Russian Su-34 Fighters Equipped with Long-Range Cruise Missiles: Media

Russian Su-34 frontline bombers have gained the capability to carry long-range cruise missiles. This information was reported by RIA Novosti, referring to an informed source.

According to the agency's interlocutor, the modified bombers have already been deployed in the combat zone in Ukraine. “The missile is not new, just like the aircraft, but they have not been used together in one system before, and the new solution increases the versatility of both the missile and the aircraft,” the media quotes the source.

The source also mentioned that Su-34s could be needed as carriers for long-range cruise missiles, for instance, in situations where “it is necessary to carry out strategic missions amid conflict with NATO countries.”

It should be noted that the Su-34 is a supersonic frontline fighter-bomber and is a modification of the Su-27 fighter. It entered service with the Russian Air Force on March 20, 2014. The maximum speed is 1900 km/h, with a flight range of 4500 km without refueling and 7000 km with refueling. The maximum flight altitude is 14,650 m, and the crew consists of two people.