Rostec will deliver a seventh batch of Su-34s in 2025. These aircraft incorporate developments based on experience gained in Ukraine, focusing on glide bombs and electronic warfare.
Summary
On December 16 and 17, 2025, the Russian conglomerate Rostec, via the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), announced the delivery of a seventh batch of Su-34 Fullback fighter-bombers for the current year. This sustained pace illustrates the priority Moscow is giving to attack aviation, which is at the heart of operations in Ukraine. Above all, these new aircraft are not strictly identical to their predecessors. They incorporate modifications based directly on operational feedback, in particular to improve the use of UMPK glide bombs and enhance onboard electronic warfare. The objective is clear: to increase the accuracy and survivability of long-range strike missions, while limiting the exposure of crews to ground-to-air defenses. This modernized Su-34 illustrates a strategy now embraced by Russia: to rapidly adapt its existing platforms to a prolonged high-intensity conflict, favoring incremental but operationally relevant developments.
An announcement that confirms the priority given to the Su-34
Rostec’s announcement comes amid a tense industrial and military context. Since 2022, Russia has accelerated the production of several types of combat aircraft, but the Su-34 occupies a special place. Designed as a heavy fighter-bomber capable of long-range strikes, it has established itself as one of the pillars of Russian tactical aviation.
The delivery of a seventh batch in a single year is significant. It reflects a desire to maintain, or even increase, the volume of aircraft available despite losses, accelerated wear and tear on airframes, and industrial constraints related to sanctions. According to open estimates, each batch would represent between four and six aircraft, bringing annual deliveries to around 25 to 30 Su-34s, a high level for the current Russian aviation industry.
The Su-34, a key tactical bomber in Russian doctrine
The Su-34 Fullback is based on the Su-27 airframe, but has been extensively modified. It features a side-by-side, armored cockpit designed for long and demanding missions. Its maximum takeoff weight exceeds 45 tons, with a military payload of up to 8,000 kg on twelve hardpoints.
Its range of over 1,000 km on strike missions and its operational ceiling of approximately 15,000 m (49,213 ft) make it a suitable vehicle for deep strikes. In Ukraine, it has been used for both direct attacks and long-range strikes to limit exposure to enemy defenses.
Over time, the Su-34 has become less of a low-altitude penetration aircraft and more of a guided munitions launch platform, operating at medium or high altitudes.
UMPK glide bombs as a response to surface-to-air defenses
One of the major lessons of the Ukrainian conflict is the continuing danger posed by modern surface-to-air systems. Faced with this threat, Russia has made extensive use of gliding bombs equipped with UMPK kits. These devices transform conventional smooth bombs into satellite-guided munitions with folding wings.
Depending on the version, UMPK bombs can have a range of over 60 to 70 km, allowing the Su-34 to strike without entering the direct coverage area of many ground-to-air systems. However, initial use has highlighted limitations in terms of accuracy, particularly in highly jamming environments.
The modifications announced for the Su-34s delivered at the end of 2025 are intended to address this issue. The improvements will focus on inertial navigation, GNSS data fusion, and aircraft-munition interfaces in order to reduce the probable circular dispersion during long-range drops.
A gradual adaptation rather than a complete overhaul
This is not a radically different new standard, but an incremental evolution. Russia favors rapid modifications that can be integrated into the production line without taking the aircraft out of service for long periods.
This approach contrasts with Western programs of heavy modernization, which are often lengthy and costly. Here, the objective is pragmatic: to correct the weaknesses observed without compromising the overall architecture of the aircraft.
The Su-34s delivered in December 2025 would therefore remain compatible with previous batches, while benefiting from greater efficiency in their current dominant role: long-range strikes with gliding munitions.
Strengthening onboard electronic warfare
Another key area of development is electronic warfare. The Su-34 already has dedicated capabilities, with external pods and integrated systems designed to jam or disrupt enemy radars.
Feedback from Ukraine has shown that an aircraft’s survivability depends as much on its ability to conceal itself as on its ability to disrupt the electromagnetic environment. The new aircraft would incorporate improvements in jammer range, multiple threat management, and coordination with other platforms.
These developments are intended to complicate the engagement of surface-to-air missiles by lengthening enemy reaction times and reducing the quality of radar tracks.
A response to limitations observed in the field
The modifications to the Su-34 also reflect well-identified difficulties. Despite its potential, the aircraft has suffered significant losses since 2022. Some of these losses are linked to missions carried out too close to the front line, while others are due to shortcomings in electronic protection against Western surface-to-air systems delivered to Ukraine.
By now favoring strikes that are further away and better protected in electromagnetic terms, Russia is seeking to reduce the risk to crews while maintaining a constant military pressure capability.
This doctrinal shift is directly integrated into the configuration of the new aircraft being delivered.
A signal to industry and the armed forces
For Rostec and UAC, this announcement also has an industrial and political dimension. It aims to demonstrate the Russian military-industrial complex’s ability to adapt its production in wartime, despite sanctions and supply constraints.
Internally, it serves to reassure the armed forces that feedback from the field is being taken into account. The message is clear: operational lessons learned are not ignored but are translated into concrete improvements.
Modernization dictated by conflict, not exports
Unlike some past developments, these modifications do not seem to be primarily designed for export. Above all, they respond to the immediate needs of Russian aviation.
The modernized 2025 version of the Su-34 is therefore an aircraft shaped by real conflict, not commercial requirements. This translates into technical choices that are sometimes rustic, but directly geared towards operational efficiency.
Russian aviation in a state of constant adaptation
The delivery of this seventh batch of Su-34s illustrates a significant trend. Russian aviation is not static. It is evolving under pressure, gradually integrating solutions aimed at compensating for identified weaknesses.
This ability to adapt does not guarantee total air superiority, but it does allow a credible strike capability to be maintained over time. In a war of attrition, this consistency is just as important as technological sophistication.
The updated version of the Su-34 thus appears to be a tool for strategic continuity. It is a robust aircraft, imperfect but continually adjusted to the realities of the battlefield.
Sources
- Official press releases from Rostec and United Aircraft Corporation
- Statements from the Russian Ministry of Defense on 2025 deliveries
- Specialized analyses on the use of the Su-34 in Ukraine
- Open data on UMPK glide bombs
- Independent studies on Russian electronic warfare and tactical aviation
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