Russian Has More Than Doubled Su-34 Strike Fighter Production: Latest Batch Now Delivered

<p >The Russian Aerospace Forces have obtained a brand new batch of Su-34 strike fighters, because the Chkalov Plane Manufacturing unit in Novosibirsk, Siberia reportedly reaches a serious milestone by efficiently growing manufacturing of the plane to greater than double the degrees seen earlier than 2022. Manufacturing is at the moment estimated at near 30 fighters per yr, with the fleet anticipated to achieve greater than 300 fighters by 2030. Manufacturing prices are estimated to be greater than 30 p.c decrease than these of the Su-35 air superiority fighter, and fewer than two thirds these of the Su-57 fifth era fighter, making the Su-34 extremely reasonably priced to acquire in massive numbers. Greenback prices proceed to range broadly relying on rouble change charges. Su-34s produced since 2024 have all been enhanced Su-34M variants, the primary orders for which had been <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/introducing-the-su-34m-russia-just-ordered-two-full-regiments-of-its-latest-strike-fighter-design" >positioned in 2020</a>. Russian sources have broadly claimed that these have double the fight capacities of the baseline variants. The Su-34M additionally has a specialised digital assault variant and an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance variant. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/04/24/article_6809ba4559fe15_89050724.JPG" title="Su-34 Strike Fighters with Rocket Pods"></p><p >In October 2023 the Russian Defence Ministry gave directives to broaden Su-34 manufacturing, with then Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/su34m-strike-fighters-batches-capabilities" >observing</a> on the time relating to the Su-34’s position within the Russian Aerospace Forces: “This warplane is the principle workhorse, they’ve 4, 5 sorties on daily basis.” He confused the “have to step up, hurry up” with manufacturing. Six batches of Su-34s had been reported to have been delivered to the Russian Aerospace Forces in 2024, particularly on <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/ruaf-new-batch-su34-glide-bomb" >April 5</a>, <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russian-su34-batch-production-surge" >June 17</a>, <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/replenishing-strike-fleet-su34s" >September 2</a>, <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/su34-intensive-strikes-kursk" >October 9</a>, <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russian-new-su34-third-consecutive-month" >November 25 </a>and <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russian-air-force-new-su57-su34" >December 23</a>. The Su-34 has continued to be broadly relied on for each nuclear deterrence and for tactical strike missions throughout all theatres from the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-enclave-airstrikes-100-jihadists" >Center East</a> to the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-to-deploy-new-su-34-strike-fighter-unit-to-arctic-amid-tensions-with-america" >Arctic</a> to the Western Pacific. The plane have taken important losses within the Russian-Ukrainian Battle, reflecting their central position within the battle and the task of excessive danger air assist missions. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/04/24/article_6809bd00283b99_31200766.jpeg" title="Russian Aerospace Forces Su-34"></p><p >After important losses in early-mid 2022 specifically, attrition charges in Su-34 models within the Ukrainian theatre have decreased considerably as a result of a mix of things. Not solely have Ukrainian air defences have been <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/ukraine-air-defence-s300-buk-expire" goal="_blank">depleted</a>, however Su-34s have more and more made use of precision guided glide bombs that enable them to offer shut air assist from a lot better distance. The Su-34M’s digital warfare capabilities and a spread of different countermeasures to enemy concentrating on techniques have additionally been reported to have improved survivability. New armaments have continued to be built-in onto the plane, together with a <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/ruaf-precision-glide-bombs" >new class of glide bomb</a> for the fighter unveiled in September 2024, and <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-drel-precision-cluster-production" >one other new class </a>anticipated to be built-in into models by the top of 2025. The fighters are prized for his or her significantly excessive weapons carrying capacities, which permit them to deploy new FAB-3000 3000 kilogram glide bombs, in addition to a number of mixtures of lighter ordinance together with <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/footage-su34s-thermobaric-ukrainian-vacuum" >bombs with thermobaric warheads</a>. </p><p >The Su-34 has no direct analogues within the Western world or in China, and is a closely modified spinoff of the Soviet Union’s prime air superiority fighter the Su-27 Flanker. It’s roughly 50 p.c bigger than the already very heavy Su-27, permitting it to hold significantly heavy ordinance payloads and bigger portions of gasoline. With a very excessive endurance, the Su-34’s position has important overlap with lighter courses of strategic bomber such because the Tu-22M, though its manoeuvrability stays larger than that of many courses of contemporary fighter regardless of its heavy weight. </p>



Source link