Russian and foreign military experts praise the capabilities of the targeting systems equipping the Russian Aerospace Force planes used in the operation against the Russia-banned Islamic State terrorist group in Syria.
The experts are surprised at the accuracy of strikes against terrorist targets, considering that the Aerospace Force is using mostly upgraded Sukhoi Su-24M (NATO reporting name: Fencer) tactical bombers and Su-25 (Frogfoot) attack aircraft carrying free-fall bombs. According to expert opinion, the use of smart weapons, such as guided bombs of various calibers and laser-guided air-to-surface missiles, by advanced Su-34 (Fullback) and upgraded Su-24M tactical bombers is aimed at testing them in the field. In addition, this sharpens the competitive edge of the Russian-made aircraft and air-launched weapons on the global arms market.
The bulk of the sorties flown to date falls on the upgraded warplanes developed as far back as the Soviet times. The operation in Syria proves graphically that the upgrade has given them quite a shot in the arm. Western experts believe that the avionics suites of the Su-24Ms and Su-25SMs have been furnished with a system using the SITREP (Situation Report) technology allowing a reduction in the circular error probable (CEP) of gravity bombs delivered from an altitude of 6,000 m down to 4 m, which is close enough to the CEP of up-to-date Russian and foreign smart weapons.
The Su-24M tactical bombers are known to have been fitted with the SVP-24 targeting system from Russian defense contractor Gefest & T. All of the aircraft of the type are expected to be equipped with the system. The upgrade does not modify the cockpit instrumentation. The SVP-24 enables the Su-24M to use a panoply of weapons against ground targets with surgical accuracy under any weather and climatic conditions. According to open sources, the advanced targeting system affords free-fall bombs the accuracy similar to that of smart bombs. The SVP-24 is designed specifically for employing non-guided munitions, though the Su-24M’s weapons suite includes guided munitions as well.
The development of the system has enabled Russia to slash the costs of its military operation against the Islamic State sharply. The cost of advanced smart weapons has grown. The need of their massive use during the air operation, highlighted by the recent western campaigns in Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq, drives the military spending up by far. This would not be affordable to Russia, given the new economic situation. However, the development of sophisticated targeting systems has enabled the Russian Aerospace Force to take out targets with the highest precision, using a huge stockpile of munitions, which cost is negligible in comparison with that of guided air bombs. In addition, in this context, it is worth quoting Russian President Vladimir Putin as saying that the operation in Syria "will not place a considerable burden on the budget", because "some of the funds set aside for exercises have been simply re-allocated for the operations of our Aerospace Force."
Thus, targeting systems similar to the SVP-24 enable the armed service to both conduct accurate air strikes and stop using expensive smart weapons en masse. Thus, the SVP-24 can be regarded as an asymmetric response to the large-scale fielding of precision-guided bombs and cruise missiles with the air forces of Western countries. "While NATO, especially the United States, is investing hugely into precision-guided weapons and a total surveillance system, Russia is using its technical savvy to minimize the costs," experts with Austrian publication Contra Magazin wrote in an article.