News Georgia's first restored Su-25 takes flight

[Blog Before Flight]

On March 6, 2021, Georgia's first restored Su-25 (or Je-31 Bora) ground attack aircraft performed its maiden flight, according to the Georgian Military Department.

The restoration and modernization of the aircraft was carried out by the local firm Tbilisi Aircraft Manufacturing (TAM). The aircraft will be used for combat and training missions.

The resumption of Su-25 production at the TAM facility was announced in 2020 by Irakli Garibashvili, former Georgian Defense Minister, after sharing the nation's plan to resume manufacturing combat aircraft for domestic and international customers. Read more here

 

[Fuzuli NL]

So Tibilisi Aircraft has a stock of 50 aircraft and is the sole manufacurer to have all the documentation for the type, yet Georgian AF operates 13 only and has to get them restored!
Why wouldn't they just start manufacturing brand new aircraft with the new equipment?

 

[TR_123456]

So Tibilisi Aircraft has a stock of 50 aircraft and is the sole manufacurer to have all the documentation for the type, yet Georgian AF operates 13 only and has to get them restored!
Why wouldn't they just start manufacturing brand new aircraft with the new equipment?

It is explained in the link.

 

[Fuzuli NL]

It is explained in the link.

Not really. If you mean the engines, then why not get them for more aircraft from the sources mentioned?
If it's the spare parts, well, they have all the drawings to produce them themselves.
Have I missed anything?

 

[Oryx]

Not really. If you mean the engines, then why not get them for more aircraft from the sources mentioned?
If it's the spare parts, well, they have all the drawings to produce them themselves.
Have I missed anything?

TAM doesn't have the capability to produce the many types of parts that have to be fitted to each Su-25 (think of engines, avionics etc), and it can't source them from Russia either. It tried to produce a westernized version of the Su-25 under the designation of Ge-31 'Bora' some ten years ago, but it appears that the project went nowhere.

 

[Fuzuli NL]

TAM doesn't have the capability to produce the many types of parts that have to be fitted to each Su-25 (think of engines, avionics etc), and it can't source them from Russia either. It tried to produce a westernized version of the Su-25 under the designation of Ge-31 'Bora' some ten years ago, but it appears that the project went nowhere.

Great Info! Thank you!