Su-34 Fullback: Specs, Weapons, Range and Combat Record of Russia’s Strike Fighter

The Sukhoi Su-34, known to NATO as the “Fullback,” is Russia’s main frontline bomber and the workhorse of its air campaign in Ukraine. Built on the Su-27 airframe but redesigned for long-range strike missions, it pairs fighter-like performance with a heavy bomb load and an unusual side-by-side cockpit that earned it the nickname “Platypus.”

What is the Su-34?

The Su-34 is a two-seat strike fighter designed to replace the Soviet-era Su-24 Fencer. The prototype first flew in 1990, but funding problems in the 1990s delayed the program, and the jet only entered full service with the Russian Aerospace Forces in the 2010s. Russia has since received well over 100 aircraft and continues to order more, including the upgraded Su-34M.

Specs at a glance

The Su-34 is powered by two AL-31F-family turbofans and can reach a top speed of around Mach 1.8 at altitude. Maximum takeoff weight is about 45 tonnes, and the jet can carry up to roughly 8 tonnes of weapons on 12 hardpoints. Its combat radius is commonly given as about 1,100 km, and in-flight refueling extends that further.

The crew of two sits side by side in a titanium-armored cockpit, which also has room to stand, a small galley and a toilet, comforts that matter on long missions.

Weapons

The Fullback carries a 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon and a wide range of guided and unguided weapons: Kh-29, Kh-31 and Kh-59 missiles, KAB-series guided bombs and R-73 and R-77 air-to-air missiles for self-defense. In Ukraine it has become the main launcher of UMPK glide-bomb kits, which turn old unguided FAB bombs into standoff weapons that can be released dozens of kilometers from the front.

Su-34M: the upgraded version

The Su-34M adds improved avionics and compatibility with new reconnaissance pods, allowing the aircraft to carry out strike and surveillance tasks on the same sortie. Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation has been delivering batches of the modernized jets regularly since the war began.

Combat record and losses

The Su-34 saw combat in Syria and has flown more missions than almost any other Russian aircraft in Ukraine. It has also paid a heavy price. Open-source tallies document dozens of Su-34s lost to air defenses, accidents and Ukrainian long-range strikes on airfields such as Borisoglebsk and Marinovka, making it one of Russia’s costliest aircraft types in the war.

Why it matters

For Russia, the Su-34 is the backbone of its ability to strike ground targets from the air at scale. Its glide-bomb attacks have shaped the fighting along the front, and keeping the fleet flying, and replacing losses, remains a priority for Moscow’s aviation industry.

Featured image: Oleg Belyakov / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons