The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force has bolstered its Cold War Gallery with an enigmatic addition—a Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker with an obscure past and a trail of owners from Ukraine to private U.S. firms. Announced on September 26, 2023, the museum revealed this two-seat trainer variant Su-27UB, once part of the Ukrainian Air Force and now a relic of a bygone era, has joined the prestigious ranks of historical military aircraft on display.
The Flanker’s journey to the USAF museum is a tale of intrigue. Initially procured by the Ukrainian Government, the aircraft (c/n 96310408027, f/n 05-02, built on March 30, 1988) found its way to the United States not for combat but for a rather unusual mission—oil and gas exploration. A company named Terralliance Technologies later acquired the Su-27s for its oil exploration business, only for the venture to fall through due to financial troubles.
The aircraft then bounced between various entities, including Pride Aircraft and Tactical Air Support—the latter known for providing private adversary air services to the U.S. military. FAA records attest to a certificate of airworthiness issued in December 2009 and another in 2010. The Flanker, sporting Ukrainian splinter camouflage and at one point registered as N132SU, was later removed from the U.S. register in 2018.
What exactly the Su-27s were used for after Terralliance remains somewhat of a mystery, with speculation suggesting everything from adversary services to being part of the U.S. Air Force’s foreign material exploitation program. During the Cold War, under the covert program Constant Peg, the USAF had secretly acquired Soviet aircraft like the MiG-17, MiG-21, and MiG-23 to test and train against.
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