The Russian Air Drive has acquired a brand new batch of Su-34 strike fighters, following stories in October that the Defence Ministry had given directives to broaden manufacturing. Little is thought concerning the measurement of the newest batch, though items delivered since July 2022 have been produced to the improved Su-34M customary, which based on Russian sources has double the fight capability of the baseline Su-34. Notable new options embody a devoted interface for 3 various kinds of sensors, particularly the UKR-RT pod carrying digital search measures, the UKR-OE digital camera pod and the UKR-RL which integrates an artificial aperture radar. Frivolously modified specialised variants together with an digital assault jet outfitted with the L700 Tarantul ECM pod, and an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance variant could have additionally been included within the newest batch, and are being produced in parallel to plain Su-34M fashions. The Su-34 has been by ordered in a lot higher numbers by the Russian Defence Ministry than another put up Chilly Conflict fighter class, with the fleet at present estimated to quantity over 120 plane regardless of fight losses within the Ukrainian theatre. It’s anticipated to achieve near 200, and stay in manufacturing into the 2030s in parallel to the brand new Su-57 fighter.
Within the first week of October 2023 Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu visited the Chkalov Plane Manufacturing facility in Novosibirsk, Siberia and gave orders to broaden manufacturing of the Su-34. The minister careworn on the time: “This warplane is the primary workhorse, they’ve 4, 5 sorties day by day, so we have to step up, hurry up. Now we have enterprises which are forward of schedule for the 2024 program this yr. So we have to organise work right here as properly.” The plane has confirmed notably efficient when deploying precision guided glide bombs in Ukraine, together with in an in depth air assist position. The supply of a brand new batch of Su-34s carefully coincides with a report that Russian defence conglomerate Rostec and the state owned Tactical Missiles Company are rising output of such glide bombs, which permit fighters to interact targets at ranges of roughly 70 kilometres. These can ship a lot bigger payloads than air launched missiles and at a really small fraction of the associated fee, and might carry not solely typical payloads but in addition thermobaric rounds optimised for neutralising floor forces in fortified positions. A extra succesful new class of glide bomb, the PBK-500U Drel, is about to enter manufacturing earlier than the top of the yr and will present a potent complement to the Su-34M.
