- REC.AVIATION.MILITARY -------------------------------------------------------
 From : shelest@eden.rutgers.edu                            Wed 30 Nov 94 22:15 
 Subj : Behold, Enter the Su-34.                                                
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Su-34 bomber - no analogues.
Vladimir Iljin, Ephim Gordon

        The Su-27 fighter while still the best mass produced air superiority
fighter of today became a successful example of continuing development of the
base model. This allowed to create a whole family of the aircraft of different
purpose on the basis of this front line fighter. The last and probably the most
exotic plane of this family is the Su-34 bomber. It made its maiden flight on
December 18, 1993 in Novosibirsk.
        The work on the development of the two seater model of Su-27 with the
cockpit
where the pilots sit not as in usual tandem but side by side as it is customary
in the modern bomber aviation (the pilots of Su-24 and General Dynamics F-111
sit this way in particular) were commenced at the P. O. Sukhoj's bureau in the
middle of 1980's. At first the plane with such a design was intended to be a
training a/c for the preparation of the carrier pilots. Sitting side by side the
instructor and the student would interact better, besides they both had an
excellent view of the airspace fore and below, which is especially important for
the successful landing on the flight deck.
        The cuts in the budget for Russian carriers development that set in in
the late 1980's could not have no effect on the development of the carrier
aviation. The creation of such an a/c became less important and the works on the
project were stopped. At the same moment the Air Force expressed an interest in
a two seater attack plane intended to replace gradually aging front line bomber
Su-24M. The "land" version of the two seater Su-27 fit this role splendidly.
This plane meets all the requirement of the fighter-bomber of the new
generation.
        The prototype of the attack plane for the front aviation, known as
Su-27IB, was created by reingeneering of one of mass produced training-combat
Su-27UB's. At the Novosibirsk plant named after V. P. Chkalov the new nose
section with an armored cockpit was made, then installed on the modernized
airframe of the two seater. The leading edges of the extended almost up to the
cockpit wings now house [some shitty terminology, that actually mean] fully
rotatable horizontal canards or foreplanes. That has significantly changed the
aerodynamics of the a/c improving its maneuverability and take off - landing
characteristics (this technology was developed at first on a experimental
T-10-24 in 1986 and was implemented on other Sukhoj designs such as carrier
Su-27K for the fleet and multirole Su-35 for the Air Force). The air intakes
were significantly redone becoming invariable (the high speed at high altitude
had no importance for the fighter - bomber working mostly on a ground level with
wings loaded with assorted armament). The engines and motogondolas
[probably engine nacelles] were replaced as well.
        The very first time Su-27IB (in the bureau this plane was known under
the codename T-10B) took to the sky with one of the best firms pilots, Anatolij
Ivanov, in the cockpit on the April 13, 1990. The details  of the tests are
still not disclosed but quite unexpectedly ITAR-TASS published through its
channels a photograph of unusually looking Su-27 descending on a flight deck
of the aircraft carrying cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov". The caption under the
photo by the correspondent A. Kremko was somewhat amusing: "A landing on the
deck of HACC "Tbilisi" It was the first official photograph of Su-27IB. And
really at the time of the tests the plane overflew the deck a couple of
times, but according to the official information from the bureau it was done
in order to study the conditions of the landing for the carrier planes. But
the question is - why could not have been it done with other types of a/c
that already had made numerous landings on the deck?
        There is also another (unofficially confirmed by the bureau employees)
version of the events; the photograph was leaked intentionally in order to
create an illusion in the West about a development of a new carrier a/c to
distract its attention from the new strike complex.
        But suddenly the secret was uncovered very quickly after the Su-27IB
was displayed publicly in 1992 on a closed exhibition at Machulischi (close
to Minsk) at the time when in the capital of Byelorussia all the heads of the
CIS gathered including the Russian president Boris Yeltsin. The organizers of
the exhibit (such a demonstration to the government is done approximately
once every two years) planned that by showing the new perspective hardware
to the president they will be able to squeeze some financing for the
continuation of the RD works and for the manufacture of the pre-serial
prototypes. The representatives of the Defense Ministry and the Aviation
industry Ministry (now department) hoped also to receive orders for the
serial production of Su-27K, Su-27M. MiG29M, MiG31M and of course Su-27IB.
And indeed the money for initial (10 planes) parties of Su-27K, Su-27M and
MiG31M were found. But there was no worthy attention news about Su-27IB ever
since.
        Published by the same ITAR-TASS after the Machulischi exhibition
photographs of the Su-27IB with all the armament left no doubt about the role
of the aircraft. Thus in the spring of 1992 the world found out about the
creation of the new type of the fighter-bomber in Russia.
        After the Machulischi the Su-27IB was shown in flight at the
Mosaeroshow in '92 and '93. the a/c was piloted by honored test pilot
Evgenij Revunov and test navigator 2-nd class Evgenij Donchenko. IB came in
the formation with two Su-27PU (Su-30) from Anatolij Kvochur group. they
imitated a refueling from Il-78 tanker. Then the crew performed a number of
aerobatics maneuvers demonstrating excellent handling qualities of the plane.
This allowed for a number of photographs to appear in press, that let the
observers to fully appreciate the a/c.
        At the beginning of 1994 two experimental Su-34 bombers were built at
a serial plant in Novosibirsk. These significantly differed from the
prototype. They had new gear with a tandem set up of the wheels. Such a
design allows the plane to use poorly prepared strips (and as a consequence a
good combat survivability in the conditions when all the major runways are
destroyed as it happened in Iraq in 1991) In the tail section of the fuselage,
between the engines the engineers placed a powerful Radio Locating Station
for aft observation. This forced the constructors to move the breaking
parachute from the tail cone to the upper surface of the fuselage making it
sliding, of "button" type. The regular equipment and systems were also placed
on board of the plane.
        The Su-34 bomber is intended to destroy point heavily guarded targets
in any weather conditions, day or night. The accomplishment of the goal is
ensured by the installation of the most sophisticated at this day
radioelectronic equipment on board, including multifunctional radar with
increased resolution capability able to see even insignificant in size ground
targets and allowing the attack with high precision.
        Not only the aft facing radar warns the crew about an enemy's attack,
but also can guide the air to air missile firing. The missiles are able to
hit the enemy guided missiles as well as the planes. Not a single foreign
attack a/c at this time has similar capabilities.
        The fighter - bomber is equipped with the most powerful navigation
complex. The control of the Su-34 uses multichannel digital electrodistance
[total word by word translation] system. The system of active safety is
installed [another bunch of terminology, did they mean ECM?]
        The cockpit is outfitted with multifunctional CRT indicators and HUD's
[just to add confusion HUD in Russian is abbreviated as ILS]. The pilots also
have helmet mounted sights that allow to perform target cueing for the guided
missiles "by looking", this significantly decreases the time of weapons
reaction (which is especially important in the low altitude flight, when the
crew has only seconds to find, identify and hit the target).
        One of the major combat modes of the Su-34 flight is an intrepid
trust at low altitude following the terrain. However the plane based on the
airframe of an air superiority fighter and having a wing with relatively low
specific load [I am not sure about this one] (even though bigger than that of
regular Su-27) will be subjected to excessive effect of the turbulence caused
by the condition of the air mass' close to the ground. This can adversely
effect the crew's physical capability to perform a lengthy low altitude
flight and under certain circumstances can lead to a disaster (because of
such reasons in particular the length of the low altitude section of the
American McDonnell - Douglas F-15E "Strike Eagle's" flight is limited; this
a/c is also created on a base of an air superiority fighter and has a terrain
following radar) For the Su-34 the  low altitude flight comfort is
achieved by using an automatic pitching oscillation suppression system (such
an equipment is use only on the American strategic bomber Rockwell B-1B).
        Low altitude flight profile takes the plane out of the reach of
highly intelligent interception systems such as SAM's and fighters and makes
it a target of portable surface to air missiles and small caliber anti
aircraft artillery. This called for some serious measures toward improving
the a/c protection. It is useful to remember that during the Vietnam war in
1968 the American Air Force lost three out of six its newest bombers, General
Dynamics F-111A, who flew on extremely low altitudes. Two of those fell
victims to small caliber AAA. Great Britain Air Force lost six Tornado fighter
- bombers to Iraqi portable SAM's and small caliber AAA during the "Desert
Storm" operation. They also flew low altitude strike mission and had no
armor. The losses of the not armored American General Dynamics F-16 fighter -
bombers were even greater. At the same time perfectly protected from the
small caliber shells and missile fragments Su-25 stormovics proved to be a
hard target for the Afghan "mudgaheddins'" Air Defense, who had at their
disposal numerous anti aircraft assault rifles and machine-guns and the newest
portable SAM's of American, British, Chinese and Soviet manufacturing (during
the eight years of heavy fighting only 23 Su-25 were lost).
        The combat experience of the low altitude aviation use was taken into
consideration by the creators of the Su-35 [must have been a typo in the
article]. The cockpit is made (the first time in the world practice on this
type of a/c) in a form of an armored capsule with titanium walls up to 17 mm
thick. The other vital construction elements have similar protection,
particularly the fuel tanks and the engines. The total weight of the structural
protection is 1,480 kg. All this in addition to the protection measures
implemented on Su-27 (which had in particular fuel tanks with porous filling)
provide the Su-34 with high degree of survivability in a low altitude flight
over the territory reach in air defense measures.
        Lately decreasing of radar, thermal and visual signature of a/c became
a major element of guarantying their survival (Stealth technology). Obviously,
everything that has to do with the measures of decreasing of a/c visibility
rakes an extreme secrecy within Russia as well as abroad (it is enough to
remember what kind of secrecy the Americans wrapped their works on their
stealth's - F117A and B-2 into) but even cursory look at the Su-34 gives an
opportunity to make a conclusion that this plane has a smaller [some
abbreviation, that probably means] radar crossection compared to the other
craft in its class. Clearly visible integral arrangement of the airframe  (the
family
feature of the all Su-27 family a/c) is combined with radically changed flatten
nose section, resembling the American B-2 bomber's nose. The large "beak" of
the radar sight is absent (the radar antenna and the air intakes are responsible
for the size of the radar crossection of a combat plane in the fore hemisphere).
All this plus radioabsorbing covering and materials can make the Su-34 much
less visible on a radar screen than such a/c as Su-24, F-111 and F-15E
(according
to the bureau representative at low altitude Su-34 will have the same radar
visibility as modern cruise missiles, and as we know this class of weapons have
radar cross section less than 1m^2)
  The other feature that increases the combat survivability of the Su-34
is the presence of the second set of controls for the navigator-operator. The
extra measures were taken to ensure the crew survival in the case if the fighter
bomber do get fatal damage: the ejection systems ensures an emergency escape
from the plane three times as fast as it was in the Su-27.
  The excellent aerodynamics, huge capacity of internal fuel tanks,
assured by the integral composition of the plane, highly economic double-contour
engines with digital control system, the extendible air refueling probe and
hardpoints for additional fuel tanks permits the Su-34 to cover great distances,
approaches the combat radius of medium bombers (Tu-16, Tu-22, Tu-22M). Without
refueling and the external fuel tanks the plane may fly for 4,000 km - longer
than the American fighter- bomber McDonnell - Douglas F-15E with the additional
fuel tanks. It is necessary to mention that the tactical bombers of the past
generation, particularly the planes Su-24 and F-111, too had very good distance
characteristics. However it was not possible to fully utilize their technical
capabilities because of ergonomical factors that resulted in fast crew fatigue.
The tactical bomber crews as well as those of some strategic ones (Tu-22, Tu-22M
FB-111, B-58) are forced to spend all the flight in the ejection chair in a
fixed position; the sanitary equipment (the thing necessary even for such super-
humans as pilots) were absent or imperfect; there were no provision for hot food
in flight. The long flight on the Su-34 became much more comfortable. The air
system maintains a pressure corresponding to the altitude of 2,400 m at the
altitude of 10,000 m. This allows the crew to fly without the oxygen masks. A
powerful air-conditioning system is in place. All this ensures high crew
effectiveness in a long flight, still increasing combat potential of the Su-34.
  The pilots' access to the cockpit is also simplified and is facilitated
by a ladder through a hatch by the front wheel. The cockpit itself was
constructed so spacious that at the time when the Su-27IB was demonstrated by
the general designer Michail Simonov to the high command of the Air Force and
the NAVY; the commander in chief of the Air Force general - colonel of the
aviation P. S. Deynekin noted: "This one is even bigger than that of the
strategic bomber Tu-160". It may be an exaggeration of some sort, but behind
the crew compartment of the new strike Su there is a toilet and a food heating
closet. The design of the cockpit allows the crew members to leave their seats
in turns and assume a fully stretched vertical position in a special compartment
behind the cockpit for a relaxation. The distance between the chairs allows a
one of the crew members to lie down in the corridor between the seats and to
rest in a horizontal position if necessary.
  Majority of the parts and systems of the Su-34 and the Su-27IB were being
developed during a long time in the Sukhoj bureau on the different stands. One
of those has, for instance, a Su-27 airframe installed on it with a telescopic
break parachute systems put on. The reliability of the system was tested in the
incoming air flow. The ejection system required special attention. Even after
the installation on the test plane it still took some improvement. And it is not
surprising because compared to such system of the Su-24M, the time of ejection
of
the Su-27IB/Su34 pilots is cut down threefold.
  The Su-34 armament includes internal GSh-301 (30 mm) cannon, very precise
selfguiding and correctable missiles [any time "missile" is use it could have
been "rocket"] and bombs with effective radius from 0 to 250 km; guided air to
air missiles K-77 and short range missiles R-73. The total armament load on the
external hardpoints can reach 8,000 kg.
  At this time the Su-34 has no direct foreign analogues The F-111 (as
well as its Russian counterpart Su-24) belongs to the older generation of a/c.
Newer American F-15E Strike Eagle belongs rather to the class of multi-role
fighters (as well as the Russian Su-30 and Su-35). Retaining its predecessors,
F-15C capability to wage an offensive aerial battle it has extensive strike
capabilities. However its limited low altitude flight duration, shorter radius,
and absence of any serious armor and inability to fight with missiles in the aft
hemisphere do not allow us to consider Strike Eagle a fully fledged counterpart
to the Su-34. Probably, the American carrier strike craft that was going to be
developed under the A/FX program would be most close conceptually to the new
fighter - bomber of the Sukhoj design bureau. But the project was stopped in the
USA due to financial considerations at the a/c outlook forming stage in December
1993.
  If despite the economical hardship our country lives through, the
financing of the Su-34 program will continue, in the end of the 1990's the
Russian Air Force will receive a powerful perfect combat weapon, that will
provide the protection of the national interests of the country with greater
effectiveness and lesser expenses than the tactical strike crafts of the older
generation. At the same time the Su-34 has also a good export potential. Lately
there was a trend on the international aviation market for demand for heavy
tactical strike aircraft able to hit targets with high precision weapons at a
great depth. Israel signed a contract with the USA for 20 F-151 planes (a
version of F-15E), the Saudi Arabia purchased 72 F-153 9another F-15E version)
Somewhat earlier the Saudi Arabia obtained fighter - bombers Tornado. Australia
Air Force has F-11C's; Iraq and Siria have Su-24KM. It is obvious that given
good marketing strategy and smart advertising the Su-34 may become unconditional
leader in its weight category on the a/c market at the end of 1990's, beginning
2000's
The a/c characteristics:
Weight: maximum take off : 35,000 +, weapon load on the hardpoints: 8,000
Flight data: Maximum speed at an altitude: 1.8 Mach, on a deck: 1,400 km/h
transfer flight distance without external tanks and air refueling: 4,000 km

[double-contour engines may mean turbofans]
[Read it, compare notes, tell me if something unclear or unreadable.
All the comments, corrections, improvements upon my translation and comments
are welcommed.]

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