New Su-34M Long Range Fighter Batch Delivered to Further Expand Russia’s Strike Fleet

The Russian Aerospace Forces have received a new batch of Su-34 strike fighters, following sustained efforts to increase production and accelerate the rate of the fleet’s expansion.  The state owned United Aircraft Corporation reported regarding the delivery: “The Su-34 has become one of the symbols of the strike capability of Russian front-line aviation. The aircraft is notable for its reliability, range, and a universal range of weapons — from bombs to precision-guided missiles.” The statement further elaborated that the aircraft is capable of both defensive air-to-air combat, and of launching precision strikes including against hardened targets. The Su-34’s scale of production has more than doubled since early 2022 to over 30 per year, allowing the fleet to continue to grow despite the loss of an estimated 40 fighters during the 43 months of hostilities in the Ukrainian theatre. 

Russian pilots cited by state media particularly highlighted how widely the Su-34 is currently being used in combat operations in the Ukrainian theatre, noting its ability to employ a range of new munition types while maintaining survivability during combat flight profiles. “A well-developed aviation system with a good reserve for the future, it has a wide range of weapons with the ability to employ advanced strike systems,” one Russian Aerospace Forces pilot stated. The aircraft are relied on particularly heavily relied on for bombing operations, with their more conservative maintenance requirements, higher weapons carrying capacities, and advanced electronic warfare systems making them optimal for such missions. The Su-34 is heavier and has a higher endurance than any other fighter type in the world, which is expected to remain the case until China’s new very heavy tri-engine sixth generation fighter enters service in the early 2030s. 

Su-34s have frequently been filmed launching intensive bombardment of Ukrainian and supporting Western forces, including with FAB-3000 3000 kilogram glide bombs, bombs with thermobaric warheads, and a range of air-to-surface missile types. The aircraft have continued to see their bombing capabilities enhanced as new types of glide bomb are introduced into service, with at least one type of rocket powered glide bomb being reported to October to have provided a much extended 193 kilometre engagement range which places Ukrainain rear positions within targeting range. Prior glide bombs which began to be widely utilised from 2023 had previously been restricted to ranges of around 80 kilometres or less. Ukrainian Army frontline personnel speaking to various Western media outlets have widely singled out the effects of mass glide bomb attacks, stressing that such attacks using bombs with up to 500 kilograms of explosives were obliterating their underground bunkers. One serviceman compared their impact to “hell’s gates,” stressing that the Russian Aerospace Forces “would send them two by two by two, eight in an hour… It sounds like a jet coming down on you.”