Su-34: Russia's Bomber In The Ukraine Conflict

Since its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has shown that many of its armored divisions and air force consists of Soviet-era hardware. However, one of Russia's aircraft is significantly more modern than its several decades-old counterparts, that plane is the Sukhoi Su-34 "Fullback." According to Janes, the Su-34 was first seen intruding upon Ukrainian airspace in early 2022. But it has been in the Russian inventory since at least 2006.

The Fullback is a twin-engine fighter bomber designed in the same vein as the United States Air Force's F-15 Strike Eagle and the U.S. Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornet. From a distance, it may appear to be a normal modern fighter jet, but the closer you look, the more the design reveals itself to be unconventional to say the least. First, it's a two-seater, which isn't unheard of as most fighter bombers have a crew of two. However, instead of tandem seating like other combat aircraft, the Fullback has its crew sit two across like a passenger plane. Secondly, the outline of the aircraft features not only canards (the small winglets in the front) but also a long tail protruding from between the engines, which functions as a radar warning system.

The Fullback's somewhat bizarre design lends itself to the fact that it's actually a substantially modified version of a fighter aircraft called the Sukhoi Su-27 "Flanker." The airframe designs were likely adjusted to alter the plane's aerodynamic capabilities to cope better with an increased crew size and heavier weapons, which are comprised of a 30 millimeter cannon and upwards of 34,000 pounds of missiles or bombs. It has earned the nickname "platypus" due to its odd appearance. 

Powering the Sukhoi are two turbofan engines that generate around 30,000 lbs of force. Reportedly, it can reach a top speed of between Mach 1.6 and Mach 1.8 (around 1,200 mph). That's around the announced speed of the F-35 Lightning II. Specifics are hard to come by as Russia isn't keen on sharing specs for in-service combat aircraft, especially those involved in a contemporary conflict. 

The Su-34 has been used by Russian forces in Syria in addition to the ongoing Ukraine invasion. Last year, Ukrainian forces announced that they were able to successfully shoot down a Fullback with a surface-to-air missile system.

It's important to note that the Fullback is not a stealth aircraft and is therefore vulnerable to all manner of threats once airborne. While Ukraine may not have an air force as large as Russia's, its surface-to-air missiles seem to be capable of doing the job. In the hopefully unlikely event that the Su-34 ever found itself up against current American or European fighter aircraft, it would likely be outmatched.

Non-stealth combat planes like the Eurofighter Typhoon and F-15E Strike Eagle are significantly faster than the Sukhoi, with the Typhoon able to reach speeds of Mach 2, while the Strike Eagle is pushing over Mach 2.5. It would be unlikely a Fullback could outrun or outmaneuver either plane.

On the stealth front, the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II would likely be essentially invisible in whatever combat theater the Sukhoi is operating. The F-22 specifically is built to down enemy aircraft before it can be seen.

There's also the question of available aircraft in Russia's inventory. There are supposedly more than 125 Su-34s in service with Russia. Comparatively, there are 183 F-22 Raptors, 219 Strike Eagles, 582 Eurofighters, and over 965 F-35 Lightnings in service to their respective countries. The Fullback is outnumbered no matter where it flies.