In 1985 the approval was given for a naval variant of the Su-27 that would provide air superiority for its aircraft carriers. The new aircraft was designated Su-27 (K = Korabelny, Ship Borne) with a factory designation of T-10K which would later become Su-33, NATO Flanker D. Canards were added, strengthened frame and landing gear with a two-wheel nose gear. The drag chute was removed, a retractable tail hook added and wings, horizontal stabilizers and nose cone were made to fold. A retractable in-flight refueling probe was included on the port side. In 1995 Timur Apakidze had the title of Hero of the Russian Federation bestowed upon him for his great work with naval aviation and testing of new technology. After completing studies at the General Staff Academy in 2000 Apakidze received became a Russian Major General and Deputy Commander of Naval Aviation. On July 17, 2001 during an air show; Apakidze was flying his Su-33 when the aircraft became uncontrollable and instead of ejecting he struggled to get the aircraft away from the crowd and died a hero.