The Sukhoi 24 Fencer is a fighter-bomber used by the former Soviet Union. The Su-24MR Fencer-E version pictured here had maritime reconnaissance as its primary task. It was assigned to the 11th "Vitebskii" Otdelnyi Razvedyvatielnyi Aviatsionnaya Polk (RAP), and was based at Neu-Welzow airbase near the German town of Cottbus.

The 11 RAP was formed at Goroshino near Torzhok, Kalinin, on 19 July 1942. It gained the "Vitebskii" honorary title on 11 June 1944, and the Order of the Red Banner on 10 August of that year. The unit moved to Neu-Welzow in 1951, after operating at Jekabpils and Krustpils in Latvia. At the time, Neu-Welzow was a newly renovated base, vastly expanded from its wartime use as a grass airstrip by the Luftwaffe. The 11th RAP operated various aircraft, including the Il-28, Mi-1, Il-14, Yak-12, Yak-27, and finally the Yak-28 until two escadrillyas of Fencer-Es arrived in 1986. They replaced the Yak-28I Brewer-C and Yak-28R Brewer-D in the reconnaissance role. The first escadrillya started Fencer operations in February, followed by the second escadrillya in July. At that time, a single escadrillya of Su-24MP Fencer-Fs also arrived, replacing the Yak-28PP Brewer-E in the electronic warfare mission.

The picture shown here was taken by me at Pütnitz (Damgarten) airbase during the final days of the Fencer in Germany. The Fencers were withdrawn from Welzow on 8 June 1993, and were moved to Marinovka. It is rumored that the aircraft saw action during the conflict in Chechnya.

You think this picture is BAD? Then check out the first picture of a Fencer ever released. It appeared in the 1979-80 edition of Jane's All the World's Aircraft, and the aircraft was called the Su-19. The picture is probably taken at Gross Dölln airbase, north of Berlin. This base hosted a test detachment of about 20 Fencers from 1979 to the spring of 1981. The base is well-hidden in the woods, and intelligence pictures taken here are generally from a very steep angle.

In the same edition, Jane's published an artist's impression of the aircraft. This impression left a lot to be desired...

You have now reached the end of the Su-24 home page. As you know, any self-respecting web-page is perpetually under construction! Hopefully, I'll have time to add some more stuff in the near future! Meanwhile, it may be worth checking out Alexei B. Gretchikhine's Russian Aviation Home Page: