Su-37 Terminator

The Sukhoi Su-37 Terminator is a super-maneuverable thrust vectoring fighter derived from an Su-35 prototype. The Su-37 represents a new level of capability compared with the Su-27 and Su-35.

History
The Su-37 test aircraft made its maiden flight in April 1996 from the Zhukovsky flight testing center near Moscow. This impressive single-seat all-weather counter-air fighter and ground attack aircraft, derived from the Su-27, has an updated airframe containing a high proportion of carbon-fibre and Al-Li alloy. The engines, avionics and armaments are also improvements on those originally installed in the Su-27. The AL-37FU engines are configured for thrust vector control, with the axisymmetric steerable thrust vector control nozzle is fixed on a circular turning unit. The steel nozzle in the experimental engines is replaced in production engines by titanium units to reduce the weight of the nozzle. The nozzle only moves in the pitch axis, and the nozzles on the two engines can deflect together or differentially to achieve the desired thrust vector for a particular maneuver.

Description
The Su-37 has a variety of innovative equipment such as a radar configured for simultaneous surveillance of airspace and the ground and a high-precision satellite navigation system. The all-weather digital multi-mode phased array radar operates in either air and ground surveillance modes or in both modes simultaneously. Ground surveillance modes include mapping (with Doppler beam sharpening), search-and-track targets, synthetic aperture radar and terrain avoidance. The Su-37 is also equipped with a rearward facing radar in the tail stinger area of the fuselage. The Su-37 features fly-by-wire and relaxed static instability, which along with 3D thrust vectoring give the aircraft tremendous agility. It incorporates state of the art ECM in wing-tip pods, allowing improved survivability in electronic warfare environments.

The Su-37 can carry air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons on 12 hardpoints. The number of missiles and bombs carried can be increased to 14 with the use of multi-payload racks. It is also said that tests have been complete with Missiles mounted backwards on the racks and it is said that it can fire at targets in the six o'clock area, with out bore-sight equipment. The Su-37 no longer exists, for after the first one, 711, was reverted to the Su-35, then crashed soon after and no information on the second Su-37 has been available. Although it never went into operational service, its legacy lives on within the recently unveiled Su-35BM, which features three-dimensional Thrust Vectoring and advanced avionics systems of Russian origin which go beyond the capabilities of the former Su-35 Super Flanker and Su-37.

Ace Squadrons/Pilots

 * FEAF 156th TFS/Yellow (Aquila) Squadron (FEAF/AC4)
 * BAF 5th AD, 23rd TFS Gelb Squadron (Yellow)(BAF/ACZ)
 * Chimera Squadron (LAF/ACXi)
 * Reiher (Heron)(BAF/ACZ)
 * Trombe (Whirlwind) (BAF/ACZ)
 * Sorrow (LAF/ACX)

Standard Weapons

 * Gun: 1x 30mm GSh-30-1 Autocannon
 * Missile: R-60 (AA-8 "Aphid")

Special Weapons

 * FAEB: BLU-95 - ACZ/ACX
 * XLAA: Vympel R-33 (AA-9 "Amos") - ACZ/ACX
 * QAAM: Vympel R-73 (AA-11 "Archer") - AC04/ACX/AC5

Ace Combat 5

 * Speed: 83
 * Mobility: 93
 * Stability: 76
 * Defense: 66
 * Air-to-Air: 96
 * Air-to-Ground: 59

Ace Combat X2: Joint Assault
This aircraft has not yet been confirmed to appear in Ace Combat X2.

Comparable Aircraft
thumb|250px|Su-37 in flight
 * F-15S/MTD
 * Typhoon
 * MiG-1.44 Flatpack
 * Su-47 Berkut
 * F-22A Raptor

Related Development

 * Su-37 Super Flanker
 * Su-37R Super Flanker
 * Su-27 Flanker
 * Su-30 Flanker-C
 * Su-33D Naval Flanker
 * Su-35 Super Flanker