Russia's Su-34 Fullback Fighter-Bomber Is 'Dropping Like Flies' over Ukraine
Russia has reportedly lost at least three dozen Sukhoi Su-34 fighter-bombers in the Ukraine conflict, including one downed by an F-16 in October.
What You Need to Know: Russia has reportedly lost at least three dozen Sukhoi Su-34 fighter-bombers in the Ukraine conflict, including one downed by an F-16 in October.
-Despite these significant losses, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) recently completed testing of a new batch of Su-34s, which will soon be deployed to replace those destroyed.
-However, analysts warn that Russia's production cannot keep pace with its mounting losses, and its war economy may reach critical limits by late next year.
-Meanwhile, as Ukraine prepares to receive advanced Western aircraft like F-16s and Mirage 2000s, Russia's ability to sustain its frontline aviation remains in question.
Russia’s Su-34 Losses Mount: Can the Kremlin Keep Up?
Russia has seen at least three dozen of its Sukhoi Su-34 (NATO reporting name Fullback) twin-engine fighter bombers destroyed in the ongoing war in Ukraine, including one that was reported to have been shot down by an F-16 Fighting Falcon in October.
Yet, even as the losses mount, a few replacements could soon be delivered to the Russian Aerospace Forces. The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), a subsidiary of the state-owned military-industrial conglomerate Rostec, announced that a new batch of the multirole combat aircraft has recently concluded testing and will soon be deployed to squadrons.
"The timely fulfillment of the state defense contract is a key task of the UAC. Our workforces are doing this important job with honor. This is not the last batch of Su-34 fighter-bombers this year. These aircraft are the basic strike power of our frontline aviation and demonstrate their efficiency in real combat conditions," UAC CEO Vadim Badekha told Russian state media outlet Tass.
Losses and Replacements
The Su-34 is just one of several platforms that UAC supplies to the Russian Aerospace Forces, and it was earlier this month that new batches of Su-35S (NATO reporting name Flanker-M) and Su-57 (NATO reporting Felon) fighters were also delivered. However, the Kremlin didn't disclose how many aircraft were in the respective batches or the total number of fighters that could soon be in operation.
Military aviation analysts have suggested that Russia's losses continue to outpace production, and last week Foreign Policy's analysis predicted Russia's war economy could begin to hit critical limits by the end of next year.
Yet, Vladimir Artyakov, first deputy of the state corporation, also told state media that Rostec continues to full State Defense Orders.
"None of Rostec’s aircraft plants engaged in the implementation of the State Defense Order is reducing production rates. Our facilities keep improving manufacturing processes in order to accelerate the production of equipment," Artyakov explained.
The Su-34 in the Crosshairs
The multirole twin-engine, twin-seat, all-weather supersonic medium-range fighter-bomber was initially developed for the Soviet Air Forces in the 1980s. However, it was one of the Kremlin's many programs that were forced on the backburner following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the economic crisis that followed.
The program was only revived in earnest in the early 2000s, with eight pre-production aircraft built for trials and evaluations. The Su-34 formally entered service in 2014 – although there are reports that the strike aircraft was employed during the Russo-Georgia War of 2008.
The Su-34 is among Russia's most capable multirole aircraft, and unlike the Su-57, the Kremlin has been widely used in the ongoing war. However, it isn't invincible, and the question now is whether Russia will actually be able to replace the losses – especially as Ukraine is to receive additional F-16 Fight Falcons and French-made Mirage 2000s. Once those Western warbirds arrive, we can only expect more Fullbacks to fall from the sky.
Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
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