The Su-34 fighter bomber is a derivative of the Su-27 fighter aircraft. The aircraft design retains the basic layout and construction of the Su-27 airframe, with a conventional high-wing configuration and a substantial part of the onboard equipment. The Su-34 has a changed contour of the nose section to accommodate an advanced multi-mode phased array radar with terrain following and terrain avoidance modes. It has a two-seat rather than single-seat cockpit. The capacity of the internal fuel tanks has been increased with a resulting increased take-off weight. Changes have been made to the central tail boom for a rear-facing radar.
The Su-34 is armed with a 30mm GSh-301 gun and 180 rounds of ammunition. The gun has a maximum rate of fire of 1,500 rounds a minute and the muzzle velocity is 860m/sec. The gun is supplied by the Instrument Design Bureau in Tula. The aircraft has ten hardpoints for weapon payloads and is able to carry a range of missiles including air-to-air, air-to-surface, anti-ship and anti-radiation missiles, guided and unguided bombs, and rockets. The aircraft is fitted with a target designator. The R-73 (Nato codename AA-11 Archer) short-range air-to-air missile is supplied by the Vympel State Engineering design Bureau in Moscow. The R-73 is an all-aspect missile capable of engaging targets in tail-chase or head-on mode. The missile has cooled infrared homing. The R-73 attacks the target within target designation angles of ±45° and with angular rates up to 60° a second. The missile can intercept targets at altitudes between 0.02km and 20km, target g-load to 12g, and with target speeds to 2,500km/h.
The RVV-AE long-range air-to-air missile, also known as the RR-77 or by the Nato designation AA-12, is manufactured by Vympel. The missile can intercept targets at speeds up to 3,600km/h and altitudes from 0.02km to 25km. The minimum range in the aft hemisphere is 300m and the maximum vertical separation between the host aircraft and the target is 10km. The RR-77 has inertial guidance with mid-course radio updates and terminal active guidance. A new, longer-range (150km) version of the R-77, with solid fuel ram-jet propulsion, is being tested by Vympel.
The Su-34 carries a range of precision-guided and unguided bombs and rockets, including the KAB-500 laser-guided bomb developed by the Region State Research and Production Enterprise based in Moscow.*
The two planes have arrived at the Russian AF’s Lipetsk Center for Combat Use and Flight Training, Sukhoi said on Tuesday. As per a 5-year state contract, the company will produce 32 Su-34 bombers by 2013, it said.
The Su-34s are slated to replace the Su-24 attack aircraft. The two-seat Su-34 is designed to deliver high-precision strikes on heavily defended air, ground and naval targets (including small and mobile targets) on solo and group missions in all weather conditions, day or night, as well as for air reconnaissance.
The dedicated fighter bomber version of the Sukhoi Su-27 is equipped with active security systems and modern computers with artificial intelligence elements which enable the pilot/operator to deliver precise strikes on targets and make maneuvers under hostile fire.
The bomber is designed to be fitted with subsonic and supersonic homing missiles and glider bombs which can destroy hardened and well-camouflaged targets at a range of up to 250 km. With three refuelings, the Su-34 is capable of covering a distance of over 14,000 kms.
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