Hello everyone.
Welcome back to another episode of Military TV.
In today’s session we are going to talk about a superior jet fighter, the Sukhoi Su-34
from Russia.
If you are curious about what this combat aircraft is capable of, look forward to this
video and stay tuned.
With the NATO reporting name Fullback, the Sukhoi Su-34 perhaps one of Russia’s most
advanced and capable all-weather jet fighters, it is capable of ground, surface, and air
attack.
Not only that it is being seen active in a region like Syria, the Su-34 also being used
to strategically defend Russian national interests in the Arctic.
Let’s first take a look at the history of the Sukhoi Su-34.
Historically, the development of Sukhoi Su-34 was a complex process.
Sukhoi began developing a new multirole combat aircraft to replace the swing-wing Su-24 in
mid 1980s, then selected the Su-27, due to its excellence in maneuverability and range,
and also because its capability in carrying a large payload, an important aspect for the
new fighter-bomber.
The aircraft was specifically developed from T10KM-2, the naval trainer derivative of the
Sukhoi Su-27K.
Subsequently labelled as Su-27KU by Western intelligence, the aircraft then made its maiden
flight on 13 April 1990.
Retaining the main undercarriage of previous Su-27s, it was a prototype for the Su-27IB
and was developed at the same time as the two-seat naval trainer, the Su-27KUB, which
surprisingly is not directly related with Su-27IB.
On 13 February 1992, Su-27IB was officially introduced at Machulishi, where Russian leader
Boris Yeltsin was holding a summit.
The Su-27IB was again displayed at the MAKS Airshow the following year.
The next prototype of the aircraft which was built at Novosibirsk, was notably different
from the original prototype.
It had modified vertical stabilizers, and also a longer “stinger” which capable
of housing an N012 rearward-facing warning radar, plus the drag chute as well as fuel
jettison outlet.
The first aircraft constructed with all these features made its first flight on 28 December
1994.
Due to its particular differences from the earlier versions of prototypes, it was then
re-designated as the “Su-34”.
However, the Russian categorized this aircraft as “Su-32FN” designation at the 1995 Paris
Air Show, signalling its potential role as a shore-based naval aircraft for the Russian
Naval Aviation.
It was also known that Sukhoi promoted the Su-34 as the “Su-32MF” which stands for
“multi-function”.
Plans to modernize the Su-34 has been stated by Russia’s Ministry of Defence through
the deputy head of the military department, Yuriy Borisov.
He said that the modernization of the aircraft mainly will be focused on how to extend its
service life and increase the number of airborne weapons, since it is believed that the aircraft
was in great demand in Russian armed forces and it has a good future prospect.
Russia is reportedly developing two new versions of the aircraft; one for electronic warfare
and one for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
Now, let’s take a look at the design and features of Su-34.
The Su-34 is a twin-engine, all-weather bomber/ground attack aircraft meant for combat against naval
and ground-based targets.
It shares most of the structure of its wing, tail and engine with the Su-27 and Su-30.
The cockpit of Su-34 is arranged side-by-side, in which the pilot and co-pilot or navigator
sit next to each other.
The access to the cockpit is possible through a built-in stepladder that connects the landing
gear to the rear of the cockpit.
Cited from the Sukhoi website, the cockpit is large enough to allow the pilot to stand
up inside.
What’s more, it is also apparently roomy enough for one of the two pilots to lie down,
and there is also a toilet and a small galley inside.
With considerable titanium plating, the cockpit capsule is additionally protected against
small weapons and anti-aircraft fire.
The airframe and other aircraft components are likewise armored.
The Su-34 carries a 30-millimeter gun for ground assault, in addition to 12 hardpoints
on the wings and fuselage for various bombs and missiles.
The Su-34 is an unusual aircraft for several reasons.
The Su-34 combines the high payload and range of a medium- or long-range bomber with the
maneuverability of a fighter, in addition to its duckbill-shaped fuselage (the aircraft
is reputedly known within the Russian military as "Duckling" or "Duckbill").
The Su-34's three-surface design is largely to blame for this.
That is, in addition to the wings and tail surfaces that create lift, there are two canard
lifting surfaces located close behind the cockpit that offer additional lift and help
with maneuverability.
The prominent tail boom on the back of the fuselage is one of the Su-34's most visible
features.
This boom hosts a brake parachute, auxiliary power unit, additional fuel, as well as a
smaller rear-facing radar antenna with the function of warning the pilots if there are
any incoming threats like missiles.
According to several rumours, Su-34 has conducted its combat debut during the 2008 Russo-Georgian
War.
In July 2010, a number of Su-34s and Su-24Ms performed a 6,000 km non-stop flight from
European Russia’s air bases to the to the easternmost part of Russia.
This exercise involved the aircrafts carrying weapons at full load, and the conduct of simulation
of attack delivery on certain targets and notably showcased the Su-34’s long-range
capability.
For this exercise, the aircraft were refuelled, and different from the Su-24Ms which were
refuelled three times, Su-34s were only refuelled twice.
On 24 November 2015, Turkish Air Force’s fighter jet F-16 fatally shot down a Russian
Sukhoi Su-24M attack aircraft near the Syria-Turkey border.
Following this, Russia announced that all Su-34s which had begun flying combat operations
in Syria were already armed with air-to-air missiles.
With the significant presence of Su-34 in Syria as a fighter-bomber, the aircraft also
seems to gain more prominence to support Russia’s Arctic ambitions.
There has been a speculation about how Su-34 could be intended to invigorate Russia’s
defence in arctic through the recent construction on Russia’s arctic islands.
A source from Danish intelligence assessed how the Russian aircrafts at some of Russia’s
northernmost bases are skilled enough to reach the airspace over north eastern Greenland
with limited prior warning, including the bases hosting the Su-34s.
From a geopolitical perspective, this condition could endanger NATO as well as American interests
in the region, since the combat capability of Russian aircrafts allow them to reach Thule
Air Base, a key installation in the U.S. space and missile defence architecture.
So, with the characteristics and capability that it owns, does Su-34 worth every penny
the Russia has spent on them?
Well, the single fact that the platform has successfully conducted missions in different
regions in the world does prove that it is a very capable aircraft.
With its large body, rear tail boom and extra fuel capacity, it has relatively excellent
range, and of course, very maneuverable.
Though it lacks some of the stealthy characteristics compared to other fighter-bomber, it is still
feared by some of its competitors and that would translate into the fact that Sukhoi
Su-34 probably won’t go away and be replaced anytime soon.
That’s all for today.
We hope you enjoy the video and see you in the next episode!