Posted on 01/05/2016 5:39:23 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
Russia is on the verge of securing its first export order for the Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback bomber. Algeria is likely to become the first of many new customers for the new long-range strike aircraft.
Moscow has powerful long-range interdiction aircraft used to great effect during its air campaign Syria. Russia’s intervention in Syria has served not only remind many in the West that Moscow remains a force to be reckoned with, but also that in many respects, Russia has made many technological strides in the years since the demise of the Soviet Union.
Impressed by the Su-34 Fullback’s performance over Syria, Algeria—which is dealing with its own Islamic insurgencies—has asked Moscow to supply it with the Su-32 export version of the new bomber. The North African nation already operates another advanced derivative of the versatile Flanker airframe called the Su-30MKA, but the Fullback bomber variant adds a dedicated strike capability.
“We have resumed talks on the sale of export Su-32 bombers to Algeria,†Sergey Smirnov, director general of the Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association told the Moscow-based newspaper Vedomosti. “We’ve had talks with this country over the last eight years, but they have not taken any steps on their part. But recently Rosoboronexport received an official application from Algeria to supply our aircraft.â€
Meanwhile, the production of Russia’s domestic Su-34 continues at a steady pace of roughly eighteen aircraft per year until 2020. But the jet has not yet reached its full potential, Smirnov said. The Su-34 will continue to be improved based on combat experience and its capabilities will be expanded. These modifications could include additional electronic warfare (EW), intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and other capabilities added via external pods, Smirnov said. “After a year or two, I think, our factory will start production of the modernized Su-34,†he said.
The Su-34 will eventually replace Russia’s increasingly decrepit fleet of Cold War-era Su-24 Fencer strike aircraft. Like the Fencer, the Fullback has side-by-side seating. Unlike the Fencer, the Su-34—taking full advantage of its Flanker lineage—is provisioned with a formidable air-to-air self-defense capability.
In addition to short-range R-73 high off-boresight dogfighting missiles, the Su-34 carries the long-range radar-guided R-77 air-to-air missile. That means like its nearest Western equivalent, the Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle, the Fullback able to conduct “self-escorted†strike missions. It also has an unorthodox rearward facing radar to warn the crew about threats approaching from behind.
While the Su-34 is capable of air-to-air combat in an emergency, the Fullback is a strike aircraft. The aircraft has a roughly 700 mile combat radius on internal fuel but is provisioned for aerial refueling with a probe and drogue system. Because the jet is expected to remain aloft for hours at a time, the Russians have uncharacteristically provided for crew comfort. The cabin has overhead space behind the ejection seats, which allows the pilots to stand up and even move around to an extent.
The core of the Fullback’s sensor suite is the Leninets B-004 passive electronically scanned array radar. The system uses the same basic phased array radar technology found on other Flanker variants, but is optimized for air-to-ground operations. It’s not clear what kind of capability the system offers, but it is thought be able to engage air-to-air targets at 75 miles and air-to-surface targets at more than 60 miles—at the very least, and probably much further out than that. The radar also provides synthetic aperture radar mapping and ground moving target indication capability.
The Fullback, which is powered by a pair of 27,500lbs Saturn AL-31F turbofans and can carry about 17,600lbs of ordnance on twelve hardpoints. The jet carries a range of stand-off air-to-ground missiles including Kh-59ME, Kh-31A, Kh-31P, Kh-29T, Kh-29L and the S-25LD, which are designed to hit a variety of ground and maritime targets. It also carries a host of rockets, guided and unguided bombs (laser, electro-optical and satellite)—including RBK-500 and SPBE-D cluster bombs.
However, the Su-34 does not yet have a suitable electro-optical/infrared targeting pod that is comparable in performance to the latest Western equivalents like the LITENING-SE or Sniper-ATP. Even traditional Russian customers like India use the Israeli LITENING III or Russia itself considered using French Damocles pods since Moscow didn’t have an equivalent. However, it seems that a domestic Russian targeting pods is under development.
It looks like Russia is edging away from the joint T-50 PAK-FA project with India.
Apparently to build more of these bad boys.
A-6 Intruder-ski
so..... the effort in Syria has produced the desired results. a sale was made
the Russian effort in Syria is all about dog an pony show to advertise weapons the sale of which is necessary to provide jobs and prop up the failed economy
Or F/A-18 Hornetsky.
Obama got some new golf clubs.
The SU-24 was the F-111ski
Impressive
The SU-35 is an impressive aircraft.
I saw some one call it an A-6uski. But that would nt, IMHO, be the proprer comparison,.
For the Russians, more like an F-15E Strike Eagle-uski...except it has some notable differences. But similar in function.
Both can do the A2A role if needed...and do it very well.
Both carry a LARGE A2G load in the Strike mission, and for long distance, like the F-15E.
War load:
F-15E: 24,000 lbs
SU-35: 26,500 lbs
Ferry Range:
F-15E: 2,400 miles
SU-35: 2,490 miles
Service ceiling:
F-15E: 60,000 ft
SU-34: 49,200 ft
Hardpoints::
F-15E: 9 (two of which have multiple store capability)
SU-34: 12
According to the anti fleet carrier, using their ‘logic’, since these are vulnerable to being shot down with an relatively inexpensive rocket they are obsolete. That is the thinking, right?
Yet at the same time the Russians have pounded ISIS into the bloody sand.
Compare and contrast their successes with the abject failure of US assets in-theater - allegedly against the same targets.
This is not because the US assets are bad assets (of course) but because US assets have not been targeting ISIS.
Instead they’ve been deployed to reduce and destabilize ISIS’s rivals in region.
Why? Because this White House is seeking to take control of Syria. Probably because Syria is a critical location for gas pipelines to Europe.
Except that the Fullback is a friggin’ huge aircraft, way bigger than either the A6 or Hornet. Even though the Russians already have the Blackjack “B1-ski”, the 34 is more of a baby B1-ski with hardpoints.
Actually, it’s more like the F-111B than the A-6. Full disclosure - I was an A-6 pilot.
:-)
So it’s taking over for the Tu-22M? I thought the 22 was the 111B-ski.
Unlikely. The T-50 is a totally different niche. Breaking off a joint project is different from ending the project itself. My guess is Russia wants to retain the driver’s seat on the only stealth project it has.
That would be an Aardvark-ski
F 15-E ski.
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