Su-34 Tactical Bomber: News

https://www.militarynews.ru/story.asp?rid=1&nid=532663&lang=RU

Russia’s top brass inks deal on 20 Su-34 frontline bombers

The contract involves standard Su-34 aircraft with certain alterations based on the experience of the operation of several dozen bombers of this type earlier purchased for the troops, according to a TASS source in the domestic defense industry

MOSCOW, June 8. /TASS/. Russia’s Defense Ministry has signed a three-year contract on receiving about 20 Sukhoi Su-34 frontline bombers, a source in the domestic defense industry told TASS on Monday.

"Last week, a contract was signed between the Defense Ministry and the Sukhoi Aircraft Company on building about 20 Su-34 frontline bombers," the source said.

The contract involves standard Su-34 aircraft with certain alterations based on the experience of the operation of several dozen bombers of this type earlier purchased for the troops, the source said.

A contract on the purchase of upgraded Su-34M planes "is expected to be signed in 2021," the source added.


https://tass.com/defense/1165443

So 20 more Su-34 before Su-34Ms

George1 wrote:So 20 more Su-34 before Su-34Ms

About 20 from the NVO type with 3 new containers and the Syrian experience, and the others ~56 from the M version, that's what I interpret.

dino00 wrote:

George1 wrote:So 20 more Su-34 before Su-34Ms

About 20 from the NVO type with 3 new containers and the Syrian experience, and the others ~56 from the M version, that's what I interpret.

Probably, because the first one would be surely be concluded before 2023, so it would be included into this (already ongoing) framework while the remaining part would go into the following one i.e. 2027.
And probably it would be the first one batch to go without recon containers, as they are till testing them but didn't want to wait.

medo wrote:

dino00 wrote:

George1 wrote:So 20 more Su-34 before Su-34Ms

About 20 from the NVO type with 3 new containers and the Syrian experience, and the others ~56 from the M version, that's what I interpret.

You could be correct. But I hope they will sign for 76 M version in first batch + another batch. Buying only 56 of new version is not economical and RuAF for sure need more of deeply upgraded ones, specially as they will get new or deeply modernized radar although even existing one is very capable.

They will, it would either be the second batch of 2027 framework or it will go to the 2032 framework.

Given that they will deliver the last four of the current batch this month, I 'll expect that they are already modifying the assembly line and so would begin produce the new version from 2021.

The Ministry of Defense intends to upgrade its Su-34

The military department is considering the modernization of the Su-34 bombers fleet. Representatives of the early series released at the turn of the 2010s can become candidates . When improving combat vehicles, experience gained both in Syria and those obtained during normal daily operation should be taken into account

The issue of modernizing a part of the Su-34 bomber fleet is currently being worked out, sources in the military-industrial complex told Izvestia. We study the number of machines that may fall under the new program, as well as the amount of necessary work. After that, they will decide on the advisability of concluding a new contract for modernization . It can become an addition to the two existing contracts for new aircraft of this type, according to which it is planned to manufacture about a hundred more shock machines.

Full Article
https://iz.ru/1022604/anton-lavrov-roman-kretcul/samolet-na-prokachku-minoborony-namereno-modernizirovat-svoi-su-34

During the operational life of most military equipment they will occasionally need overhauls of engines or airframes or avionics where old equipment is just replaced with newer stuff.

Sometimes the performance doesn't change a lot because it might be replacing 5.25 inch floppy disk drives with a 3.5 inch floppy just meant they were smaller and not that much faster, but sometimes the change is dramatic... replacing a 3.5 inch floppy with a CD drive is an enormous change in performance and a DVD drive is equally a huge step up in capacity, but replacing the drive with a USB port is more of a change because as USB pendrives get bigger capacity the system can use the bigger capacity without needing actual hardware upgrades. Of course over time you do upgrade.... USB 1 to USB-2 and now USB-3 or eSATA offers enormous amounts of data going in or coming out rather quickly and of course wifi networks allowing updates in flight or on the runway...

Upgrading the hardware actually makes it simpler to operate and maintain as well as improving performance improving commonality amongst the aircraft in the fleet is also of benefit too.

Of course some upgrades are not critical... sometimes the upgrade might be in the self defence EW area so not every aircraft might need it... it might be an upgrade package that allows the aircraft to carry an ESM pod that can protect the entire flight of aircraft the plane in question is operating with. Equally it could be jammer equipment or SEAD equipment that not all the aircraft will need... but might eventually receive as an upgrade to make it flexible later on to choose which aircraft performs which roles on a mission.

BetAB-500 from Su-34