New Su-34 Long Range Strike Fighters Delivered to Russian Aerospace Forces

A new batch of Su-34 long range strike fighters has been delivered to the Russian Aerospace Forces, after having completed the full cycle of required ground and flight factory tests, as the type continues to be prioritised for expanded procurements to rapidly increase the size of the combat fleet. Commenting on the delivery, a Su-34 crew commander was cited by state media reporting: "Fulfilling the Russian Defence Ministry’s objectives for the delivery of much-needed weapons and equipment to the troops, crews of the Russian Aerospace Forces have taken delivery of the Su-34 aircraft. This aircraft combines the capabilities of a fighter and a bomber and can strike ground, surface, and air targets, including in difficult weather conditions and under active air defence countermeasures.” He added that thanks to the large capacity of its internal fuel tanks and fuel-efficient engines, the Su-34 can remain airborne for up to 10 hours without the crew becoming fatigued.

The Su-34 is by far the longest ranged fighter type in the world, and has an outstandingly high weapons carrying capacity, while also being significantly less costly to procure than more complex Su-35 and Su-57 fighters. The aircraft have played a particularly central role in the Ukrainian theatre, and from 2024 made use of a wide range of guided glide bombs as their primary weapons for sustained and affordable standoff strikes on hostile targets. In late July Russian sources revealed new footage of a Su-34 carrying four modified FAB-500T bombs fitted with upgraded Unified Gliding and Correction Module (UMPK) guidance and range-extension kits, highlighting a continuing evolution in the development of new armaments for the aircraft based on feedback from the frontlines. 

Beyond service as a strike fighter and direct successor to the Soviet era Su-24M, the Su-34 was is also being relied on to replace Russia’s primary close air support aircraft the Su-25, an analogue to the American A-10. It has also replaced the much larger Tu-22M3 bomber in service in some roles. The last batch of Su-34s was delivered to the Russian Aerospace Forces in June, with these having benefitted from a new modification, with their new dorsal antenna fairing appearing to be intended to improve connectivity, mission flexibility, and responsiveness, which is critical for precision strikes. Developed as a derivative of the Su-27 air superiority fighter, albeit with an approximately 50 percent greater weight, the fighters retain a formidable secondary air-to-air combat capability, allowing them to operate without escorts, and to at times be equipped purely for air-to-air operations. 

The Russian defence sector appears to have prioritised efforts to expand the production scales of the Su-34 as well as the Su-57 fifth generation fighter. In April 2025 the Chkalov Aircraft Factory in Novosibirsk, Siberia, which produces all Su-34 strike fighters, was reported to have reached double the production rates seen before 2022, with production estimated at close to 30 fighters per year. While the Su-57 began exports to Algeria in 2025, and at least two other clients have already placed orders, Su-34s were first exported in 2026, also to Algeria. Exports to North Korea have been widely speculated. The diversion of production in 2026 to equip the Algerian Air Force is expected to result in less fighters being delivered to the Russian Aerospace Forces than in 2025, much as production of Su-35 fighters to meet much larger Iranian orders is similarly expected to reduce deliveries for domestic use.