New Batch of Russian Su-34 Strike Fighters Delivered to Air Force: Intensive Strikes on Kursk Continue

<p >The Russian Air Force has received a new batch of Su-34M strike fighters, as the fighter class continues to be produced on a larger scale than any other in the country. The delivery follows prior reported deliveries in <a href=" >April</a>, <a href=" >June</a> and <a href=" >September</a>, as reports from a number of sources have indicated that there have been important successes in efforts to significant further increase production of the fighters. The Russian Defence Ministry gave directives in October 2023 to expand Su-34 production, which is the primary function of the the Chkalov Aircraft Factory in Novosibirsk, Siberia – one of four active fighter production facilities in Russia. The acceleration of deliveries has occurred as Su-34s play an increasingly central role in the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian War, with footage consistently showing the fighters launching <a href=" >intensive bombardment </a>of Ukrainian and allied Western forces in Russia’s Kursk region. The much more limited air defences protecting targets in the area compared to the frontlines in the disputed Donbas regions has allowed Russian aircraft to launch air strikes with greater intensity, with casualties among Ukrainian and allied forces reported to have <a href=" >been extreme</a>. </p><p ><img src=" title="Gliding FAB-3000 Bomb After Launch By Su-34 Against Ukrainian Targets" ></p><p >The Su-34 is a heavily modified derivative of the Soviet Union’s top air superiority fighter the Su-27 Flanker, and is approximately 50 percent larger allowing it to carry particularly heavy ordinance payloads and larger quantities of fuel. Of the five fighter classes in production in Russia today, orders for the Su-34 alongside the Su-57 fifth generation fighter are expected to continue well into the 2030s, while orders for the Su-30 and Su-35 are speculated to be scheduled to conclude before the end of the decade. Where the Su-30, Su-35 and MiG-29M were all developed in large part to meet expected demand from foreign clients, the Su-34’s specialist strike role meant it was not expected to gain widespread traction on export markets, with development nevertheless financed due to the high degree of importance attached to the fielding of a high performance long range strike fighter. Su-34s have seen their capabilities improved considerably since entering service in 2014, with new armaments continuing to be integrated onto the aircraft including a <a href=" >new class of glide bomb</a> for the fighter unveiled in September, and <a href=" target="_blank">another new class </a>expected to be integrated into units in the coming 18 months. A number of Russian sources have speculated that the aircraft could integrate a variant of the Su-57’s <a href=" >AL-51F engine</a> in future, which would reduce maintenance requirements and significantly increase its range and flight performance. </p>