SMOTR: Yak-38 in Afghanistan! (English subtitles)

MILITARY REVIEW Hello! "Military Review" show of NTV channel is on air. Sergey Kuznetsov is with you. Watch in this episode. Extreme conditions - Afghan flights of Yak-38. Vertically taking-off Yak-38 is a famous aircraft, but there are not very well known pages in its biography. One of them is its participation in military operations in Afghanistan. The aircraft participated in Operation "Romb" (a rhombus), flying in the harshest conditions together with Su-25. The flight program of Yak-38 in Afghanistan gave invaluable data to designers, and that data accelerated the aircraft's modernization. A real combat airplane came out as the result. There were several important events in 1974. Yak-36M finished state flight trials successfully. Mass production of Yak-36M started at Saratov Aviation Plant. Also, new unit was created in order to retrain pilots for Yak-36M. It was located in Saky town. Special sites were also built there for training on vertical take-off and landing. And an additional, metallic runway was built next to the main one. The metallic runway was simulating a deck of heavy aircraft carrying cruiser "Kiev". YURIY MITIKOV: Honored Test-Pilot of the USSR, Hero of Russia, Head of Flight Service of EDB Yakovlev - All pilots were passing training with helicopters, before they were starting flying with Yak-38 of course. - And there was a dilemma in those times, for what kind of pilots to select for VSTOL aircraft, - to take ready helicopter pilots or to take ready fighter pilots. Fifteen Air Force and Navy Aviation pilots were selected for the first row of training. Five of them leaved the training for various reasons. The Command decided that controls are quite different from a fighter in usual meaning of this word, and that's why they deliberately selected mostly young pilots. It was considered that lack of big flying experience will affect the training positively. It will allow mastering the new plane from 0 and much quicker. - Regarding pilot training... We could take any graduate of Air Force Academy with flight hours 100-120 hours, - even taking in consideration our poverty today. - We can them give him 20-30 flight hours with Yak-38 or 41 in order to make him to be able to do a circle flight. - And then we can start preparing him for deck service with no problem. - But if you want to bring a pilot with classic training scheme to the deck, then excuse me... - If he has less than 1000 flights hours then he is doomed... Scheduled retraining of the pilots was conducted intensively in Saky since 1975, from the moment when Yak-36M and its two-seat training version started being delivered to units. Scale of training was speaking for how serious were the plans for use of this VTOL aircraft. The first aircraft carrier "Kiev" was introduced in composition of the USSR's Navy in the same year. While in 1976, it conducted a passage to the North Fleet and its permanent home port, having the first planes and pilots of Feoktist Matkovskiy Regiment. The aircraft got introduced into service in 1976 and rightfully it was renamed to Yak-38, because two totally different planes shouldn't have the same name. Service was going on in full pace. Pilots practice and get trained constantly. They research possibilities for short take-off and landing, instead of vertical ones, for fuel economy and increase of take-off weight, especially in hot weather. They even conduct flights from a merchant ship, the feature which opens an unheard amplitude of use of this shturmovik. We've already said that Yak-38 was built both for the Air Force and the Navy from the start. That's why, it had to be able to operate in any climatic and geographical conditions of the Soviet Union just like any other aircraft of the Soviet Air Force. but as a deck based aircraft, it had to be able to operate from a sea-level of all possible conditions of the World Ocean. It is known that airplanes' engine thrust and lifting properties of a wing get reduced in high temperatures and low density of the air. Meanwhile, regular planes significantly increase their take-off distance, which is already big anyway. VTOL aircrafts, just like helicopters, also get their take-off weight reduced. And in order to compensate loss of thrust they force the engines just like in helicopters, using water injection in the compressor or before the turbine. Except that, contrary to helicopter, VSTOL airplanes can gather a reduced take-off weight back, thanks to lifting properties of their wings with relatively short take-off run. This is not a vertical take-off of course, but it's also not 2000-3000m long run for a simple plane. That's why the requirement of short take-off was written by the military in the scope statement of the plane together with vertical take-off capability. So, this mode had to be tested and proved by flight trials. However, in reality, only properties of the aircraft in vertical take-off mode and without forcing were proved during state trials. So, Yak-38 was accepted for service in such condition. The military probably considered mastering of short take-off as not actual any more at that time and they put it aside. The necessity for increase of take-off weight in hot weather appeared for the first time already during the first combat patrol of the "Kiev" in the Mediterranean. While when the second aircraft carrying cruiser "Minsk" was making its tour around Africa in 1979, the insufficient vertical thrust started being a serious obstacle for execution of combat tasks. It was then, when short take-off mode started being tested for taking-off from ships' decks. Mostly it was done by necessary tuning of automated systems, power-plant and working out piloting techniques. The first ground tests and the first short take-off tests from "Minsk" deck passed in late 1979. While the final stage of these trials was planned to be conducted in hot weather in late-summer of the next year, but the Lord works in mysterious ways. The order came in the very beginning of 1980, to relocate Yak-38s and form an experimental squadron, in order to research flying properties in conditions of self-dependant operating in mountainous area. The entire personnel understood everything, taking in consideration the deployment of troops in Afghanistan just couple of months ago. After necessary preparations, on 18th of April 1980, the Squadron moved to the Shindand Air Base in South-West Afghanistan. - I was a part of that team. We had 4 aircrafts and 6 pilots. - One pilot was your humble servant as representative of EDB and the industry. - Another pilot, Victor Vladimirovich Vasenkov was a representative of Quality Control System of State Committee of the Air Force. - And four others were combat pilots of Navy Aviation. - The mission was placed in following way: to demonstrate capabilities of the aircraft in highlands conditions, high temperatures conditions, - and what's most important, in conditions of real combat operations. - Not just from point of view of its tactical and combat capabilities, but also from the point of view of maintenance, - general use in such conditions and unprepared airfields. - And the most important was a very practical task to demonstrate that a mobile short runway could be built in real conditions, - with force of a real Engineering Battalion, in real timeline, and to conduct combat missions from that runway. - From the point of view of our aircraft, the task was accomplished just brilliantly. It was apparent already before beginning of trials, that the vertical take-off of Yak-38 won't be effective in conditions of Afghan highlands. From the other hand, strict requirements for runway's length didn't exist for short take-off from the ground, as they do exist on ships. So, the take-off run could be increased. Yak-38 with thrust to weight ratio more than 1, and vertical take-off capability would be unrivaled in such conditions. And it would be able to carry its full combat payload with full fuel tanks after just 500-600 meters run, and not 1.5 kilometers, which were needed for Su-25 shturmovik passing trials in the same area. Or 2.5km needed for Su-17 and MiG-27, which also were serving there. However, automatization systems of aircraft’s powerplant had to be reconfigured first for higher take-off speeds comparing to deck ones, in order to implement all capabilities of Yak-38 in ground-based conditions. And these modes of operation had to be tested, just like this had been done for ships. As it usually happens, they didn't have enough time for that and Yak-38 was taking-off in Afghanistan just after 200-250 meters from 3km long runway of Shindand Air Base, with same settings, which were configured for take-off from a short 250m long ship deck. Naturally it couldn't lift its maximum take-off weight in high temperatures of the air. Next to concrete runway of Shindand, military builders were training in construction of a sectional runway for short take-off and landing of Yak-38. After 2.5 months, to the end of trials, they finally finished a special 450m long runway, with coating made of metallic plates and fiberglass. It was believed that such coating was able to withstand to the weight, and what's most important, the effect of the jet stream rushing out of Yak-38's nozzles during short take-offs and landings. However, it became apparent soon, that the special runway is totally ill-suited for use. It was out of order literally after several short take-offs. Vertical Yaks made 107 flights in Afghanistan in total. They were flying in pairs and solo. The aircrafts were constantly escorted by Su-17 fighter-bombers. Just in slightly over a month period, the Afghan vertical project was finished. It was proved once again, that technical capabilities of the aircraft, its high thrust to weight ratio and acceleration properties must be used correctly. Especially if such machine is planned to be used in conditions of reduced air density and hot climate. The history of combat use of Yakovlev's VTOL aircraft counts very few pages. The combat missions of these machines in Afghanistan were essentially a large scale experiment, but this experience gave a lot. - No doubts, we received a lot of useful information there. - Automatization of lift-engine nozzle is a merit of Afghanistan, - because it would need a lot of time to be finished if not such an extreme situation. - While they solved it very quick there, because they hadn't any other choice. - All issues related with temperatures were also covered. Issues of dust-protection were also covered. - We demonstrated that mobile runway... After all, the main advantage of this aircraft... - It was reproached for its combat radius, but its concept is different. - The aircraft must be based 50-100km off the frontline, and not 400-500km like regular aircrafts are based. The aircraft with super-abilities was always in the center of attention. Foreign Press was constantly issuing materials about the new Soviet plane. Military experts were actively discussing training flights of Yak-38 from aircraft carriers "Minsk" and "Kiev", close to Libyan shores, and non-traditional capabilities of their combat application. However, criticism could often be heard, except of talks about its merits. Light shturmovik Yak-38 was reproached for lack of onboard radar, which was in possession of one of deck versions of Harrier family of fighters - the British fighter Sea Harrier. As it was expected the manufacturer was blamed on regular basis for short flight range, instead of the clients. The pilots themselves were complaining about insufficient combat payload of the aircraft, prior mastering of short take-off. Modernization of the plane took place in 1982 made the plane more durable and it opened aviators' appetite even more. And it's easy to understand them. Weapons are always not enough. Big experience of everyday use and combat application of Yak-38 proves that the 38 is a perfect plane, which possesses great properties for its class. It can do, what other types of aircrafts can't. More than that it also possesses a quite large potential for modernization. Experienced pilots strongly disagree with opinion that Yak-38 has insufficient thrust to weight ratio. - Regarding combat payload we hadn't any problems. We could pick up 2 tons with short take-off with no problems whatsoever. - Two tons... I don't know other planes of such class... well, SU-25 is more heavy one, of course. - From the other hand, incorrectness of such comparison also lays in fact that even if you have a dozen of Su-25s - or other planes, which are depended on with the runway, then even not because of enemy bomb hitting that runway, - but even any of planes, which made an emergency landing... renders all other planes useless. - And if we calculate the combat effectiveness using classic science and mathematics, - then two 38s, that can fly in any conditions, with or without airfield, they will accomplish missions, - while a classic layout airplane can't operate, because it hasn't a runway, and so it won't accomplish any mission. - It must be compared only in this way. Otherwise, such comparisons are not correct. Yak-38 can take-off in three possible ways: vertically, using a short run to take-off and like a regular plane using full take-off run without using the auxiliary lift engines. Yak-38 could take-off after 10-15 meters run from any asphalt covered location 3 meters wide. While at speeds of 20-30km/h and higher, it could take-off even from a sod ground - ground covered with grass. The aircraft could take-off and land vertically from concrete or covered with metal sheets sites. For multiple and often take-off from same spot, as it was happening on aircraft carrying cruisers, the surface of such spot was covered with heat-shielding tiles made of material similar to a composite epoxy material. The entire flight decks of the first four Soviet aircraft carriers "Kiev", "Minsk", "Novorossiysk" and "Baku" were covered with such tiles. A foldable platform, towed by a truck, was designed and test by remarkable test-pilot Oleg Grigoryevich Kanonenko even before Afghan trials, for a mobile dislocation of Yak-38. Vertical landing on this platform wasn't presenting any difficulties. Yak-38 demonstrated its abilities to land vertically under any conditions in Afghanistan. - The aircraft isn't visible. You can see only a cloud of dust. There is no plane. And the plane was landing inside that cloud of dust. - However, from pilot's point of view... me sitting in the cockpit for example... conditions are very comfortable, - meaning that jet streams clear a spot approximately 10-15meters in radius, where everything is perfectly visible. - The plane isn't visible from the outside of that cloud. - However, the powerplant and the automatic control system were in that dust and they worked there with no negative remarks. - Practically, we hadn't stuffed engines; we hadn't malfunctions neither in fuel system, neither anywhere else. Except that, we have to remember that somewhat higher fuel consumption during vertical take-off is compensated with excess by lack of necessity to taxi to the runway, like normal planes do. While take-off with a short run, essentially equalizes fuel consumption of Yak-38 and its classic analogs. That's why even in Afghanistan, VTOL Yaks often were more economical than their classic brothers. - We were escorted by four Su-17. I and Vasenkov were working against the ground, - while they were flying in circles at 8000m altitude, covering us, providing safety for our operation etc... - so, when we returned back to spot for landing, I saw my emergency signal lamp turning on, which means that I had 857kg of fuel left. - While Su-17 guys returned back with 300kg. - And I remember very well that when all of us got gathered there, the young Captain said in radio "We have only 300kg of fuel left. Let us land first, please." Yak-38 not just allowed as a gentleman to its colleague to land first, but after him, it landed vertically itself. This way it didn't violate strict test program of Afghan flights. The second way to take-off in the air - with a short run - is probably the most practical and the most effective usage mode. Yak-38 with max take-off weight needs only 100-150m meters to take-off from a ship going at its max speed. By modern standards, it's a length of a runway of very small aircraft carrying ship. Meanwhile it doesn't burn so much fuel as during vertical take-off. The aircraft can carry more weapons and it can fly longer distances. Just 200 meters of runway or asphalt covered road are enough for Yak-38 to take-off with max take-off weight. Another huge advantage of VSTOL as a deck aircraft is that it is much easier to fly off the deck with it. Deck pilots flying classic fighters know very well what landing on a carrier means. Landing approach must be done with the highest degree of precision. The tension is so high, that sometimes even very experienced pilots deny flying. Alas, crashes also have happened. But landing of VTOL airplanes is much easier. The plane even forgives some mistakes. - I've got over the edge of the deck at 250km/h instead of required 20-30km/h. - The weather was hideous. The visibility was poor. So, of course, I overtook the ship. - Then I calmly slowed down, hovered and started moving backwards, while the ship was coming right below me. - I couldn't see the ship or anything else - and then I suddenly hear someone from Naval Command saying "Away from the pipe! Away from the pipe!" - Meanwhile I couldn't see the pipe itself and the ship as well, - but I understood that since I am ahead and the ship is behind me, then the pipe is on my right. - So, I went a bit to the left, then I saw how the ship came under me, I moved a bit backwards, I turned and landed. That was it. In case of existing of normal runway, for example at coastal airfield, Yak-38 could always take-off with a long airplane-like run and to land airplane-like with landing parachute. However, taking off like a regular airplane had meaning only when a short take-off run was impossible. For example, in case of damage or lack of lifting engines. Because the entire power engineering of Yak-38 is used the most effectively only during short take-off. The combat effectiveness of VTOL aircrafts was proved by colleague and competitor of Yak-38 - by the British Harrier. This machine proved itself as remarkable aircraft in British-Argentinean conflict for Falkland Islands. - No doubt that Harrier finished the Falklands. If there were no Harriers it's not quite obvious how this would end. - That's a fact and no one can do anything about it. - But Yak-38 was the first one in combat, because it was in 1980. - Despite that it didn't bring such a combat effect like Harrier did at Falklands, but there were other tasks and other situation. The indigenous VTOL aircraft also had a chance to show itself in severe, hot, high-altitude Afghanistan. Light ground-attack aircraft Yak-38 with an exceptionally flexible stationing, with combat payload 1.5-2 tons, and reaction time not more than 5 minutes, would become an irreplaceable Close Air Support mean and it would save not only many soldiers lives, but helicopter pilots too, who were accomplishing these missions under enemy fire paying a big price in blood. Anyhow, Yak-38 is one of the best representatives of a small elite family of jet VTOL airplanes. The Saratov Aviation Plant built and delivered to Navy Aviation of the USSR more than 230 Yak-38 shturmoviks in 15 years of serial production. They comprised a serious strike force of the first four Soviet aircraft carriers aka aircraft carrying heavy cruisers "Kiev", "Minsk", "Novorossiysk" and "Baku", which were accepted for service with the Navy. About 200 combat pilots served with these planes in 17 years of their service in three Deck Attack Aviation Regiments in Crimea, the North and the Pacific Fleets. While the first and the only pilot of deck aviation, who was awarded by title of Hero of the Soviet Union, was one of the first (by all meanings) combat pilots of VTOL airplanes. That was Yuriy Ivanovich Churilov. At that time, in 1984, he was the Commander of Deck Attack Aviation Regiment, which was operating from aircraft carriers of the Pacific Fleet - "Minsk" and "Novorossiysk". Years have passed however. And very soon, the 18th of February 2008 will mark the 30th anniversary of rising of Navy flag at "Minsk" aircraft carrier. And we congratulate veterans of aircraft carrier fleet and deck aviation with this anniversary. Development of Yak-36 and Yak-38 gave an invaluable experience in design of aircrafts with vertical take-off and landing to our engineers. However, VTOL aircrafts disappeared quite quickly from the decks of aircraft carrying cruisers, despite that the aircraft was complying with all main requirements of the Navy. While the ships themselves were urgently sold out at cost of scrap. Yakovlev Experimental Design Bureau was already working on a new project at that moment - the Yak-41. And it had to become a basic deck fighter on the four aircraft carriers of "Kiev" class and on aircraft carriers of new generation "Kuznetsov" and "Varyag". Events of early 90s didn't allow finishing the project. However, despite all the troubles and specifically to Yakovlev EDB, Russia still is one of two countries in the World, which can build sterling Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircrafts. The "Smotr" show says good bye to you for a week. See you next time on NTV Channel.