Air force of Russia intend to buy 34 new fighter-bombers su-34. We are talking about double planes with two engines, which will replace the aging su-24. In 2015, one of those bombers was shot down by the air force of Turkey.
In late may, the Kremlin signed a contract with the division of the “Dry” United aircraft Corporation for the construction of 76 su-34. It is assumed that in the period up to 2027 will be annually carried out from 8 to 14 of these aircraft. 76 su-34 will be enough for them to equip two regiments.
The airframe of the su-34 was borrowed from the su-27, but includes the double cabin where the pilots sit next to each other, not to each other. Su-34 is capable of hitting targets at a distance of about 970 kilometers (600 miles) and to take on Board 12 tons of bombs and missiles, including missiles air-air.
Supersonic fighter-bomber su-34 also has 30-millimeter gun. In addition, it boasts of having multi-mode radar and complex electronic warfare “Khibiny”. This aircraft, which cost approximately $ 40 million, can be considered roughly analogous to the fighter-bomber F-15E the air force of the United States.
New su-34 — this is an upgraded version of the independent interface for new pendants on which you can place three different sensors. UKR-RT — suspended complex electronic intelligence; UKR-MA — suspension this is for optical-electronic reconnaissance, while the UKRAINIAN-radar is a radar with synthetic aperture for discovery purposes in bad weather.
Yuri Slyusarev, head of the United aircraft Corporation in an interview with the Agency TASS reported that the combat capabilities of the upgraded su-34M will be doubled.
But even the old su-34 are a step forward in comparison with the developed back in the 1970-ies of the su-24 bombers with variable geometry wings. The su-24 is not the appropriate weapons to engage enemy fighters, and there are no such opportunities. In contrast, the su-34 is able to defend against air threats. “This new generation aircraft, able to perform tasks as a fighter and as a bomber,” said an unnamed expert in interview the Internet-to the edition “news”.
The Kremlin has floated in Syria, the su-34 in November 2015, shortly after Turkish F-16 shot down a Russian su-24, which allegedly violated the airspace of Turkey. Su-34 took part in the brutal Russian bombing against Syrian civilians and medical personnel.
“Given the active role of the Russian air forces have played and continue to play in Syria, this experience will undoubtedly be taken into account in the process of modernization of the su-34”, — said Bendett Samuel (Samuel Bendett), researcher, Center for naval analysis, (Center for Naval Analyses), as well as member of the program in the field of Russian studies at the American foreign policy Council (American Foreign Policy Council).
New batch of su-34 will be the third in the Russian air force. The first batch of 32 su-34 was ordered by the military in 2008 and the second in the number 92 machine — in 2012. Taking into account possible losses, by 2030 the air forces of Russia will be about 200 fighter-bombers su-34.
As for the Russian air force in 2020, then in service today are still about 275 su-24 bombers. Russia will be forced to save a couple of hundred older su-24 or prefer to settle for fewer are able to defend themselves strike aircraft Middleweight.
