Joint Naval drills between Kazakhstan and Russia in Caspian Sea.

According to information published by Tass on May 18, 2021, the crews of the Caspian Flotilla’s ships will hold joint drills with the naval forces of Kazakhstan in the Caspian Sea to practice providing security of shipping and fighting terrorism, the press office of Russia’s Southern Military District reported.
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Kazakh Naval Forces (Picture source: Kazakh government)

The drills will run at Russian and Kazakhstani naval practice ranges in the medium part of the Caspian Sea on May 18-24. Russia will be represented by six warships in the drills, the press office specified.

"The seamen of Russia and Kazakhstan will practice joint measures to protect and defend maritime economic facilities, provide for the security of shipping and international maritime activity and fight terrorism in the Caspian Sea. In the course of joint maneuvers, the seamen will conduct artillery firings against sea and air targets, practice mine countermeasures and anti-sabotage activities involving frogmen units," the press office said in a statement.

A Su-34 bomber will take part in the naval maneuvers to simulate an air target, the press office said.

The drills’ joint command and headquarters will involve Russian and Kazakhstani naval officers. In the course of the joint drills, the seamen of the navies from both countries will exchange data on the results of monitoring the air and the naval situation in the region, the statement says.

The Su-34 shares most of its wing structure, tail, and engine nacelles with the Su-27/Su-30, with canards like the Su-30MKI, Su-33, and Su-27M/35 to increase static instability (higher maneuverability) and to reduce trim drag.

The Su-34 is powered by a pair of Saturn AL-31FM1 turbofan engines, the same engines used on the Su-27SM; giving the aircraft a maximum speed of Mach 1.8+ when fully loaded.

Although having a slower maximum speed than the standard Su-27, the Su-34 can still handle high G-loads and perform aerobatic maneuvers. When equipped with a full weapons load, the Su-34 has a maximum range of 4,000 kilometers (2,500 mi) without refueling, this can be extended further via aerial refueling. The airframe is also cleared to perform maneuvers of up to +9 g. The noise level of the Su-34 is two times lower than the level of its predecessors.

The Su-34 is a three-surface design having both a conventional horizontal tailplane at the rear and a canard foreplane in front of the main wings. The foreplane provides both additional lift (force) and greater maneuverability. It has twin tail fins like those of Su-27 from which it is derived.

The Su-34 has 12 hardpoints for 8,000 kg (17,600 lb) of ordnance, intended to include the latest Russian precision-guided weapons. It retains the Su-27/Su-30's 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon, and the ability to carry R-77 air-to-air missiles (6 pcs) and R-73 (also 6), with the air-to-air missiles being primarily for defense against pursuers if detected by the rearward-facing radar. The maximum weight of any single munition carried is 4000 kg, its stand-off weapons have range up to 250 kilometers (160 mi). A Khibiny electronic countermeasures (ECM) system is fitted as standard.

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