The U.S. Air Force National Museum has added strength to its Cold War Gallery with a mysterious new addition a Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker with a mysterious history and past owners ranging from Ukraine to private American companies. Unveiled September 26, 2023, the museum announced that this two-seater trainer variant Su-27UB, which once served with the Ukrainian air force, is now a relic of the past and has entered the elite ranks of historical military aviation aircraft on exhibit.
The Flanker’s history to the USAF museum is one of intrigue. Originally acquired by the Ukrainian Government, the airplane (c/n 9631040802, f/n 05-02, assembled on March 30, 1988) ended up in the United States not for warfare but for a very different mission oil and gas exploration. Terralliance Technologies acquired the Su-27s later for its oil exploration company, only for the enterprise to collapse due to financial issues.
It then bounced from one organization to the next, such as Pride Aircraft and Tactical Air Support the latter famous for operating private enemy air services to the United States military. The FAA records prove a certificate of airworthiness issued in December 2009 and another one in 2010. The Flanker, which was painted with Ukrainian splinter camouflage and at one stage registered N132SU, later also had its U.S. registration removed in 2018.
What the Su-27s were employed for post-Terralliance is not entirely clear, and rumors have ranged from adversary support to inclusion in the foreign material exploitation program of the U.S. Air Force. During the Cold War, in the classified program Constant Peg, the USAF had covertly purchased Soviet jets such as the MiG-17, MiG-21, and MiG-23 to evaluate and train against.
