The upgraded version of the iconic Su-25 strike aircraft comes equipped with new engines, digital avionics and advanced fire-and-forget weapons.
Su-25BM 558 ARZ, strike aircraft, USSR, rank VII. Event aircraft.
Features:
- HUD and MFD in the cockpit
- Fire-and-forget weapons: Kh-29T and KAB-500Kr
In the mid-2010s, the Belarusian 558 Aircraft Repair Plant developed an upgrade program of the Sukhoi Su-25 attack aircraft. The program included upgrading the aircraft for the use of advanced weapons, installing new navigation and targeting systems, as well as a digital HUD in the cockpit. This program was presented to the public at an aircraft exhibition in Minsk in 2017 and interested foreign operators of the Su-25. The plant received an order for the modernization of Bulgarian and Kazakhstani strike aircraft. Also according to some data, aircraft of the Air Force and Air Defence Forces of the Republic of Belarus were also upgraded under the program.
The main aviation prize in the big War Thunder event is the Su-25BM 558 ARZ strike aircraft in service with the air forces of Kazakhstan and Belarus. The new aircraft differs from the basic version having a new power plant, and most importantly, upgraded targeting and navigation electronics, which allows the use of more advanced types of weapons.
The primary good news for pilots is the digital avionics of the new aircraft. A multifunctional display (MFD) and an HUD indication are now available in the cockpit view. The updated avionics make it possible to use advanced air-to-surface weapons. In addition to the truly diverse arsenal of the basic Su-25, the Su-25BM 558 ARZ offers Kh-29T missiles with a TV guidance system (up to two missiles at a time), as well as KAB-500Kr guided bombs (up to four of them). Both new weapons are of the “fire and forget” type, preventing the target from detecting incoming munition with its radar warning system.
High-torque, maneuverable and fast enough, the Su-25BM with an armored cockpit and protection of vital components has no obvious shortcomings. It is ideal for attacking ground targets, both in the old fashioned way with unguided rockets and bombs, as well as with advanced avionics. Guided missiles R-60M and R-73 give a good chance to defend against enemy aircraft. What you should avoid on the Su-25BM is speeding in a level flight or dive, where a heavy attack aircraft has a chance to lose control and collapse even at speeds of about 1,000 km/h.
The special Su-25BM 558 ARZ will be an excellent alternative to the basic version of the Su-25 if you already have the Frogfoot in your hangar. If not, then the Su-25BM 558 ARZ will be a real discovery for fans of aviation and mixed game modes, especially since getting it in the game won't be so difficult!
