Russian Su‑34 production plummets amid rising war losses
This June, the Russian Armed Forces received the second batch of Su-34 aircraft built in 2024. In recent months, the Russians have produced only four aircraft of this type, a number much lower compared to deliveries made in the Russian Federation over the past decade.
6:34 AM EDT, June 30, 2024
Let's recall that since the beginning of 2024, the Russian defense industry has managed to produce at least four Su-34 aircraft intended, among other things, for carrying bombs from the FAB family. At the same time, production at the current level, estimated today at a maximum of 8 aircraft per year, is not able to cover the Russian army's current losses.
At the end of May this year, Ukrainian military analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko calculated that the Russians had lost 25 Su-34 aircraft since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. However, this is the state as of December 2023, so the current number of lost bombers of this type is certainly higher—especially since another Su-34 recently crashed in the Russian Federation. It is assumed that the Russians have lost about 50 Su-34 aircraft since the start of the war.
Production rate declines
Although the Russian Federation continues to lose more machines, it has not ceased their production. The problem for the Russians, however, is that the production rate of Su-34 aircraft is gradually declining. Exact data has been examined by Ukrainian military analyst Taras Chmut. The expert calculates that the Russian defense industry previously produced 7 experimental prototypes of the Su-34 and 5 pre-production units.
From 2010 to 2020, full-scale production was carried out, and 126 Su-34 bombers left the factories. This means that the average annual output during this period was about 12 aircraft.
Changes in production rates have been observed since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine. Chmut emphasizes that he only provides figures and does not draw any conclusions in his calculations. The expert's analysis shows that the Russians produced as many as 20 Su-34 aircraft in 2022. In 2023, the number fell to 12, and in 2024, it is currently 4 aircraft, which at an unchanged production rate means that by the end of the year, the Russian Armed Forces will receive another 4 machines.
In essence, the production of 36 aircraft over the last 3 years means that the Russian Federation is producing machines at an unchanged (or even slightly increased) rate from 2010-2020. The decline in efficiency is evident when comparing factory status year-by-year. Since 2022, the Russian defense industry has been producing fewer Su-34 aircraft each year, which could be a problem resulting from increasingly severe sanctions imposed by the West. Guerrilla movement Atesh agents have been reporting issues due to this in recent weeks.
Russian universal machines
The Su-34s are truly universal machines remaining in the arsenal of the Russian Federation. These multifunctional tactical bombers can conduct a variety of missions and are designed to carry weapons with a total weight of 17,637 lbs on 12 hardpoints. On pylons suspended under the fuselage, nuclear ammunition, among other things, can be found. Currently, however, the Su-34s are usually used to attack Ukrainian positions with bombs from the FAB family.
The maximum speed developed by this design is about 1,180 mph. This is provided by the presence of two AL-31F M1 turbojet engines. The maximum range of the Su-34 is estimated at about 2,486 miles.
