By Leo Chiu
Copyright kyivpost
Russia has received a new batch of Su-34 (NATO: Fullback) fighter-bombers from domestic arms maker United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) as part of an earlier state defense contract.
UAC is part of Russia’s state arms conglomerate Rostec and the key manufacturer of Russian warplanes, including the latest generation Su-57 multirole fighter.
UAC wrote on Telegram on Monday that the new Su-34s were delivered to “the crews of the Aerospace Forces” without specifying the date and number of airframes delivered.
However, defense outlet Militarnyi suggested that at least two airframes were identified in UAC’s update, adding that delivery took place at the factory airfield of the Novosibirsk Chkalov Aviation Plant.
The outlet also wrote that the latest delivery is the fourth this year, with the first batch announced on April 19, the second on July 10, and the third on Aug. 12.
UAC boasted of the jet’s performance in its update, adding that September marked the highest number of airframes delivered to the Russian military.
“UAC enterprises consistently maintain a high rate of production of military equipment, fulfilling their obligations to the Russian Aerospace Forces on time,” UAC CEO Vadim Badekha was quoted as saying. “The current month is a record month for the number of aircraft delivered.”
Without referring to Western sanctions, Badekha said the production and prompt delivery were made possible by hardworking staff and improved processes.
“Our employees at the plants, understanding the importance of delivering aircraft to the troops, not only ensure the required volume of output, but also constantly improve production processes to ensure large volumes of aircraft production, both for the tasks of the Russian Ministry of Defense and for the implementation of other production programs,” Badekha said.
A report released in July suggested that the Su-34 relies on Western components for its operation.
Based on the wreckage salvaged in Ukraine, researchers identified 221 foreign electronic components from the aircraft, sourced from 59 companies in 8 countries, primarily the US, followed by Japan, the EU, Switzerland, Taiwan and South Korea.
It is unclear how many foreign components were used in the construction of the latest batch delivered to the Russian military.
The Su-34s were a frequent target of Ukrainian attacks, presumably due to their role in carrying out bombing sorties.
In July, four were reportedly put out of action in Volgograd during a special operation, while one more was lost during a training flight crash. An unspecified number of Su-34s were also damaged in another operation in June.
