China uses a similar ASCM swarm strategy but employs the Type 022 Houbei as a missile launching platform rather than an aircraft.
SOM in understand what you mean, but i must stress that anyway strategy using so different platforms (both in type and....in capabilities) isn't similar in any way except in its the most elementary ,about semantic, acception.
I often hear questions on the utility of an aircraft like SU-34 when other Russian-built aircraft -such as SU-30M/M2/35S - are ,supposedly, capable of the same or almost comparable weapon load also in the air to ground department and why Russian military insiders appear to put so big emphasis on its quick introduction in Russian Air Force .
In reality Su-34 when introduced into service will represent, by a very long margin ,the most advanced and specifically optimized very-low altitude intruder and tactical bomber operative worldwide.
Its airframe ,with an unique "compressed" design with fully blended canard and forward LERX for pitch stabilization and control, allowing outstanding stability and manoeuvrability with heavy ordnance’s s weight at great speed in the very low altitude turbulences,
avionic suit , with its
radar purposely designed for ground clutter rejection with vastly reduced upward primary emissions and sidelobes (also thanks to its shape) Low Probability of Intercept and simultaneous procession of the full spectrum of Nav/Trak modes for low altitude missions ( TA -Terrain Avoidance- TF-Terrain Following- NOE -Nap Of the Earth - etc..etc..)or the critical
ABDS-Automatic Buffeting Dampening System - and
AFSS- Active Flight Safety System- developed specifically for its optimized airframe, allowing to conduct types of high speed low altitude missions and follow flight pacts simply impossibles for any other aircraft worldwide or its
Sat/Nav and real time weapon satellite update and , for finish, its
secondary features such as the
heavily armoured cockpit , wing root and engine ducts, and the extensive top-view aimed
RCS reduction effort (allowing SU-34 ,only when flying at low altitude, and illuminated from high altitude from long range...cough..cough...
AWACS...cough..cough...to have an RCS comparable to those of a modern cruise missile) all are aimed to obtain the perfect low altitude intruder and pop-out missile delivering platform .
A simialr design is obviously "son" of the type of military structure characterizing Russian main opponents .
Only to provide an example taken from the specific role in discussion (ASCM saturating attacks against advanced carrier battle groups) is sufficient to image at what range an E-2 flying at, let put, 10000 meters of altitude, would be capable to track two groups of SU-34 incoming from two different directions at high speed and ultra low altitude ,in perfect stability, and if the time necessary for those SU-34 to gain quickly altitude (someone remember what are...incidentally... the class of record that SU-34 achieved ?
) deliver theirs load of supersonic ASCM and evade at full speed would be compatible with the scrambling (alarm, take-off and reach of an useful interception range) of the aircraft present of the carrier.....
Now ,i believe, is more clear the motivation for the great impatience ,by part of Russian Air Force operators, on the quick and extensive introduction of Su-34 .
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