Su-27
The Soviet Air Force began receiving Su-27s in June 1985. It officially entered service in August 1990.
On 13 September 1987, a fully armed Soviet Su-27, Red 36, intercepted a Norwegian Lockheed P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft flying over the Barents Sea. The Soviet fighter jet performed different close passes, colliding with the reconnaissance aircraft on the third pass. The Su-27 disengaged and both aircraft landed safely at their bases.
These aircraft were used by the Russian Air Force during the 1992–1993 war in Abkhazia against Georgian forces. One fighter, piloted by Major Vaclav Alexandrowich Shipko (Вацлав Александрович Шипко) was reported shot down by an S-75M Dvina on 19 March 1993 while intercepting Georgian Su-25's performing close air support. The pilot was killed.
In the 2008 South Ossetia War, Russia used Su-27s to gain airspace control over Tskhinvali, the capital city of South Ossetia.
On 7 February 2013, two Su-27s briefly entered Japanese airspace off Rishiri Island near Hokkaido, flying south over the Sea of Japan before turning back to the north.[30] FourMitsubishi F-2 fighters were scrambled to visually confirm the Russian planes,[31] warning them by radio to leave their airspace.[32] A photo taken by a JASDF pilot of one of the two Su-27s was released by the Japan Ministry of Defense.[33] Russia denied the incursion, saying the jets were making routine flights near the disputed Kuril Islands.[30] In another encounter near Japan, in 2014 a Su-27 nearly collided with an American RC-135.
Ethiopia
Ethiopian Su-27s reportedly shot down two Eritrean MiG-29s and damaged another one in February 1999 and destroyed another two in May 2000.[37][38] The Su-27s were also used in CAP (Combat Air Patrol) missions, suppression of air defense, and providing escort for fighters on bombing and reconnaissance missions.[39] The EtAF used their Su-27s to deadly effect, bombing Islamist garrisons and patrolling the airspace. The Su-27 has replaced the aging Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, which was the main fighter of the EtAF between 1977 and 1999, as Ethiopia's main air superiority fighter.
