Russia continues to strengthen its military capability by modernizing and increasing production of the Su-34, the multirole fighter jet that has emerged as a key element of the Russian air force. The increase in production of the Su-34, which has now more than doubled compared to pre-2022 levels, shows the priority given to strengthening the country\u2019s air power, especially at a time of intense geopolitical pressures and conflicts, such as the one in Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russia to have 300 Su \u2013 34s by 2030<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Production of the Su-34 has reached 30 units per year, with a goal of exceeding 300 aircraft by 2030. This makes the Su-34 more affordable than other modern aircraft in the Russian air force, such as the Su-35 and Su-57.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is about 30% cheaper to produce than the Su-35 and less than 2\/3 of the cost of the Su-57, making it one of the most cost-effective aircraft for mass production. In addition, since 2024, the Su-34 has been manufactured in an improved version, the Su-34M, which carries enhanced capabilities and capabilities for electronic warfare missions, as well as a specialized variant for intelligence collection and reconnaissance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This new model offers twice the combat capabilities of the original version, making it even more powerful and versatile in a range of strategic missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A major player in the Russian Air Force<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Su-34 has become the \u201cworkhorse\u201d of the Russian air force, with many aircraft flying missions daily. According to former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, the Su-34 is the key to effective air support on the battlefield, with four to five sorties per day being the norm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the Su-34 has been used to meet critical strategic needs, such as nuclear deterrence and tactical strikes on various fronts, from the Middle East to the Arctic Circle and the Western Pacific.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their use has been focused on high-risk missions, which explains the significant losses of the aircraft during the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Evolution of the Su-34<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the Su-34 suffered significant losses at the beginning of the war in Ukraine, attrition rates have decreased significantly over time. This is due to a combination of factors, such as the depletion of Ukrainian air defenses and the use of more advanced, precision-guided bombs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, the Su-34M’s electronic warfare capabilities, as well as a number of other countermeasures, have enhanced the aircraft’s survivability in dangerous missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All armed with the formidable FAB-3000 glide bombs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Russia continues to integrate new weapons and technologies into the Su-34. The latest addition is a new class of glide bomb, the FAB-3000, revealed in September 2024. The FAB-3000 is so destructive that it can burn down 11 football fields on its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These new capabilities further enhance the Su-34’s ability to carry heavy strikes, as well as its ability to carry heavy weapons, making it highly capable of close air support. The Su-34 stands out for its lack of direct competitors in the Western world or China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is a modified derivative of the Soviet Union’s legendary Su-27 Flanker, with its size making it 50% larger than the Su-27. This capability allows it to carry heavier equipment and greater amounts of fuel, increasing its range and maneuverability. In addition, the Su-34 plays a strategic role for Russia, as its characteristics make it capable of carrying out missions on various fronts, from the territories of Europe to the Arctic and the Far East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite its weight, its maneuverability makes it valuable in many modern strategies, combined with its ability to carry large weapons loads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strategic Strikes in a Global Context<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Russia\u2019s increased production of the Su-34 demonstrates its continued determination to enhance the strategic capabilities of its air force, with particular emphasis on its ability to conduct tactical and strategic strikes in a global context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Su-34, with its advanced capabilities, appears to have become one of the main pillars of Russian strategic air power, underscoring the importance of evolution and adaptation to modern battlefield needs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Russia continues to strengthen its military capability by modernizing and increasing production of the Su-34, the multirole fighter jet that has emerged as a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27650,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2362,7,3830],"tags":[6849,58,6850,1156,3395],"class_list":["post-24007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-science","category-research","category-war-in-ukraine","tag-fab-3000-bombs","tag-russia","tag-su-34-2","tag-ukraine","tag-war-in-ukraine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24007"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24007\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24010,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24007\/revisions\/24010"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/27650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}