With the running down of the US
Navy's F-14 Tomcat fleet in the early 2000's, a proposal was put forward by
ex-Grumman VP of Advanced Programs and Chief Engineer on the F-14, Robert
W. Kress and retired USN fighter pilot Adm. Paul Gilchrist suggesting that
the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker might make a good replacement.
Following negotiations with the Russian government, Rosboronexport and the
Sukhoi design bureau, a licence was granted for the tandem two-seat Su-30 to be
built at Grumman's Bethpage facility in New York.
Click on
images below to see larger images
The baseline Flanker was 'Amercanized' -
with the Russian AL-31F engine being replaced by the Pratt & Whitney
F-119 turbofan, conferring increased thrust and reduced SFC.
It was fitted with the Raytheon AN/APG-71 digital multi-mode radar and
Martin-Baker NACES zero-zero ejection seats replaced the Russian K-36
originals.
The first F-17A 'Flankercat' entered
service with VF-1 aboard the USS Enterprise in 2005 and to date, a total of 237
have been built by Grumman.
Ken Duffey
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