Su-27UB aircraft, which previously belonged to Ukraine, is on display at the National Museum of the US Air Force
The National Museum of the United States Air Force has exhibited an upgraded Su-27UB, which previously belonged to the Ukrainian Air Force.
Here's What We Know
The Facebook page of the National Museum of the United States Air Force posted a message about the replenishment of the exposition - the museum received a Su-27UB, which was previously in service with the Ukrainian Air Force. Previously, the aircraft was exhibited without engines.
This Su-27UB rolled off the assembly line on 30 March 1988 with tail number 01. It originally belonged to the 100th Separate Ship Fighter Regiment of the USSR Navy, based in Crimea. The regiment was formed in 1986, and after the collapse of the USSR, the aircraft became the property of Ukraine, where it continued to serve in the Air Force.
In 2008, the Su-27UB was demilitarised and sold to the American private company Pride Aircraft. The aircraft was given the N132SU registration number in the United States.
Around 2011, it was resold to Meridican. In 2018, the registration number was cancelled. The further fate of the aircraft is associated with its use in training missions of the US Air Force, where it probably played the role of an "aggressor".
It is also believed that the Su-27UB was used as part of the Foreign Material Exploitation (FME) programme to test radars, weapons and countermeasures. Such aircraft are often used to assess the capabilities of foreign equipment.
This theory is supported by other examples, including the mysterious fate of the Su-27UB, numbered N131SU, which allegedly crashed in 2017 during similar tests.
The Su-27UB became the next aircraft to join the exhibition of the National Museum of the US Air Force after participating in the FME programme. Other examples include the MiG-23MS, which previously performed similar missions.