MAKS 2021: Five foreign customers interested in Sukhoi Su-34 bomber.

Five countries have shown interest in the Sukhoi Su-34 (NATO reporting name: Fullback) frontline bomber, Director of the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugayev said: "We are carrying out marketing work, about five countries have shown interest. There are no contracts yet," Shugayev said. According to him, there has been a significant interest in this aircraft among potential foreign customers. "There are no official bids so far, but there is great interest," he added.

Sukhoi Su-34 (Picture source: Alex Beltyukov/commons.wikimedia)

The Sukhoi Su-34 (NATO reporting name: Fullback) is a Soviet-origin Russian twin-engine, twin-seat, all-weather supersonic medium-range fighter-bomber/strike aircraft. It first flew in 1990, intended for the Soviet Air Forces, and it entered service in 2014 with the Russian Air Force.

Based on the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker air superiority fighter, the Su-34 has an armored cockpit for side-by-side seating of its two-person crew. The Su-34 is designed primarily for tactical deployment against ground and naval targets (tactical bombing/attack/interdiction roles, including against small and mobile targets) on solo and group missions in the daytime and at night, under favorable and adverse weather conditions and in a hostile environment with counter-fire and electronic warfare (EW) counter-measures deployed, as well as for aerial reconnaissance. The Su-34 will eventually replace the Su-24 tactical strike fighter and the Tu-22M3 long-distance bomber.