Su-34 Tactical Bomber: News

I think if less powerful Zhuk-MS radar have a range against fighter sized targets around 190 km, than I don't see a problem for bigger and more powerful radar to have a range against same targets around 200 km.

If this is the case, they should have used the V004 radar for Su-30SM and what not, to reduce overall costs for spare parts and supply. Su-34 then sounds extremely capable system and would also cheaper too. I can see why they ordered so many of them. Now if they made a single seat variant for air superiority, would be overall cheaper and as effective as Su-30SM....

V004 could not be placed in nose of Su-30SM as Su-34 have different nose with two seats side by side. Bars radar have the same peak power of 15 kW and have range around 400 km (developed for Su-27M / Su-35), so no need to place V004 in Su-30SM. From Bars is developed more powerful Irbis radar with 400+ km range. V004 is bigger than Bars radar and have larger volume for processors and computers in the nose than Bars radar, which also have to share the space in nose with IRST. Larger processing capabilities behind antenna, could give far better air to ground capabilities to V004 radar than what Bars or Irbis have and still have similar air to air capabilities as Zhuk-SM radar. Bars and Irbis are primary air to air radars with good air to ground capabilities, while V004 is primary air to ground with good air to air capabilities.

Anyway, Su-34 could be no worse fighter in the air than F-15E, although they are both fighter bombers for deep strikes on ground targets.

medo wrote:V004 could not be placed in nose of Su-30SM as Su-34 have different nose with two seats side by side. Bars radar have the same peak power of 15 kW and have range around 400 km (developed for Su-27M / Su-35), so no need to place V004 in Su-30SM. From Bars is developed more powerful Irbis radar with 400+ km range. V004 is bigger than Bars radar and have larger volume for processors and computers in the nose than Bars radar, which also have to share the space in nose with IRST. Larger processing capabilities behind antenna, could give far better air to ground capabilities to V004 radar than what Bars or Irbis have and still have similar air to air capabilities as Zhuk-SM radar. Bars and Irbis are primary air to air radars with good air to ground capabilities, while V004 is primary air to ground with good air to air capabilities.

Anyway, Su-34 could be no worse fighter in the air than F-15E, although they are both fighter bombers for deep strikes on ground targets.

Good points but even with those figures (if true) would make Su-34's v004 better than most other fighters radar.

sepheronx wrote:

medo wrote:V004 could not be placed in nose of Su-30SM as Su-34 have different nose with two seats side by side. Bars radar have the same peak power of 15 kW and have range around 400 km (developed for Su-27M / Su-35), so no need to place V004 in Su-30SM. From Bars is developed more powerful Irbis radar with 400+ km range. V004 is bigger than Bars radar and have larger volume for processors and computers in the nose than Bars radar, which also have to share the space in nose with IRST. Larger processing capabilities behind antenna, could give far better air to ground capabilities to V004 radar than what Bars or Irbis have and still have similar air to air capabilities as Zhuk-SM radar. Bars and Irbis are primary air to air radars with good air to ground capabilities, while V004 is primary air to ground with good air to air capabilities.

Anyway, Su-34 could be no worse fighter in the air than F-15E, although they are both fighter bombers for deep strikes on ground targets.

Good points but even with those figures (if true) would make Su-34's v004 better than most other fighters radar.

True, but in deep strikes against well armed opponents, they will mostly depend on themselves for protection against fighters, so very capable radar and excellent data link and SATCOM network to share situation picture will help them a lot to destroy enemy fighters from the safe distance and not to get into dogfight, although Su-34 is quite agile.

I think that the cockpit would look great in black

Just found these on bmpd, looks like brand new birds with no bort numbers yet, are the pics recent?

Painting the cockpit black just makes it darker and harder to see buttons and displays... think of trying to read text where the text is white and the background is black.

Another brand new one at NAPO, April 2015:

mack8 wrote:Just found these on bmpd, looks like brand new birds with no bort numbers yet, are the pics recent?

Pics are from late July, 2014: http://dron-nsk.livejournal.com/55266.html

Su-34 with an interesting big pod, which looks like SLAR recce pod.

Nice find Medo, another pic:



I was reading in an older article that a special reconnaissance version of Su-34 will replace Su-24MR, so probably this is the pod for Su-34R.

It's called "Sich" and apparently back in 2011, 8 were ordered for tests on the Su-34. They come in 3 versions:

- Radar
- Radio/Signals
- Opto-Electronic

A few screenshots from an older video during production

New lot of Su-34 delivered to VVS today:
http://www.sukhoi.org/news/company/?id=5699

Another one

"Dry," the Defense Ministry gave one the newest bomber Su-34

It's damaged, but not destroyed, so it could be repaired.

Pretty badly damaged, fins gone, nose, spine:

Nothing catastrophic. They will replace tires, fins, nose section and damaged parts behind cockpit and it will fly again. It seems the tires didn't make it, when the plane run off the runway.

At least it didn't burn...

Status of that radar set looks awful.. hope it can be restored.

Anyway looking at the "golden" portion of that radar set.. It seems like the V-004 Antenna.

From another angle

Some very good footage in these videos



We can see footage of the radar and some of the electronic optical systems.



Here we see a computer monitor displaying footage from a electro-optic system from what aircraft I do not know, however it appears to be from datalink as well as radio from the aircraft.

The most curious thing is the latter part showing footage from an aircraft moving away from the target area, the paneling is consistent with that of a Su-34(blue interior etc)

But the Platan system cannot point backwards, targeting pod maybe? Sapsan? The Pak-Fa pod?