ISRAEL AIRCRAFT Industries (IAI) is offering an upgrade package for the Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter variable-geometry ground-attack fighter. Negotiations are under way with two unnamed air forces, which operate the aircraft.
IAI's Lahav military-aircraft division has so far concentrated on upgrading the Mikoyan MiG-21 Fishbed. The design of an upgrade package for the Su-22 was completed in mid-1994, after a potential market had been identified in Eastern Europe.
The package is aimed at enabling the aging aircraft to carry smart weapons such as laser-guided bombs (LGBs). The Israeli company is offering weapons such as the Griffin LGB as part of the package, along with an advanced electronic-warfare self-protection suite.
IAI sources say that negotiations with one potential customer have reached an advanced stage, with the possibility of signing a deal by the end of the year.
Source: Flight International
