Defender of the Motherland's Skies // Защитник Неба Родины | Su-15 Flagon

No Civilian Aircraft were harmed in the editing of this video. I cannot make such claims for the production of this film however.

None of the footage is mine. All sources linked below.

I wanted to go back and have a bit of nostalgia to when I first started editing these videos, so why not try replicating my original style of video. Also, you guys will not believe how hard it is to find color footage of the Su-15 in action, despite it being used all the way up to 1991 (even up to 1996 in some cases). I had to cut the music short because there simply wasn't enough, so I tried to edit it as neatly as possible without sacrificing too much. I hope you all enjoy, we are almost at 4,000 Subscribers, so maybe we can reach that by 2023. As always, thank you all for the continued support, and God Bless!

"It was a good plane and exceptionally reliable. I always said that I loved it like a woman." - Vasily Kuznetsov, Su-15 Pilot.
https://hushkit.net/2019/04/26/interview-w...

The Sukhoi Su-15 (NATO reporting name: Flagon) is a twinjet supersonic interceptor aircraft developed by the Soviet Union. It entered service in 1965 and remained one of the front-line designs into the 1990s. The Su-15 was designed to replace the Sukhoi Su-11 and Sukhoi Su-9, which were becoming obsolete as NATO introduced newer and more capable strategic bombers.

The Su-15 formed a significant part of the V-PVO's interceptor force, and was designed to intercept easier targets such as the American B-52 and U-2, and the British V bombers, leaving the more difficult targets such as the XB-70 and B-58 to the faster MiG-25P. The Taifun radar of the Su-15TM was optimised for counter-countermeasure operation, as opposed to range. As an interceptor, the task of the Su-15TM was to fly under autopilot, using GCI commands sent through the datalink. The radar would only be turned on as the interceptor approached the target in order to provide targeting parameters for the radar homing K-8/R-8/R-98 missiles, the high power of the radar allowing it to 'burn through' enemy ECM signals. If all else failed, IR homing versions of the K-8 would provide a last opportunity to shoot down the intruder, along with any gun pods the Su-15 might be carrying.

The Su-15 was optimised for the high-altitude interception role with its fast climb-rate and high speed at high altitude but lacked look-down/shoot-down capability, even with the Su-15TM's more sophisticated Taifun radar. This eventually led to the MiG-23P, which did have look-down/shoot-down capability, becoming the preferred asset of the V-PVO, especially once NATO switched to low-level penetration tactics. Even so, the Su-15 remained an important part of the V-PVO until the fall of the Soviet Union.

Unfortunately, it was involved in many cases of civilian aircraft shoot-downs that occurred when they entered Soviet Airspace. A moment to remember the lives lost.
Korean Air Lines Flight 902
Korean Air Lines Flight 007
1981 Armenia mid-air collision

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Song Used:
Группа Мираж - Звёзды нас ждут
   • Звёзды нас ждут  

Sources:
   • Sukhoi Su-15 NATO Code: Flagon  
   • Soukhoï Su-15  
   • Sukhoi Su-15 Interceptor  
   • Крылья России. Истребители. Борьба за...  
   • ЗАБЫТЫЕ САМОЛЁТЫ... Су-15 посвящается...  
   • Сверхзвуковой истребитель - перехватч...