Su-34 Tactical Bomber: News

Indian Flanker wrote:Any idea how low the RCS of Su-34 is vis-a-vis a normal Su-27?

Very very similar, I would wager.

TR1 wrote:

Indian Flanker wrote:Any idea how low the RCS of Su-34 is vis-a-vis a normal Su-27?

Very very similar, I would wager.

Don't think so. Read somwhere(don't remember where) that Russian engineers have tried their best to reduce the RCS of the Su-34 when compared to the normal flanker. And that it will have RCS of a cruise missile.

It's amazing that Russian/World media is so silent about this masterpiece fighter bomber? We know more about PAK-FA than this bird?


PS: Even Su-35S' RCS is much less when compared to other flankers IIRC.

TR1 wrote:

Indian Flanker wrote:Any idea how low the RCS of Su-34 is vis-a-vis a normal Su-27?

Very very similar, I would wager.

I don't see how it would, the Su-34 is also designed for reconnaissance more so than the normal Su-27, meaning it would likely have a smaller RCS, I'm going to have to refer to Mindstorm's post about the Su-34's attributes in the Su-34 thread:

https://www.russiadefence.net/t947p90-su-34-news#16567

Yeah there has been a lot claimed about the Su-34's RCS, and I am not buying it.

It has RAM mats on the intakes, that is about it. Ok maybe some RAM paint as well.
Doesn't cover up the giant bird and all of its potential radar reflectors. Maybe they lowered it by a bit, but nothing where radar detection range would be lowered by magnitudes.

They did not even go to as much as effort as the Eurocanards, and their claims about RCS are BS in my book for the most part.
The Su-34 went for the powerful ECM approach over RCS.

Comparing an Su-34 with a standard Su-27 would show significant differences in RCS.

It is not rocket science to work out that an aircraft designed to penetrate enemy air space at a time when RCS is considered a sphere where lower is better with an aircraft designed when RCS management wasn't even considered as part of its design.

Even just applying RAM to the obvious corner reflectors should dramatically reduce RCS... which actually has very little to do with the actual size of the aircraft.

Indian Flanker wrote:
Don't think so. Read somwhere(don't remember where) that Russian engineers have tried their best to reduce the RCS of the Su-34 when compared to the normal flanker. And that it will have RCS of a cruise missile.

It's amazing that Russian/World  media is so silent about this masterpiece fighter bomber? We know more about PAK-FA than this bird?


PS: Even Su-35S' RCS is much less when compared to other flankers IIRC.

Well since the Flanker still carry external armaments.. Any Db's of reduction wouldn't mean much. Same goes for the Su-35S, it's a good fighter but no, it won't reduce RCS as much as typical stealth jets or even JSF's.

I'm with TR1 in this respect.

Unless the fullback is built like This and carry armaments internally it's "RCS Reduction feature" Would go to waste.

TR1 wrote:
Doesn't cover up the giant bird and all of its potential radar reflectors.

Actually the larger the aircraft, the easier it is to reduce long wavelength electro-magnetic radiation emission returns, just look at the B-2 spirit bomber it is significantly larger than the F-22 but it is widely considered stealthier than the F-22 against radars using longer wavelengths.

magnumcromagnon wrote:

TR1 wrote:
Doesn't cover up the giant bird and all of its potential radar reflectors.

Actually the larger the aircraft, the easier it is to reduce long wavelength electro-magnetic radiation emission returns, just look at the B-2 spirit bomber it is significantly larger than the F-22 but it is widely considered stealthier than the F-22 against radars using longer wavelengths.

Still waste of money to make a mediocre bomber with no other defense but "stealth" which will be picked up by VHF radars before it can even come near russian air space and it relies totally on NON stealth birds for ECM, like the bombings of Iraq, stealth B-2 flied under ECM cover of F-4's. It is useless to make a full stealth bird because it will never be STEALTH, picking on 3rd world countries you can destroy 3rd world nations only with F4's and destroying any IAD capability with cruise missile prior air campaign of this old F4s.

If you look at the F-117... a subsonic bomber with modest range and two LGBs for a payload...

The billions spent developing, maintaining and operating these aircraft... if they had just made cruise missiles they could have built tens of thousands or more cruise missiles for the price.

An oldie from MAKS 2003....are those Meteor missiles ?

Cyberspec wrote:An oldie from MAKS 2003....are those Meteor missiles ?

No, they are other missile types.

Novator Alfa.

SOC wrote:Novator Alfa.

Probably you meant Chelomej's Al'fa. Novator's Al'fa (possibly also P-900 or 3M-51) is totally different.

However, I think the missile in the picture is neither the Chelomej's nor the Novator's Al'fa, it's a totally different missile.

I can post more pictures, including those of Chelomej's Al'fa, when I have some time.

Morpheus Eberhardt wrote:I can post more pictures, including those of Chelomej's Al'fa, when I have some time.

Please do

With the rounded nose with a radar and belly mounted intakes I would guess these were Kh-35s...

Way too small to be this:




more like this:



Too small to be this:

Morpheus Eberhardt wrote:

SOC wrote:Novator Alfa.

Probably you meant Chelomej's Al'fa. Novator's Al'fa (possibly also P-900 or 3M-51) is totally different.

Whoops, you're right, it's Alpha, not Alfa.

Images of the thing below.

Yep, I think it's the Alpha/Alfa. I managed to find one more pic...



________________________

Some info in English

  http://missilethreat.com/missiles/3m51-alfa/

________________________

The issue is not about spelling here; it is about several different type of missiles and different developers.

Al'fa is not Al'fa.

18 Su-34 will be produced during 2014   

Novosibirsk aircraft plant them. Chkalov higher targets for the production of Su-34 bombers

Viktor wrote:18 Su-34 will be produced during 2014   

Novosibirsk aircraft plant them. Chkalov higher targets for the production of Su-34 bombers

Excellent news. Maybe next year they will produce 20 of them and equip the 3rd regiments with Su-34.  

Of note, first 3 to be delivered by end of May, it seems in the new cammo (blue shades, but with white nosecone and other dielectric panels)
http://itar-tass.com/sibir-news/1186096

Report from NAPO, showing among others a closer view of the new cammo on the Hellducks from now on.
http://itar-tass.com/sibir-news/1191390

Horrible .

From Hellduck to Gayduck.

Thanks to Djoker. Do they say anything interesting?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDgggaYJ-oI

mack8 wrote:Thanks to Djoker. Do they say anything interesting?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDgggaYJ-oI

Confirmation that they're planning to produce 18 of them this year.

The test pilot mentions that it played a crucial role in the Georgian conflict and that 1 x Su-34 can do the work of 3 x Su-24's.

An upgraded version is planned by 2020.