Russia’s Buying New Planes That Can Defend Them Country

An Su-34 refuels during an exercise in April 2020. Russian defense ministry

David Axe, Forbes: The Turks Shot Down A Russian Bomber In 2015. Now Russia’s Buying New Planes That Can Defend Themselves

The Russian air force is buying new Su-34 fighter-bombers. The two-seat, twin-engine warplanes will replace aging Su-24 bombers—one of which the Turkish air force shot down near Syria in 2015.

The Kremlin in late May cut a contract with United Aircraft Corporation’s Sukhoi division to build 76 new Su-34s at a rate of eight to 14 planes through 2027. The 76 Su-34s should be enough to equip two regiments.

The baseline Su-34 borrows the airframe of the Su-27 fighter but adds a two-person cockpit with side-by-side seating. The Su-34 can strike targets as far as 600 miles away while carrying 12 tons of bombs and missiles, including air-to-air missiles.

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WNU Editor: Russia will need to buy far more than 76 new Su-34s to make a difference.