The aircraft will
integrate the latest avionics suite developed under the Sych experimental
design work.
MOSCOW, February 19.
/TASS/. Russia’s Defense Ministry plans to sign a new contract in the summer
for the delivery of several dozen Sukhoi Su-34 frontline bombers to the
Aerospace Force with their combat capabilities expanded under the Sych
experimental design work, a source in the defense industry told TASS on
Wednesday.
"The Defense
Ministry plans to sign a contract with the Sukhoi Company this summer for the
delivery of several dozen Su-34 planes to the troops with expanded combat
capabilities. The aircraft will integrate the latest avionics suite developed
under the Sych experimental design work," the source said.
The Sych experimental
design work was completed in 2019 and, in particular, "it envisages
installing underslung reconnaissance containers on Su-34s," the source
specified.
"Also, the range
of air-launched weapons, which the Su-34 will be able to employ, increases
significantly in the process of this work," the source said.
Eventually, there are
plans to upgrade operational Su-34 planes," the source said.
TASS has no official
confirmation of this information provided by the source.
Su-34 fighter-bomber
The Su-34 multirole
supersonic fighter-bomber is designated to strike both ground-based and air
targets day and night in any weather conditions. As its basic armament, the
plane carries air-to-surface and air-to-air missiles. The Su-34 has an
operating range of 4,000 km, can develop a maximum speed of up to 1,900 km/h
and carry a combat payload of up to 8 tonnes.
The first contract
for the delivery of 32 Su-34 planes to the Defense Ministry was signed in 2008.
Currently, the Novosibirsk Aviation Enterprise (a branch of the Sukhoi Aircraft
Company) is completing the production of Su-34 bombers under the contract
signed with the Defense Ministry in 2012 for the delivery of 92 planes to the
troops.
Today Russia’s Aerospace
Force operates from 110 to 130 Su-34 frontline bombers, according to various
estimates.’
Source: ITAR-TASS
19-02-2020
