/naval-defense-2017/russia-s-naval-aviation-to-upgrade-all-su-33-fighters-to-su-30sm-level)
21. [Russia Seminar publication 2022, Finnish National Defence University](https://doria.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/185874/Russia%20Seminar%20publication%202022_web.pdf)
22. [Russia to Upgrade Aircraft Carrier in 2017, The Diplomat](https://thediplomat.com/2017/03/russia-to-upgrade-aircraft-carrier-in-2017/)
23. [While the Admiral Kuznetsov Aircraft Carrier Rusts, Russia Uses Its Su-33 Fighters to Escort Tu-95MS Bombers, Defense Express (2025)](https://en.defence-ua.com/analysis/while_the_admiral_kuznetsov_aircraft_carrier_rusts_russia_uses_its_su_33_fighters_to_escort_tu_95ms_bombers_from_the_olenya_airbase-13437.html)
24. [China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities, Congressional Research Service](https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/20140715_RL33153_69e15a9df46b89c1b0446ddd0f357e1065ecbd8d.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Transport and spaceflight › Aviation › Military aviation › Military aircraft by type and era › Fighter aircraft › Carrier-based and naval fighters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
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