Russian Has More Than Doubled Su-34 Strike Fighter Production: Latest Batch Now Delivered

<p >The Russian Aerospace Forces have received a new batch of Su-34 strike fighters, as the Chkalov Aircraft Factory in Novosibirsk, Siberia reportedly reaches a major milestone by successfully increasing production of the aircraft to more than double the levels seen before 2022. Production is currently estimated at close to 30 fighters per year, with the fleet expected to reach more than 300 fighters by 2030. Production costs are estimated to be more than 30 percent lower than those of the Su-35 air superiority fighter, and less than two thirds those of the Su-57 fifth generation fighter, making the Su-34 highly affordable to procure in large numbers. Dollar costs continue to vary widely depending on rouble exchange rates. Su-34s produced since 2024 have all been enhanced Su-34M variants, the first orders for which were <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/introducing-the-su-34m-russia-just-ordered-two-full-regiments-of-its-latest-strike-fighter-design" >placed in 2020</a>. Russian sources have widely claimed that these have double the combat capacities of the baseline variants. The Su-34M also has a specialised electronic attack variant and an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance variant. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/04/24/article_6809ba4559fe15_89050724.JPG" title="Su-34 Strike Fighters with Rocket Pods"></p><p >In October 2023 the Russian Defence Ministry gave directives to expand Su-34 production, with then Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/su34m-strike-fighters-batches-capabilities" >observing</a> at the time regarding the Su-34’s role in the Russian Aerospace Forces: “This warplane is the main workhorse, they have four, five sorties every day.” He stressed the “need to step up, hurry up” with production. Six batches of Su-34s were reported to have been delivered to the Russian Aerospace Forces in 2024, namely on <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/ruaf-new-batch-su34-glide-bomb" >April 5</a>, <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russian-su34-batch-production-surge" >June 17</a>, <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/replenishing-strike-fleet-su34s" >September 2</a>, <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/su34-intensive-strikes-kursk" >October 9</a>, <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russian-new-su34-third-consecutive-month" >November 25 </a>and <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russian-air-force-new-su57-su34" >December 23</a>. The Su-34 has continued to be widely relied on for both nuclear deterrence and for tactical strike missions across all theatres from the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-enclave-airstrikes-100-jihadists" >Middle East</a> to the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-to-deploy-new-su-34-strike-fighter-unit-to-arctic-amid-tensions-with-america" >Arctic</a> to the Western Pacific. The aircraft have taken significant losses in the Russian-Ukrainian War, reflecting their central role in the conflict and the assignment of high risk air support missions. </p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/04/24/article_6809bd00283b99_31200766.jpeg" title="Russian Aerospace Forces Su-34"></p><p >After significant losses in early-mid 2022 in particular, attrition rates in Su-34 units in the Ukrainian theatre have decreased significantly due to a combination of factors. Not only have Ukrainian air defences have been <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/ukraine-air-defence-s300-buk-expire" target="_blank">depleted</a>, but Su-34s have increasingly made use of precision guided glide bombs that allow them to provide close air support from much greater distance. The Su-34M’s electronic warfare capabilities and a range of other countermeasures to enemy targeting systems have also been reported to have improved survivability. New armaments have continued to be integrated onto the aircraft, including a <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/ruaf-precision-glide-bombs" >new class of glide bomb</a> for the fighter unveiled in September 2024, and <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-drel-precision-cluster-production" >another new class </a>expected to be integrated into units by the end of 2025. The fighters are prized for their particularly high weapons carrying capacities, which allow them to deploy new FAB-3000 3000 kilogram glide bombs, as well as multiple combinations of lighter ordinance including <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/footage-su34s-thermobaric-ukrainian-vacuum" >bombs with thermobaric warheads</a>. </p><p >The Su-34 has no direct analogues in the Western world or in China, and is a heavily modified derivative of the Soviet Union’s top air superiority fighter the Su-27 Flanker. It is approximately 50 percent larger than the already very heavy Su-27, allowing it to carry particularly heavy ordinance payloads and larger quantities of fuel. With a particularly high endurance, the Su-34’s role has significant overlap with lighter classes of strategic bomber such as the Tu-22M, although its manoeuvrability remains higher than that of many classes of modern fighter despite its heavy weight. </p>

Source link