The SVP-24 is a navigation system that acts as a computerized bomb sight manufactured by

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

n company Gefest & T, that is claimed to provide similar accuracy to guided munitions. It uses the Continually Computed Release Point (CCRP) technology. It proved to be highly effective in the

Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War {{Infobox military conflict , partof = the foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war, foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war, and the war against the Islamic State , image = , image_size = , border ...

and is being rolled out to all

bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft that utilizes air-to-ground weaponry to drop bombs, launch aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploy air-launched cruise missiles. There are two major classifications of bomber: strategic and tactical. Strateg ...

s in service with the

Russian Aerospace Forces The Russian Aerospace Forces or Russian Air and Space Forces (VKS) comprise the air force, aerial, space force, space warfare, and Missile defense, missile defence Military branch, branches of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. It was ...

and

Russian Naval Aviation The Russian Naval Aviation () is the air arm of the Russian Navy, a successor of Soviet Naval Aviation. The Russian Navy is divided into four fleets and one flotilla: Northern Fleet, Pacific Fleet (Russia), Pacific Fleet, Baltic Fleet, Black Sea ...

Design

The SVP-24 consists of a

GLONASS GLONASS (, ; ) is a Russian satellite navigation system operating as part of a radionavigation-satellite service. It provides an alternative to Global Positioning System (GPS) and is the second navigational system in operation with global cove ...

-supported

nav/attack system A nav/attack system (short for navigation/attack system) is an integrated suite of sensors and navigation equipment that allows a military aircraft to locate and attack specific ground targets or conduct aerial reconnaissance with a high degree of ...

, a new mission computer,

liquid crystal display A liquid-crystal display (LCD) is a flat-panel display or other Electro-optic modulator, electronically modulated optical device that uses the light-modulating properties of liquid crystals combined with polarizers to display information. Liq ...

s, a

flight recorder A flight recorder is an electronic recording device placed in an aircraft for the purpose of facilitating the investigation of aviation accidents and incidents. The device may often be referred to colloquially as a "black box", an outdated nam ...

, and a keyboard. It reduces the time needed to program the aircraft's systems before a mission, and it improves the precision of unguided ordnance. It also allows the mission computer to be pre-programmed for automatic weapons release:

forward air controller Forward air control is the provision of guidance to close air support (CAS) aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller (FAC). ...

s are able to transmit standardised target coordinates to SVP-24-equipped aircraft. These are automatically fed into the aircraft's nav/attack system, which then generates flight direction commands for the crew to follow. Bombs are then released automatically, without the necessity of acquiring the target with the help of other on-board systems. This system's precision relies entirely on that of the GLONASS signal. As of 2015, the standard-precision GLONASS signal was insufficient for such purposes. Hence, in the first months of the

Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war {{Infobox military conflict , partof = the foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war, foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war, and the war against the Islamic State , image = , image_size = , border ...

, Russian aircraft equipped with the SVP-24 usually missed their targets by around 100 metres. Starting in mid-October 2015, differential correction stations were installed to improve the signal's precision. This improved the average precision of the air strikes to 30–40 metres.

User aircraft

Sukhoi Su-24M

A modernization of the Su-24M was introduced in 2000 with the "Sukhoi" program and in 1999 with the "Gefest" program. It includes the SVP-24, a new HUD (ILS-31, like in Su-27SM or KAI-24) and expanded armament options (

Kh-31 The Kh-31 (; AS-17 'Krypton') is a Soviet and Russian air-to-surface missile carried by aircraft such as the MiG-29, Su-35 and the Su-57. It is capable of Mach number, Mach 3.5 and was the first supersonic anti-ship missile that could be launched ...

Kh-59 The Kh-59 ''Ovod'' ( Овод 'Botfly, Gadfly'; AS-13 'Kingbolt') is a Russian cruise missile with a two-stage solid-fuel propulsion system and 200 km range. The Kh-59M ''Ovod-M'' (AS-18 'Kazoo') is a variant with a bigger warhead and turbojet e ...

MK, KAB-500S). The last batch of aircraft modernised in accordance to the Sukhoi program was delivered to the VVS in 2009. The modernization continues with the program "Gefest". All Su-24s in the Central Military District received the SVP-24 in 2013.

Sukhoi Su-25

The Su-25SM3 received the SVP-24 as a result of experience in Syria.

Sukhoi Su-33

In September 2016, it was announced the

Su-33 The Sukhoi Su-33 (-33; NATO reporting name: Flanker-D) is a Soviet/Russian all-weather Carrier-based aircraft, carrier-based twinjet, twin-engine air superiority fighter designed by Sukhoi and manufactured by Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Produ ...

would be outfitted with the SVP-24.

Tupolev Tu-22M3

The

Tu-22M3 The Tupolev Tu-22M (; NATO reporting name: Backfire) is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing, long-range strategic and maritime strike bomber developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 1960s. The bomber was reported as being designated Tu-26 by ...

is being upgraded with the SVP-24-22 system, and digital processing for the aircraft's radar. A SVP-24-22-equipped Tu-22M underwent trials in 2009, and the program has been ordered into production, with deliveries starting in 2012.

Tupolev Tu-95

The

Tu-95MS The Tupolev Tu-95 (; NATO reporting name: "Bear") is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Long-Range Aviation of the Soviet Air Forces in 1956 and ...

is to be upgraded with the SVP-24.

Tupolev Tu-142

The

Russian Navy The Russian Navy is the Navy, naval arm of the Russian Armed Forces. It has existed in various forms since 1696. Its present iteration was formed in January 1992 when it succeeded the Navy of the Commonwealth of Independent States (which had i ...

plans to upgrade the

Tu-142 The Tupolev Tu-142 (142; NATO reporting name: Bear F/J) is a Soviet/Russian maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft derived from the Tu-95 turboprop strategic bomber. A specialised communications variant designated '' ...

anti-submarine aircraft with the installation of the SVP-24 bombing system.

References

Notes

Bibliography

Missile guidance Military electronics of Russia Targeting (warfare) Aircraft weapons {{Russia-mil-stub