Russia’s entire fleet of 300 Sukhoi-27 fighters have been grounded until further notice after one of the aircraft crashed outside of Moscow Thursday.
The aircraft crashed during a performance of the Russian Air Force’s “Russian Knights” aerobatic flying team. Viktor Bondarev, head of the Russian Air Force, grounded the fleet until the reason for the crash is determined. Officials are concerned the problem may be technical in nature.
Russia’s Defense Ministry has said the pilot of the aircraft died because he did not have time to eject after guiding the crashing plane away from a populated area. The aircraft was reportedly unarmed and on its way back to base.
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The Su-27 “Flanker” is a 4th generation air superiority and ground attack fighter. The aircraft is known for its high degree of control and maneuverability, making it ideally suited for aerobatic shows.
An Su-27 engaged in an “unsafe and unprofessional” maneuver near a U.S. RC-135U spy plane operating near the Baltic Sea in April and crashed, the fourth such occurrence in the last year.
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