Su-34 Tactical Bomber: News

The Su-34 is a medium strike aircraft and would generally carry medium level missiles.

Light missiles like the Kh-23 Kerry and Kh-25 family of 300kg weight class missiles with 90kg warheads were designed for lighter aircraft like the Su-17 and MiG-27 families.

The heavier missile then was the Kh-29 with a 320kg HE warhead, which would be carried by the Su-24, though its flight range is limited to about 10-12km.

For very long range strike against well protected targets the Kh-59 and Kh-59M offer long range with optical guidance and I suspect newer models will be developed.

The Kh-38 is supposed to replace the Kh-25 family of weapons with a harder hitting 250kg payload and 80km range in the domestic versions.

Other missiles will include the anti radiation upgraded Kh-58, plus a range of laser and satellite and other guided bombs and rockets.

Interestingly with two crew and its fairly powerful radar and a capacity to carry a large number of missiles it would be interesting to see it as a potential long range interceptor/air patrol aircraft.

With half a dozen R-37Ms plus room for several other missile types it would add a lot of fire power when enemy aircraft try to penetrate Russian airspace....

Here's some examples in pics...

KAB-500 - KAB-1500 - Unguided Bombs


X-59M - X-29


X-31P - X-31A - X-31P/X-59M/AAM combo


Cannon-MR & SR AAMs

I'm sure Su-34 is capable to carry Kh-38 and Kh-35 missiles and I hope they will also integrate 3M-14 Klub land attack cruise missiles on it. Those missiles will give Su-34 a capacity to attack strategically important targets without the need to enter in enemy air space.

medo wrote:I'm sure Su-34 is capable to carry Kh-38 and Kh-35 missiles and I hope they will also integrate 3M-14 Klub land attack cruise missiles on it. Those missiles will give Su-34 a capacity to attack strategically important targets without the need to enter in enemy air space.

air-launched Klub is still viewed only in mock-up however

medo wrote:I'm sure Su-34 is capable to carry Kh-38 and Kh-35 missiles and I hope they will also integrate 3M-14 Klub land attack cruise missiles on it. Those missiles will give Su-34 a capacity to attack strategically important targets without the need to enter in enemy air space.

Kh-38 yes....Kh-35 and Klub no....at least not so far

Su-34 with Kh-38
http://img283.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=853103634_Su34_X38_122_431lo.jpg

63rd production SU-34 delivered to the Russian Air Force. There were also 8 test models produced, plus another 10 production will be delivered this year.
http://bmpd.livejournal.com/1390091.html

franco wrote:63rd production SU-34 delivered to the Russian Air Force. There were also 8 test models produced, plus another 10 production will be delivered this year.
http://bmpd.livejournal.com/1390091.html

and as we have read maybe the production output exceeds the target and deliver 2 more

33 Su-34 now stationed at Morozovsk.
24 Su-34 stationed at Voronezh.
6 Su-34 stationed at Lipetsk.

4 more are being completed at the plant in Novosibirsk.

franco wrote:33 Su-34 now stationed at Morozovsk.
24 Su-34 stationed at Voronezh.
6 Su-34 stationed at Lipetsk.

4 more are being completed at the plant in Novosibirsk.

exactly i have count also 63 delivered till now. Good job franco

Three new Su-34s out of factory.

New piece

franco wrote:33 Su-34 now stationed at Morozovsk.
24 Su-34 stationed at Voronezh.
6 Su-34 stationed at Lipetsk.

4 more are being completed at the plant in Novosibirsk.

Why would you count Lipetsk? Those are just flight training aircraft, these is no combat regiment there.

artjomh wrote:

franco wrote:33 Su-34 now stationed at Morozovsk.
24 Su-34 stationed at Voronezh.
6 Su-34 stationed at Lipetsk.

4 more are being completed at the plant in Novosibirsk.

Why would you count Lipetsk? Those are just flight training aircraft, these is no combat regiment there.

The original article stated it was the 63rd production aircraft delivered. I just tracked where they were located at.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbGZmw5I9yU

Video of Su-34 in MAKS 2015. It is quite agile although it carry around 3 t of missiles. I would say it is practically equal in air to air combat capabilities as F-15E.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pWR-h_HpTA

f15e without cft: around 14,3 tons empty, with 5,5 tons of fuel left at 1700 km distance (in theory, but really more fuel and less distance), carrying 6+2 aa missiles weighing some 1,1 tons with pylons and 0,1 tons for pilot. that's some 21 tons for 258 kn of thrust.

su-34, weight 22,5 tons empty, with 7ish tons of fuel left at 2000 km distance (in theory, it'd be more fuel and less distnace in reality) and carrying 8+2 aa missiles weighing some 2 tons with pylons. plus 0,1 ton for pilot and misc. around 32 tons for 264 kn of thrust.


su-34 can carry slightly less fuel and fewer missiles to match the distance of f15, but it'd still be weighing 30 or so tons.

f15e can carry conformal tanks, increasing its empty weight by little over a ton and adding some 500 or so km of distance for total of additonal 2,2 tons. So total of 24,5 tons for 2200 km of distance, with same missile payload and same thrust.

su34 service ceilng empty 15 km,

f15e ceiling empty 17 km, (without cft)

su24 max speed empty 1,9 mach

f15e max speed empty without cft mach 2,35

su34 wing area 62 m2 for 30-32 tons

f15e wing area 56 m2 for 21-24 tons

Avionics and subsystems aside, f15e is a multirole fighter.. su-34 is a striker with self defense capability. f15e would most often win by a decent margin if everything else equal.

http://www.airwar.ru/enc/bomber/su34.html

4000Km range at full load.

True, F-15E is faster and lighter and designed as multirole fighter and Su-34 is more a fighter-bomber. But still it is not to underestimate Su-34. It have very powerful V004 radar, which although is more a bomber radar, have a max range of 370 km and better air to air capabilities than N001VEP on Su-27SM. Armed with R-77-1 missiles or maybe even long range R-37, it have very decent BVR air to air capabilities and combine it with data link network, it is no worse than F-15E in this regard. F-15E have better trust to weight ratio for WVR dogfight and better agility, but still Su-34 have a body, which also work as a wing and active canards and this give to Su-34 surprisingly good agility for big and heavy bomber. It is not as fast as F-15E, but dogfight is usually at subsonic speed.

Su-34 radar would be top class if those figures are right. Would mame it on par with Bars, and that outlcasses most aircrafts already. But the V004 radar is awash in secrecy, that no one really knows the performance.

sepheronx wrote:Su-34 radar would be top class if those figures are right. Would mame it on par with Bars, and that outlcasses most aircrafts already.  But the V004 radar is awash in secrecy, that no one really knows the performance.

V004 is big PESA radar and have 15 kW peak power, what is far more than 5 kW peak power of Bars-M which have max range of 350 km, so 370 km range is quite real for the size and power of the radar. Even the prototype of V004 from the nineties could track 10 targets and engage 4 simultaneously, but serial radar now is upgraded and more capable. Of course real capabilities are secret as Su-34 is meant for RuAF only and its ESM, data link and radar capabilities are designed, that Su-34 could care for itself alone in enemy air space.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ojdbrh64fbo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpNjTLuFups

Two more videos.

http://wizarden.livejournal.com/91169.html

Pictures from Novosibirsk aviation plant NAPO, where Su-34 is produced.

medo wrote:I'm sure Su-34 is capable to carry Kh-38 and Kh-35 missiles and I hope they will also integrate 3M-14 Klub land attack cruise missiles on it. Those missiles will give Su-34 a capacity to attack strategically important targets without the need to enter in enemy air space.

Well for future they are mentioning even lighter air launched Brahmos version that is atm being developed by Russia and India to be used on their SU30MKI, i assume Russians would get some for domestic use too on SU34s if not on SU30SMs too.

medo wrote:http://wizarden.livejournal.com/91169.html

Pictures from Novosibirsk aviation plant NAPO, where Su-34 is produced.

Ah, a proper factory, where you can still see the structure, lots of pipes and it doesn't look like an operating theatre.

Also it has its own museum on the site, proud of its past production.

Militarov wrote:

medo wrote:I'm sure Su-34 is capable to carry Kh-38 and Kh-35 missiles and I hope they will also integrate 3M-14 Klub land attack cruise missiles on it. Those missiles will give Su-34 a capacity to attack strategically important targets without the need to enter in enemy air space.

Well for future they are mentioning even lighter air launched Brahmos version that is atm being developed by Russia and India to be used on their SU30MKI, i assume Russians would get some for domestic use too on SU34s if not on SU30SMs too.

I doubt, Russia have their own missiles. They could place Jakhont missile, but I more hope, they will install air launched version of Klub missiles, as they have longer range and land attack cruise missile with a range of 1500+ km. They could give Su-34 safe distance, when attacking strategically important targets.

Of course naval Su-30SM will carry all types of anti-ship missiles, but I don't think, there will be any Su-30SM in Arctic region, while Su-34 will be there and will patrol over large Arctic sea.

Lots of photos and details of Su-34 production. With a 66 year old test pilot.

http://englishrussia.com/2015/09/21/production-of-russian-su-34-fullback-twin-engine-strike-fighters/19/