World’s Longest Range Fighter Sees New Batch Delivered to Russian Air Force: What is the Su-34’s Mission Today?

A new batch of Su-34M fighters has been delivered to the Russian Aerospace Forces, as the service has continued to receive the aircraft at a much accelerated wartime production rate. The state run United Aircraft Corporation which organises the production of the aircraft at a facility in Novosibirsk, confirmed that they had undergone a full cycle of factory trials and testing in various operational modes, before being flown to an unconfirmed airfield to begin active service. “The United Aircraft Corporation has delivered new Su-34 fighter-bombers to the Defence Ministry of Russia. The aircraft have replenished the fleet of operational/tactical aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces. The aircraft have been manufactured under the defence procurement plan for this year,” it was announced.

Commenting on the delivery, Rostec Executive Director Oleg Yevtushenko observed: “The Su-34 frontline bomber has long proved to be the best in its class. The aircraft’s capabilities enable pilots to operate successfully in theatres of military operations and employ both unguided and guided air-launched weapons. The aircraft is needed in present-day combat operations and our aircraft factories have ramped up production rates and ensure smooth deliveries to the troops.” The Su-34 has been relied on more heavily than any other fighter class to support the ongoing war effort in the Ukrainian theatre, and have been frequently filmed launched intensive bombardment of Ukrainian and allied Western forces, including with FAB-3000 3000 kilogram glide bombs, bombs with thermobaric warheads, and multiple other munitions. The aircraft are used for both strategic bombardment and to provide close air support using precision guided weapons. New tactical reconnaissance pods have also allowed the aircraft to be configured for a range of reconnaissance missions in the theatre.

The Su-34 was developed as an enhanced derivative of the Soviet Su-27 air superiority fighter specialised in air-to-ground operations, and is approximately 50 percent heavier making it the largest and longest ranged fighter class in production in the world. It was designed with a range comparable to that of strategic bombers such as the H-6 and Tu-22M, and with a particularly high weapons carrying capacity for a fighter sized aircraft. The fighter has been procured in much greater numbers by the Russian Armed Forces than any other since the disintegration of the USSR, with the scale of production having more than doubled since early 2022 to an estimated 30 per year. Of fourteen batches of fighters delivered to meet orders by the Russian Defence Ministry in 2024, six were Su-34s. The fleet size is expected to approach 300 fighters by the early 2030s, with the aircraft continuing to be incrementally modernised.