Key Points: The Su-34 Fullback, Russia’s versatile fighter-bomber, is making an impact in Ukraine with its glide bomb missions. Equipped with thermobaric ODAB-500 bombs, it devastates Ukrainian bunkers and trenches.
-Originally derived from the Su-27, the Su-34 excels in ground strikes, air superiority, and electronic warfare. Its impressive specifications include a range of 2,500 miles, MACH 1.8+ speed, and ten hardpoints for various munitions.
-While some have been lost to Ukrainian air defenses, the Su-34’s long-range glide bomb capabilities allow it to avoid many countermeasures. Increased production suggests the Su-34 will remain a pivotal asset as the conflict continues.
How the Su-34 Fighter-Bomber Shapes the War in Ukraine
The Fullback, Russia’s workhorse fighter that has been instrumental in Vladimir Putin’s reign of terror with aerial glide bombs, is heading to the Ukraine theater.
The new batch of Su-34s will help the Russian air force continue to terrorize the Ukrainian soldiers who hide in bunkers and trenches with the ghastly munitions.
But, overall, what should we make of this now infamous fighter-bomber?
Russian Arms Industry Responds
The Russian defense ministry ordered United Aircraft Corporation to increase its production rate in the fall of 2023, and that decision has appeared to be paying off.
Older Su-34s also receive upgrades at the Chkalov Aircraft Factory in Novosibirsk, Siberia. Fullbacks fly multiple sorties a day, and they stay out of harm’s way while launching the ODAB-500 glide bombs with thermobaric warheads.
Su-34 fighter. Image Credit: Russian Government.
Look Out Below from Su-34 Fullback
This is a horrifying weapon to Ukrainian ground fighters that results in ungodly fires from the thermobaric explosion.
Russia has seized on the practice, and it is unstoppable. Underground bunkers, usually a safe place for Ukrainians ducking for cover against artillery fire, are being destroyed with a vengeance.
Unleashing Hell with Glide Bombs
Military Watch Magazine interviewed one Ukrainian soldier about the glide bombs. He said they have unleashed “hell’s gates.” The Russian air force is sending “them two by two by two, eight in an hour… It sounds like a jet coming down on you.”
Su-34 Fullback Can Do It All
The Fullback is a twin-engine, two-seat, all-weather fighter-bomber. It traces its origins to the 1980s, with its first flight in 1990. It joined the Air Force for duty in 2014.
Russian Military Su-34 Fighter-Bomber. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The Su-34 is an outgrowth of the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker. The Su-34 plays multiple roles while flying day or night. It can conduct ground strike missions with smaller bombs or air superiority and intercept operations. The Su-34 is also able to collect intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance data.
The Fullback can perform electronic warfare missions, too, but it has been the glide bomber launching that has set the Su-34 apart in Ukraine.
The Su-34 is 72 feet long and has a 48-foot wingspan. The pilot and co-pilot, who sit side-by-side, are more than 19 feet off the ground. The Su-34 can be compared to the F-15E Strike Eagle.
When loaded with munitions and internal fuel tanks, the fighter’s weight is 86,000 pounds with a 2,500-mile range. The fighter-bomber is powered by Lyulka AL-31FM1 turbofan engines – each with afterburner for a top speed of MACH 1.8+.
However, the latest batch of Su-34s are likely equipped with MMPP Salyut AL-31F-M2/3 or NPO Saturn 117 engines.
Su-34 Can Be a Punisher
The airplane uses a phased array radar to strike ground targets better. The Su-34 also sports a 30mm GSh-301 gun with 180 rounds of ammunition. This weapon has a maximum rate of fire of 1,500 rounds a minute.
Russian Weapons Truck Can Even the Score
There are ten hard points for weapons, and the Su-34 can be armed to the teeth with the aforementioned glide bombs, air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, and anti-ship and anti-radar missiles. Precision-guided and dumb bombs can also be dropped from the fighter.
Su-34. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
That’s not all. The Fullback has a modern fire control system and a pod for forward-looking infrared.
They are Not Invincible
The Ukrainians have been successful at times against the Fullback. At least two have been shot down by Ukrainian anti-aircraft missiles, and the friendlies have attacked a base that destroyed a handful of Su-34s.
However, the Russian Air Force has found that the glide bomb mission is the way to go. Su-34s are able to fly out of range of Ukrainian air defenses and drop the deadly munitions to full effect. The Ukrainians have no answer for this capability. Look for the Russian defense ministry to order additional Su-34s as the war enters its third year.
In fact, it will be the Su-34’s proliferation that will likely help prolong the war.
It is unclear if the Fullback is being used over Kursk to strike back against Ukrainian targets after Volodymyr Zelensky’s forces’ incursion, but it is only a matter of time before the new Su-34s entering service hit those positions.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
