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Can Russian fighter jets dump fuel?

The U.S. military's declassified 42-second color footage shows a Russian Su-27 approaching the back of the MQ-9 Reaper drone and releasing fuel as it passes, the Pentagon said. Dumping the fuel appeared to be aimed at blinding the drone's optical instruments to drive it from the area.



Yes, Russian fighter jets, like many modern military aircraft, are equipped with fuel jettison systems that allow them to dump fuel in flight. This is primarily a safety feature used to reduce the aircraft's weight for an emergency landing (to meet "maximum landing weight" limits) or to increase maneuverability in combat. However, this capability gained global notoriety in March 2023, when a Russian Su-27 Flanker was recorded by a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone dumping fuel directly onto the drone over the Black Sea. The maneuver was interpreted as a "non-kinetic" form of aggression, intended to foul the drone's sensors and engine. Most Russian fighters, including the Su-27, Su-30, and the newer Su-57, have these "venting" nozzles typically located near the rear of the aircraft or on the wingtips. While fuel dumping is a standard technical procedure in aviation, its use as a tactical tool for "harassment" of other aircraft highlights the versatility of the system beyond its original engineering purpose of managing the plane's center of gravity and landing safety.

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Since most twin jet airliners can meet these requirements, most aircraft of this type such as the Boeing 737 (all models), the DC-9/MD80/Boeing 717, the A320 family and various regional jet (RJ) aircraft do not have fuel dump systems installed.

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Fighter jets are equipped with an automatic recovery system called Auto-GCAS4 (Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System). This system determines if a collision is probable based on trajectory and speed.

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Airplanes frequently depart the airport heavier than the maximum landing weight allowed – the threshold at which a given aircraft can sustain a very hard landing without damage. During a normal flight, the plan is to burn fuel so the plane's weight will below that number by the time it lands.

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Meanwhile, the Boeing 747-300 and 747-400's respective empty weight figures clocked in at 384,240 - 402,700 pounds (174.29 - 182.66 tons) and 394,088 - 412,300 pounds (178.755 - 187.016 tons).

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For some aircraft types, the maximum allowable landing weight is substantially less than the aircraft's take-off weight. The Boeing 747, 777, and Airbus A380s are examples, and these three aircraft types do have fuel dumping capabilities.

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