Russian Aerospace Forces to Get 16 Sophisticated Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback Bombers This Year
Russia’s Aerospace Forces will get 16 new Sukhoi Su-34 fighter-bombers in 2017, while the modernization of the aircraft will start in 2018, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuriy Borisov announced on Friday.
“This year, we expect additional deliveries of four aircraft and the total order volume for the current year is 16 Su-34s,” Borisov said, adding that nine aircraft are already in the final stages of assembly.
According to the deputy defense minister, the Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association (NAPO, or NAPA) has a long-term contract with the Russian Defense Ministry on the production of a total of 92 Su-34 strike fighters.
Borisov stressed that Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback aircraft have proved highly effective in the fight against terrorists in Syria.
“A program on the modernization of Su-34 Fullback is planned to start in 2018,” the minister said.
On Thursday, Borisov announced that Russia’s Aerospace Forces would receive 17 advanced Su-30SM fighter jets and 10 Yak-130 combat trainers in 2017.
The Su-34 is a state-of-the-art Russian fighter bomber, developed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau in the mid-1980s.
The two-seat Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback is primarily designed to destroy a variety of ground and naval targets. It is capable of performing solo and group missions in daytime and at night, under favorable and adverse weather conditions and in a hostile environment.
Source: NOVOSIBIRSK (Sputnik News) – 10 March 2017
