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| {{Infobox Aircraft | | {|{{Infobox aircraft begin |
| |name = Songrim SR-6 | | | name = Songrim SR-6 |
| |type = {{wp|Attack_aircraft|Strike bomber}} | | | image = NavalAviationRefueling2018-05.jpg|300px |
| |national origin = {{flag|Menghe}} | | | caption = SR-6N in queue for in-air refueling |
| |manufacturer = Songrim Aviation Factory | | | alt = |
| |image = File:Sunglin_SL_6.png
| | }}{{Infobox aircraft type |
| |caption = Three-side view of the SR-6N
| | |type = {{wp|Attack_aircraft|Strike bomber}} |
| |designer = Sŏng-Lim Aviation Design Bureau | | |national origin = [[Democratic People's Republic of Menghe|DPRM]] |
| |first flight = 1977 | | |manufacturer = Songrim Aircraft Design Bureau |
| |introduction = 1980 | | |designer = |
| |status = In Service | | |first flight = |
| |number built = | | |introduced = 1980 |
| |program cost = | | |retired = |
| |produced = 1979-2003 | | |status = |
| |unit cost = $22 million (2003) | | |primary user = [[Menghe]] |
| |primary user = {{flag|Menghe}} | | |more users = |
| |more users = {{flag|Qusayn}} | | |produced = 1980-1998 |
| |variants with their own articles = | | |number built = 625 |
| | |program cost = |
| | |unit cost = |
| | |developed from = {{wp|Sukhoi Su-24|Orlov Or-24}} |
| | |variants with their own articles = |
| }} | | }} |
| | |} |
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| The '''Songrim SR-6''' is a {{wp|Supersonic_speed|supersonic}}, all-weather {{wp|Attack_aircraft|strike bomber}} and {{wp|Interdictor|interdiction}} aircraft developed in [[Menghe]]. Its notable features include {{wp|Variable-sweep_wing|variable-sweep wings}}, each with swiveling hardpoints, and a side-by-side cockpit. Currently, the main operator of the SR-6 is the [[Menghe|Socialist Republic of Menghe]], though it has also been exported to other countries such as [[Qusayn]] and [[Ummayah]]. | | The '''Songrim SR-6''' ([[Menghean_Army_designation_scheme#Formal_designation|Formal designation]]: 송림 6호 공격기 / 松林六號攻擊機, ''Songrim Ryuk-ho Gonggyŏkgi'', "Songrim No.6 Attack Plane;" [[Menghean_Army_designation_scheme#Short_designation|Short designation]] 송림-6 ''Songrim-Ryuk'' "Songrim-3") is a {{wp|Supersonic_speed|supersonic}}, all-weather {{wp|Attack_aircraft|strike bomber}} and {{wp|Interdictor|interdiction}} aircraft built in [[Menghe]]. It originated as a license-produced version of the [[Letnia]]n {{wp|Sukhoi Su-24|Orlov Or-24}}, but developed in parallel into its own family of variants. It remains in service with Menghean Army and Naval Aviation, though it is no longer in production, and has been steadily supplemented by the [[Songrim SR-8]]. |
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| ==Development== | | ==Design and Development== |
| During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the '''Menghe People’s Air Force''' relied primarily on the [[Daesŭngri DS-2]]B for its {{wp|Close_air_support|close air support}} missions. Though light and maneuverable, the DS-2B suffered from a small payload and a relatively limited range, constraining its effectiveness on the battlefield. It also lacked advanced navigation and radar systems, limiting it to daylight attacks in clear weather. Heavier tactical bombers met some of these requirements, but still lagged behind in others, and were not always appropriate for the CAS role. | | ===Domestic design efforts=== |
| | During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Menghean People's Army relied primarily on the [[Songrim SR-3]] for its {{wp|Close_air_support|close air support}} missions. Though rugged and reliable, the SR-3 had a modest payload and a relatively limited range. It also lacked ground-search and terrain-following radar, limiting it to daytime attacks in clear weather. |
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| Rather than fitting these improvements into the DS-2 airframe, which was deemed too light for the radical changes needed, Air Force High Command decided to procure a new aircraft altogether. The program, initiated in 1973, called for a "Large Tactical Attack Aircraft" with an 8,000-kilogram payload – four times that of the DS-2B.
| | Responding to these constraints, in 1976 the Menghean Ministry of Defense issued a requirement for a new strike bomber with an 8,000-kilogram payload and a 1,000-kilometer strike range. The Yŏng'an design bureau drew up a proposal with fixed swept wings and wing-root engines, in some respects a scaled-down [[Yŏng'an Y-4|Y-4]], but it was rejected before work on a prototype could begin. Songrim also expressed interest in the competition, but its design team was working full-time to correct problems with the [[Songrim SR-7|SR-7]] interceptor, and anticipated lengthy delays for a fully domestic design. |
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| Initial design attempts were hampered by the contradictory nature of the project requirements, which essentially called for mating a tactical bomber’s range and payload onto an airframe with the speed and performance of a light strike aircraft. The Sŏngrim design team was the first to meet the requirement. Its first proposal followed a delta-wing layout, with two high-power turbojets providing thrust and four smaller "lifting engines" providing additional power for short takeoffs and landings. This proposal never made it past the drawing board, however, as the secondary engines consumed valuable space and payload weight without contributing to in-flight performance.
| | ===License production=== |
| | Eventually, the Ministry of Defense opted to pursue a production contract with [[Letnia]] for the {{wp|Sukhoi Su-24|Orlov Or-24}}, which met all of the project's requirements and could be ordered into production more quickly. [[Sim Jin-hwan]] had favored a fully domestic design, in line with the [[Daesŭngri DS-5|DS-5]] and SR-7, but eventually he gave in to the Orlov option as it was the most practical. Eight Or-24 baseline kits were shipped to Menghe in 1978 for assembly, and in 1980 full-rate production began at a new Songrim facility in Sunchang. |
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| Unimpressed with these delta-wing designs, the Songrim design team decided to start over with a new "swing-wing" prototype. This effort drew on experience the Daesŭngri design bureau had gained from its [[Daesŭngri DS-5|DS-5]] fighter, which had already been approved for service, and the multiple variable-geometry attack aircraft in service with other nations. In addition to matching the speed, payload, and maneuverability requirements, this format also permitted shorter takeoffs and landings, thereby overcoming one major fault of the DS-2 family. The first variable-sweep prototype passed its trials in 1976, slightly exceeding the design requirements for payload and high-altitude speed. Impressed, the People’s Air Force ordered the aircraft into production as the Sŏngrim SR-6. Full-scale production began in 1977, with deliveries to front-line units beginning in 1980.
| | ===Improvements=== |
| | This initial SR-6G variant was based on the baseline Or-24, with the three-pronged nose probe, fin-base braking parachute, and early-model targeting scope. In the same year it entered service, the DPRM began production of the DS-5D and SR-3D, both of which used the Kayra-23 laser targeting system to guide anti-tank missiles and guided bombs. The SR-6G, which lacked this system, could not use the {{wp|Kh-25|YGJ-40}} anti-tank missile, only the anti-radiation {{wp|Kh-28|YJG-42}} and unguided bombs. |
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| ==Design==
| | In response, Songrim developed the SR-6N, an improved variant with greater support for guided munitions. This variant added the Kayra-23 laser and electro-optical pod in a distinct centerline gondola under the fuselage. To make room for this system, the designers removed the 23mm rotary cannon, which performed poorly against armored targets in test runs. The layout of the braking parachute container was modified, and a ram air intake at the base of the tail fin was added to cool the generator system. The original three-pronged nose probe was retained, as was the original radar set, and no in-flight refueling probe was added; these features distinguish the SR-6N from the Or-24M, a contemporaneous modernization in Letnia which was not exported to Menghe. |
| ===Layout===
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| The most central feature of the Songrim SR-6 is its {{wp|Variable-sweep_wing|variable-geometry wing}} arrangement. Adjusted by a hydraulic system in the upper fuselage, the outer wing sections can be set to a leading-edge angle of 71 degrees for supersonic sprints, 17 degrees for takeoff and landing, or 40 degrees for efficient cruising. Long {{wp|Leading-edge_slats|leading-edge slats}} and {{wp|Flap_(aeronautics)#Types|double-slotted flaps}} on the trailing edge allow for a takeoff speed of just 235 kilometers per hour, allowing the SR-6 to be based from shorter fields than previous tactical bombers while retaining a large payload capacity. The tail elevators are {{wp|Stabilator|all-moving control surfaces}}, while the rudder follows a conventional trailing-edge design.
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| Another unique feature of the SR-6 is its side-by-side cockpit, with the pilot sitting on the left and the copilot/{{wp|Weapon_systems_officer|WSO}} sitting on the right. This layout was chosen to give the WSO a wider field of view ahead of the aircraft, important when carrying out the gun and rocket attacks which designers initially considered important to the SR-6’s role. In addition to duplicated flying controls, the WSO station has a targeting scope which can be linked to hardpoint-mounted cameras or, on SR-6N variants, the built-in targeting system. The forward canopy is divided into four sections, unique for aircraft of this size, with two forward-folding hatches just aft of these allowing for entry and exit. Both crew members are provided with {{wp|Ejection_seat#Zero-zero_ejection_seat|zero-zero ejection seats}}, particularly important given the aircraft’s reliance on low-level flight for ground-attack and interdiction.
| | ==Operational history== |
| | ===Polvokian Civil War=== |
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| Unlike previous Menghe aircraft, the SR-6 also pioneered a slightly different landing gear arrangement. Rather than pairing two wheels along the same axis, the rear two landing gear elements featured paired inline wheels. This arrangement was intended to maximize space for long hardpoint loads such as fuel tanks and large missiles; by folding directly forward and upward into fairings on either side of the intakes, the landing gear left a great deal of space beneath the centerline, and did not interfere with the innermost wing hardpoints. The forward covering for the rear landing gear wells also serves as an airbrake when opened, and can be deployed in flight independent of the side coverings and landing gear to slow the aircraft. The landing gear struts themselves proved simple, sturdy, and rugged, but they also concentrated contact with the ground close on either side of the aircraft’s center of gravity. Combined with the height of the landing gear, intended to leave more room for installing and servicing missiles and bombs, this increased the risk that a landing aircraft could tip left or right on landing.
| | ===Ummayan Civil War=== |
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| ===External Payloads=== | | ===Innominadan Crisis=== |
| [[File:Songrim_SL-6B_ordnance_guides.png|300px|thumb|right|Diagram showing possible armament options for the SR-6N, matched with the hardpoints that can support them.]]Total payload for the SR-6 is listed as 8,500 kilograms, though it is possible to carry a payload of up to 9,700 kilograms by taking off with low fuel and refueling from a tanker aircraft once airborne. External payloads are carried on thirteen hardpoints: four under each wing, and five under the fuselage. Six of the eight wing hardpoints are fitted on the variable-geometry sections, and automatically swivel as the wings rotate to maintain a constant orientation in relation to the airflow. Those under the fuselage are arranged in an "X" shape, with two forward, two behind, and one in the center. Both of the innermost wing hardpoints are rated to a maximum weight of 4,000 kilograms each, allowing the SR-6 to carry large air-to-surface missiles.
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| Payload options were already diverse when the first aircraft entered service, and have only grown in number with subsequent upgrades. Options range from gun-pods and mine dispensers to long-range cruise missiles, with a variety of datalinks, jammers, and reconnaissance sensors available for special-purpose missions. The SR-6 is also compatible with short-range heat-seeking missiles, and often carries one on each of the outermost hardpoints for self-defense, but cannot target {{wp|Active_radar_homing|active}} or {{wp|Semi-active_radar_homing|semi-active}} radar-guided missiles. Prior to 1989, payload options included nuclear bombs and missiles, making the SR-6 the lightest Menghe aircraft capable of carrying out a nuclear strike. With the introduction of more electronically advanced munitions, the SR-6N has increasingly been used to deliver standoff munitions, though unguided iron bombs remain a large and crucial element of Menghean Army Aviation's arsenal.
| | ===Menghean inventory=== |
| | With the introduction of the [[Songrim SR-8]], which has a higher payload and combat radius in addition to its air-to-air capability, most surviving SR-6s have been steadily disbanded in favor of advanced multirole units. |
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| ===Gun Armament===
| | Ministry of National Defense records indicate that 26 SR-6 airframes were lost in peacetime accidents since 1987, and 17 were lost during combat operations. |
| The initial design requirement called for a powerful autocannon capable of engaging light armored vehicles, and Sŏngrim’s prototypes all included this feature. On the SR-6G, this consisted of a BGP-30-2 autocannon in a permanent centerline pod below the fuselage. Although it used the same 30mm electrically-fused cartridge as the KAP-30-2 (later used in the [[DGJP-230 Jaebŏngtŭl]]), and shared a {{wp|Gast_gun|gast-principle layout}}, it was a unique weapon in all other respects, relatively lightweight and compact for use on aircraft. Rate of fire was 3,000 rounds per minute, or 50 rounds per second. The ammunition compartment above the gun carried 400 30mm rounds in a mixed chain of armor-piercing and high-explosive, and could be reloaded through a slot on the underside.
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| Operational use during the [[Ummayan Civil War]], however, found that the SR-6 was better-suited to standoff payloads and area bombing than strafing attacks. Additionally, pilots found the strike aircraft too clumsy to engage in gun-fights with air-superiority fighters, instead relying on heat-seeking air-to-air missiles and air-superiority escorts. When designing the SR-6N upgraded version, the design team removed the gun and replaced it with an integrated electro-optical targeting system, using the underline bulge and ammunition compartment to store the electronics. If gun-attacks are needed, 30mm and 22mm cannons can still be attached to the hardpoints in external gunpods.
| | Menghean Army Aviation still operates 138 SR-6 bombers as of December 2019, divided into three electronic warfare squadrons of SR-6JJs and eight ground-attack squadrons of SR-6Ds. The Menghean Navy operates an additional 112 SR-6HGs, updated with modern surface-search radars and ECM equipment. Up to 90 SR-6Ns may remain in reserve-capable storage. |
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| ===Performance===
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| [[File:SL6_Flyby.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Two SR-6Ns at a Menghean airshow in 2007.]]Thrust is provided by two SRS-72 {{wp|Turbojet|turbojets}}, each of which produces 110 kN thrust with afterburner and 78 kN without. Though squared off in its middle section, the rear fuselage gradually curves around the engines and exhaust tubes in an ovoid shape to reduce drag. The SR-6 can exceed Mach 2.4 at high altitude, but in low-level flight it can reach less than half of that; the high-altitude function, though mostly unnecessary for the Army, was included in the design as part of the Navy’s requirement for a long-range strike aircraft. To increase range further, a refueling probe is fitted within the nose. When extended, it protrudes vertically from the section behind the radar set, hooking forward at the end to catch refueling probes.
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| ===Electronics===
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| All-weather strike capability was a major part of the SR-6's state requirements, and featured prominently in the design. An all-new navigation suite allows it to fly at night and under low-visibility conditions, and the addition of a Satellite Navigation system on the SR-6N further improved this capability. The surface-search radar in the nose is designed to pick up large ground targets, and a smaller radio antenna on the underside allows the aircraft to automatically maintain a low but safe altitude over terrain during low-level penetration flights.
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| The SR-6N variant built on these features considerably. One core upgrade was the addition of the new "Ranmu-1" targeting suite, installed in place of the centerline gun. This system consisted of a variable-zoom infrared camera and laser designator in a rotating "turret," allowing the WSO to observe and track ground targets independently of the aircraft’s bearing and angle of attack. Also included in the "Ranmu-1" system was a variable-frequency datalink antenna, capable of sending course updates to certain air-to-ground missiles. Both of these features eliminated the need for most external targeting and datalink pods, freeing up more space for other munitions. Other changes in the SR-6N included the addition of a radar-warning and jamming pod at the top of the tail fin and the installation of more advanced radar-warning antennas in the wing roots.
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| No variant of the SR-6 is capable of carrying or targeting radar-guided air-to-air missiles. The nose radar is only a surface-search set, not optimized for tracking and guidance against air targets, and the aircraft itself is not built for prolonged air-to-air combat. Its successor, the SR-8, has greater maneuverability as well as the ability to carry radar-guided AAMs.
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| ==Variants== | | ==Variants== |
| [[File:Sunglin_SL-6M_Naval_Strike_color_shaded.png|300px|thumb|right|SR-6HG land-based naval variant with two [[YDH-28]] anti-ship missiles.]]
| | ;'''SR-6G:''' |
| *'''Songrim SR-6G''': original service variant introduced in 1998. Armed with a built-in 30mm cannon, but fitted with older electronics. Most have been withdrawn from Menghean service, but they remain common in less-wealthy countries like [[Qusayn]].
| | :Initial 1980 production version, based on the baseline Or-24. 76 built. |
| *'''Songrim SR-6N''': upgraded Army variant first seen in 2008. Features a number of electronics upgrades, including a larger radar set and improved electronic warfare countermeasures. The 30mm cannon, originally mounted under the hull, was removed to make room for a built-in electro-optical system and laser designator.
| | ;'''SR-6N:''' |
| *'''Songrim SR-6HG''': purpose-designed variant for the [[Menghean Navy]]’s land-based wings, first entering service in 1982. Compared with the SR-6N, it features a wider nose with a more powerful surface-search radar.
| | :Improved version introduced in 1983. Carries a laser targeting pod in place of the gun, and features changes to the vertical stabilizer. 275 built, accounting for close to half of all DS-6 production. |
| *'''Songrim SR-6HM''' (Hanggong-Muham): carrier-based version, based on a 1979 proposal but only put into service in 1999. In addition to the electronics upgrades carried over from the SR-6N, it was fitted with a tailhook and reinforced landing gear, and made use of corrosion-resistant materials. These required high sacrifices in other areas, however, and as of 2014 all SR-6SKs have been removed from service in favor of the SR-8SK.
| | ;'''SR-6HG:''' |
| | | :Dedicated naval strike version for the Menghean People's Navy. Easily recognizable for its widened nose containing a long-range sea-search radar. The inboard pylons were also strengthened, and can support the [[YDH-23]] heavy anti-ship missile. 118 built between 1984 and 1989. |
| ==Service==
| | ;'''SR-6HM:''' |
| ===Menghe===
| | :Proposed CATOBAR modification for carrier-based operations. One airframe was completed in 1985, but it was apparently never tested aboard the Haebang-class carriers; the lighter DS-5HMG was used instead. |
| The first operational aircraft entered service with the Menghe People’s Air Force on June 15, 1980, as the Songrim SR-6G. The SR-6HG followed in 1982, assigned to the Navy’s coastal defense units. The Songrim SR-8 is intended as a replacement, but for the time being the SR-6N is being kept in service even as the SR-6G is withdrawn. It is estimated that roughly 1,200 SR-6 strike aircraft of all variants are currently in Menghean service.
| | ;'''SR-6D:''' |
| | | :Improved variant introduced in 1992, after Menghe gained access to improved electronics. It has a thoroughly redesigned nose section with an {{wp|AN/APG-67}} radar for ground mapping and terrain following. 113 built. |
| The [[Menghean Navy]] also operates several wings of SR-6HGs, the navalized variant with a more powerful surface-search radar set in the nose. This variant can be used to carry anti-ship weapons ranging from the enormously heavy [[YDH-23]] to the lighter [[YDH-28]] and [[YDJ-82]]. In order to carry the full strike set of two YDH-23s and a large centerline fuel tank, the SR-6HG must launch with its internal tanks almost empty and refuel from a tanker aircraft once airborne, allowing it to launch below its minimum takeoff weight but exceed that level in flight.
| | ;'''SR-6JJ:''' |
| | :Dedicated electronic warfare variant with SIGINT equipment in the fuselage sides and a powerful jamming antenna in the nose. The Kayra-23 targeting system under the fuselage is removed to make room for additional electronics, but the plane can carry radar-homing and air-to-air missiles. 42 built between 1993 and 1998. |
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| ===Qusayn=== | | ==Operators== |
| [[Qusayn]] purchased 38 SR-6G attack aircraft from the Democratic People’s Republic of Menghe in 1985. From 1987 to 1989, one squadron equipped with SR-6Gs took part in the bombing of alleged secessionist strongholds in the south, a relatively low-scale operation compared to the borderline civil war fought over collectivization in the late 1970s. During the fighting, two SR-6Gs were damaged beyond repair by {{wp|Man-portable_air-defense_system|shoulder-launched heat-seeking missiles}} and one more was downed by anti-aircraft fire. The Menghean government refused to provide parts or technicians for repair until the Qusayni government, then still led by President Jamal Pasha, ended its bombing attacks on villages.
| | * {{flag|Azbekistan}}: 40 SR-6Ns exported in 1994 |
| | * {{flag|Republic of Innominada}}: 38 SR-6Ns exported in 2016 |
| | * {{flag|Menghe}}: 250 (2019) |
| | * {{flag|Ummayah}}: 84 SR-6Ns exported in 2006-2009 |
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| ==Specifications== | | ==Specifications== |
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| ====General Characteristics====
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| [[File:Sunglin_SL_6.png|500px|thumb|right|Three-view diagram of the Songrim SR-6N.]]
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| *'''Crew:''' 2 (pilot, copilot/WSO)
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| *'''Length:''' 22.64 meters overall
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| *'''Wingspan, extended:''' 20.14 meters
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| *'''Wingspan, swept:'''10.50 meters
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| *'''Height:''' 6.18 meters (on the ground, gear out)
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| *'''Wing Area:''' 61.04 square meters
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| *'''Empty Weight:''' 22,600 kg (49,800 lbs)
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| *'''Loaded Weight:''' 39,100 kg (86,200 lbs)
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| *'''Maximum Takeoff Weight:''' 45,150 kg (99,500 lbs)
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| *'''Powerplant:''' 2x SLS-72 {{wp|Turbojet|turbojet}}
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| *'''Dry Thrust:''' 78 kN (17540 lbs-force) each
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| *'''Thrust with Afterburner:''' 110 kN (24728 lbs-force) each
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| *'''Fuel Capacity:''' 13,100 kg (28,880 lbs)
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| ====Performance====
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| *'''Maximum Speed at Sea Level:''' Mach 1.1 (1348 km/h)
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| *'''Maximum Speed at High Altitude:''' Mach 2.4 (2812 km/h)
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| *'''Combat Radius:''' 974 km with 6000-kg payload in hi-lo-hi mission
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| *'''Ferry Range:''' 6,600km with external drop tanks
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| *'''Service Ceiling:''' 17,200 meters
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| *'''Rate of Climb:''' 155 meters per second
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| *'''Wing Loading:''' 370 kg/m2
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| *'''Thrust-to-Weight Ratio:''' 0.57
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| ====Armament====
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| *'''Guns:''' 1x FZP-30-2 autocannon (SR-6G variant only)
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| *'''Payload:''' 8,500 kg on 13 external hardpoints<br>
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| - 2x 4,000-kg hardpoint (wing root)<br>
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| - 1x 2,000-kg hardpoint (hull centerline)<br>
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| - 8x 1,000-kg hardpoint (hull sides and variable wing inner sections)<br>
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| - 2x 500-kg hardpoint (variable wing outermost hardpoint)<br>
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| [[Category:Menghe]] | | [[Category:Menghe]] |
| Songrim SR-6
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| SR-6N in queue for in-air refueling
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| Role
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Strike bomber
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| National origin
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DPRM
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| Manufacturer
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Songrim Aircraft Design Bureau
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| Introduction
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1980
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| Primary user
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Menghe
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| Produced
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1980-1998
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| Number built
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625
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| Developed from
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Orlov Or-24
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The Songrim SR-6 (Formal designation: 송림 6호 공격기 / 松林六號攻擊機, Songrim Ryuk-ho Gonggyŏkgi, "Songrim No.6 Attack Plane;" Short designation 송림-6 Songrim-Ryuk "Songrim-3") is a supersonic, all-weather strike bomber and interdiction aircraft built in Menghe. It originated as a license-produced version of the Letnian Orlov Or-24, but developed in parallel into its own family of variants. It remains in service with Menghean Army and Naval Aviation, though it is no longer in production, and has been steadily supplemented by the Songrim SR-8.
Design and Development
Domestic design efforts
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Menghean People's Army relied primarily on the Songrim SR-3 for its close air support missions. Though rugged and reliable, the SR-3 had a modest payload and a relatively limited range. It also lacked ground-search and terrain-following radar, limiting it to daytime attacks in clear weather.
Responding to these constraints, in 1976 the Menghean Ministry of Defense issued a requirement for a new strike bomber with an 8,000-kilogram payload and a 1,000-kilometer strike range. The Yŏng'an design bureau drew up a proposal with fixed swept wings and wing-root engines, in some respects a scaled-down Y-4, but it was rejected before work on a prototype could begin. Songrim also expressed interest in the competition, but its design team was working full-time to correct problems with the SR-7 interceptor, and anticipated lengthy delays for a fully domestic design.
License production
Eventually, the Ministry of Defense opted to pursue a production contract with Letnia for the Orlov Or-24, which met all of the project's requirements and could be ordered into production more quickly. Sim Jin-hwan had favored a fully domestic design, in line with the DS-5 and SR-7, but eventually he gave in to the Orlov option as it was the most practical. Eight Or-24 baseline kits were shipped to Menghe in 1978 for assembly, and in 1980 full-rate production began at a new Songrim facility in Sunchang.
Improvements
This initial SR-6G variant was based on the baseline Or-24, with the three-pronged nose probe, fin-base braking parachute, and early-model targeting scope. In the same year it entered service, the DPRM began production of the DS-5D and SR-3D, both of which used the Kayra-23 laser targeting system to guide anti-tank missiles and guided bombs. The SR-6G, which lacked this system, could not use the YGJ-40 anti-tank missile, only the anti-radiation YJG-42 and unguided bombs.
In response, Songrim developed the SR-6N, an improved variant with greater support for guided munitions. This variant added the Kayra-23 laser and electro-optical pod in a distinct centerline gondola under the fuselage. To make room for this system, the designers removed the 23mm rotary cannon, which performed poorly against armored targets in test runs. The layout of the braking parachute container was modified, and a ram air intake at the base of the tail fin was added to cool the generator system. The original three-pronged nose probe was retained, as was the original radar set, and no in-flight refueling probe was added; these features distinguish the SR-6N from the Or-24M, a contemporaneous modernization in Letnia which was not exported to Menghe.
Operational history
Polvokian Civil War
Ummayan Civil War
Innominadan Crisis
Menghean inventory
With the introduction of the Songrim SR-8, which has a higher payload and combat radius in addition to its air-to-air capability, most surviving SR-6s have been steadily disbanded in favor of advanced multirole units.
Ministry of National Defense records indicate that 26 SR-6 airframes were lost in peacetime accidents since 1987, and 17 were lost during combat operations.
Menghean Army Aviation still operates 138 SR-6 bombers as of December 2019, divided into three electronic warfare squadrons of SR-6JJs and eight ground-attack squadrons of SR-6Ds. The Menghean Navy operates an additional 112 SR-6HGs, updated with modern surface-search radars and ECM equipment. Up to 90 SR-6Ns may remain in reserve-capable storage.
Variants
- SR-6G:
- Initial 1980 production version, based on the baseline Or-24. 76 built.
- SR-6N:
- Improved version introduced in 1983. Carries a laser targeting pod in place of the gun, and features changes to the vertical stabilizer. 275 built, accounting for close to half of all DS-6 production.
- SR-6HG:
- Dedicated naval strike version for the Menghean People's Navy. Easily recognizable for its widened nose containing a long-range sea-search radar. The inboard pylons were also strengthened, and can support the YDH-23 heavy anti-ship missile. 118 built between 1984 and 1989.
- SR-6HM:
- Proposed CATOBAR modification for carrier-based operations. One airframe was completed in 1985, but it was apparently never tested aboard the Haebang-class carriers; the lighter DS-5HMG was used instead.
- SR-6D:
- Improved variant introduced in 1992, after Menghe gained access to improved electronics. It has a thoroughly redesigned nose section with an AN/APG-67 radar for ground mapping and terrain following. 113 built.
- SR-6JJ:
- Dedicated electronic warfare variant with SIGINT equipment in the fuselage sides and a powerful jamming antenna in the nose. The Kayra-23 targeting system under the fuselage is removed to make room for additional electronics, but the plane can carry radar-homing and air-to-air missiles. 42 built between 1993 and 1998.
Operators
Specifications
Republic of Innominada: 38 SR-6Ns exported in 2016
Menghe: 250 (2019)