The Russian Federation Ministry of Defence has received the first batch of Sukhoi Su-34 frontline bombers, as part of the 2016 state defence order.
According to the company, the new aircraft took off from the V.P.Chkalov Novosibirsk Aircraft Plant’s airfield.
Sukhoi, a subsidiary of United Aircraft Corporation, secured contracts to deliver Su-34s for Russia up to 2020, guaranteeing a stable work load for the company.
Powered by two Saturn AL-31F turbofan engines, the twin-seat strike fighter has been designed to replace the Sukhoi Su-24.
Armed with a 30mm GSh-301 gun and 180 rounds of ammunition, the Su-34 has the capability to engage ground and naval targets in all types of weather conditions.
The aircraft carries a range of missiles including air-to-air, air-to-surface, anti-ship and anti-radiation missiles, guided and unguided bombs, and rockets, including the KAB-500 laser-guided bomb.
It is also equipped with an electro-optical fire control system, a Geofizika forward-looking infrared (FLIR) pod and passive-phased array radar system.
The 23.34m-long aircraft, with 14.7m wingspan, can carry 12,100kg of fuel internally in two fuel tanks in the wings and four in the fuselage. Its cockpit provides seating for a crew of two.
As of May this year, the Russian Air Force operated 84 Su-34 aircraft.
Image: The Russian Air Force’s Su-34 frontline bomber. Photo: courtesy of Oleg V. Belyakov AirTeamImages.
