رد: السوبر هورنيت vs الفلانكرز.
The Su-32MF/Su-34 Fullback Strike Fighter
The basic configuration of the intended production Su-32MF/Su-34 aircraft is a multirole deep strike fighter, intended to perform the battlefield interdiction, close air support and deep strike roles now performed by the Su-24 in Russia, the F-15E in the US and the F-111 in Australia. In addition the Russians envisage a long endurance / range air combat role for the aircraft, with the intent to use it to attack ISR platforms with stand off missiles; in this respect its tasking reflects early US Air Force thinking on the F-111 series.
The manufacturer's website states that the Su-34 is designed to defeat the F-15, F/A-18 and Eurofighter Typhoon in air combat engagements.
EU reports claim that production Su-32MF/34 will be fitted with the newer AL-41F engines, rated at 35 klb wet/SL/static thrust, rather than the AL-35F used in the demonstrators. However, Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) aircraft are being delivered with late models of the Al-31F engine, the Al-21MF. The aircraft has an aerial refuelling probe, plumbing for three drop tanks, and can carry the Sakhalin UPAZ-1A aerial refuelling pod performing as a buddy tanker.
The primary aircraft sensor is the large Leninets B-004 multimode phased array radar, which uses like all current Russian designs passive phase shifter technology with a Travelling Wave Tube (TWT) transmitter. The radar is claimed to be highly modular with redundant components, reflecting the APQ-164 model to achieve very high mission reliability on long endurance sorties. The X-band design is claimed to achieve a 15 kW peak power rating, although production radars could see the use of higher rating TWT transmitters since developed for the NIIP BARS series.
The radar is claimed to provide a range of 200 to 250 km (108 to 135 NMI) against large surface targets, ground mapping capability to 150 km (81 NMI), Doppler beam sharpened ground mapping to 75 km (40 NMI) and GMTI target tracking to 30 km (16 NMI), the latter similar to contemporary Western attack radars like the APG-76. Detection performance against fighter sized aerial targets is claimed to be 90 km (48.6 NMI), comparable to the N-001 series. A Synthetic Aperture Radar high resolution groundmapping mode was planned, and given its existence in the evolved N-001/N-011M series, does not present difficulties. The radar provides a low altitude terrain avoidance mode, and automatic terrain following capability.
An inertial navigation system supplemented by a GNSS receiver (Glonass and likely GPS C/A) is employed.
The planned internal electro-optical suite appears to have vanished in more recent reports, with claims that the Sapsan-E thermal imaging and laser targeting pod will be carried externally, probably on the No 9 ventral inlet station.
Development Su-32/34 are fitted with a large circular dielectric panel on the upper fuselage, which can only be a satellite communications antenna given its size and placement. No equipment type has not been disclosed.
A didgital datalink is fitted but no disclosures have been made on the type as yet - for situational awareness and air-air combat the latest TKS-2 standard on the Su-30/35 is the most likely type fitted.
The cockpit uses a single dual combiner Head Up Display, and AMLCD displays. The widely photographed prototype cockpits are unlikely to represent a production configuration, given the layout of the more recent Su-30MK and Su-27SKM/SKU glass cockpits. The crew sit on K36DM ejection seats.
Defensive systems include a Radar Warning Receiver, most likely the current variant of the SPO-32 / L150 Pastel digital receiver carried by the Su-27/30. The podded wingtip mounted KNIRTI SPS-171 / L005S Sorbtsiya-S H/I band defensive jammer has been reported, this system being an evolution of a jammer developed for the Backfire C. The Sorbtsiya-S, unlike most Western jamming pods, is designed to operate in pairs and uses forward and aft looking steerable wideband phased arrays to maximise jamming effect. It is worth observing that the Sorbtsiya is clearly built to provide cross-eye jamming modes against monopulse threats, and the wideband mainlobe steering capability provided by the phased array permits best possible utilisation of available jamming power. A graded dielectric lens is employed (refer image below).
It is likely that a later generation variant of the Azovsky MAK series IR/UV Missile Approach Warning System will be used, such as the L-136 MAK-UFM - the L-082 MAK-UL was carried by the Su-24M in the same role. The APP-50 countermeasures dispenser common to the Su-27/30 is likely to be used. Like some Su-30/35 configurations, the aircraft is to carry the Phazotron/Rassvet N012 tail warning radar, in the after 'stinger'.
For air combat the aircraft will be equipped to carry the same R-27 (AA-10 Alamo), R-73 (AA-11 Archer), and R-77 (AA-12 Adder) AAMs now carried by the Su-27/30. This will provide a credible BVR capability against closing fighters, and allows the Su-32MF/34 to be retasked as an air defence interceptor. The radar's GMTI capability is likely to be exploited for cruise missile defence tasks.
Like the Su-24 Fencer, the Su-32MF/34 is expected to be used for derivative roles. For tactical reconnaissance, the likely candidate pod is the recently revealed M400 centreline pod. It is equipped with a Raduga multi-band) IR imaging system, AP-403 and AP-404 panoramic cameras, and optional modules with the M402 Pika SLAR radar and AK-108FM
There has been ongoing speculation about the development of a dedicated electronic attack / support jammer variant of the Fullback, filling the niche occupied by the EA-6B Prowler, EA-18G Growler and EF-111A Raven. The Fullback has the size to perform this role better than both the EA-6B and EA-18G, but would not compete with the EF-111A (Author).
Of more interest in the longer term is the proposed support jamming variant, discussed in the Indian and Russian trade press. This aircraft is a Russian analogue to the EF-111A or EF-18G Growler, designed as a fast support jammer for escort and standoff jamming. The podded L175V / KS418 high power jammer is being developed for this purpose, it being an analogue to the US ALQ-99 jamming pods on the EA-6B and EF-18G. The KS418 is believed to be related closely to the TsNIRTI MSP-418K support jamming pod, claimed to be designed around a DRFM (Digital RF Memory) jamming techniques generator.
Air to ground weapon payloads for the Su-32MF/34 will include all of the stores currently cleared on the Su-35, Su-30MK and Su-27SKM. Beyond the weapons envisaged during the early development of the aircraft, the Kh-65 cruise missile has been discussed in EU reports - three could be carried. It is likely the satellite aided inertially guided KAB-500/1500S-E will be included in any production configuration. Russian reports claim the aircraft was trialled in Chechnya.
In perspective, the Su-32MF/34 will provide an incrementally better penetration and strike capability over the top tier production Su-30MKI and Su-30MKK/MK2 configurations, by virtue of more internal fuel, higher gross weights, strike optimised avionics, terrain following capability, better crew comfort and larger weapons payloads. The Su-32MF/34 will with three 3,000 litre external drop tanks match the radius performance of the F-111, but with less disposable weapon payload. In the long term the Su-32MF/34 is important since it provides for a non-US sourced persistent battlefield strike fighter with the large weapon payload and sensor package to be effective. Datalinking to remote ISR platforms with SAR/GMTI is only a matter of time, in technology terms.
The Su-34 Fullback entered LRIP last year and the first two production aircraft were delivered to the Russian Air Force on the 15th December, 2006. Russian sources claim a requirement for 58 aircraft by 2015, primarily to replace older Su-24 Fencers.
The Su-32FN Fullback Maritime Patrol/Strike Fighter
The Su-32FN is a unique maritime patrol, Anti-Submarine Warfare and maritime strike derivative of the T-10V design, designed to perform littoral and coastal maritime roles. The inclusion of an ASW capability in this aircraft created much debate during the 1990s, as this role in the West has traditionally fallen on specialised airliner derived airframes. The Soviet LRMP fleet comprised variants of the Tu-142M Bear F and Il-38 May, derived from the Il-18 Coot airliner.
To understand the reasoning behind an ASW equipped strike fighter it is necessary to explore latter Cold War Soviet maritime doctrine, and the concurrent US Navy maritime strategy. During this period the Soviets envisaged their ballistic missile armed SSBN fleet operating in bastions near to Murmansk/Polyarnyy and Vladivostok, and other fleet elements defending the Baltic and Black Sea ports. In the event of a full scale war with the West, the bastions, Baltic and Black Sea would be the hunting ground for US Navy and Royal Navy SSNs, while the airspace would be actively contested by F-14s from US CVBGs and land based US Air Force F-15 sweeps. This is an environment which is not conducive to the longevity of LRMP turboprops like the Bear and May. This presented the Soviets with genuine issues in performing maritime patrol and ASW tasks and a highly survivable airframe was a must. As the bastions and approaches to Baltic and Black Sea ports were close to existing land bases, a large strike fighter could provide credible on station endurance, where the station was perhaps 30 minutes of flying time from a runway. While a four hour on station endurance may be modest compared to a turboprop LRMP airframe, proximity to relief aircraft waiting to launch still makes this a viable concept.
The result of these pressures was the Su-32FN, devised for the AV-MF to absorb the roles of the AV-MF Su-24 Fencer regiments, and include the 'new' ASW role. It is essentially a supersonic, highly survivable land based equivalent to the Lockheed S-3 Viking.
The principal deviation from the baseline Su-32MF/34 was to be the addition of the 'Morskaya Zmyeya' (Sea Snake) maritime patrol avionic suite, since then to be fitted in the reported to be collapsed Indian Navy Bear F avionic upgrade, and a suite of maritime strike and ASW weapons. The suite is claimed to include an Electronic Support Measures receiver and Magnetic Anomaly Detector.
For 'classical' maritime strike roles, the Su-32FN is to be armed with up to six Kh-31A or Kh-31R ASMs, six Kh-35U ASMs, up to three Kh-59M/D stand-off missiles, the potent supersonic Kh-41 Moskit (Sunburn) and 3M-54 Alfa supersonic ASMs.
Photographs indicate that the centreline adaptor for the Kh-41, developed for the Su-33, would be reused, although one mid 1990s report claimed carriage of two rounds on wing stations. Original Alfa missile mockups were also photographed on the inboard wing stations, this missile has since evolved into the 3M-54/3M-14E (SS-N-27) Club series.
The more interesting stores are lightweight ASW torpedoes, carried in pairs on stations 8 and 9, for a total of 4 rounds, and a conformal centreline pod which can be loaded with up to 72 sonobuoys of various types. An ASW patrol weapons mix would probably involve a mix of these stores, drop tanks and depth charges.
Production vs Development Fullback Configurations
Since the Fullback entered Low Rate Initial Production some further details have emerged on the configuration of the production aircraft. Polish analyst Piotr Butowski publishing in the German FlugRevue journal, detailed the following configuration for the Sch-141 Kishchnik avionic suite:
1. Leninetz V004 PESA multimode radar system with nose and tail mounted apertures. The forward aperture provides attack radar mapping, low level penetration modes and conventional fighter multimode air-air functions. The tail aperture in the boom provides a threat warning function.
2. Ramenskoye RPKB K-102 navigation and attack system, which integrates the cockpit multifunction displays, navigation systems and KSS-1 communications suite.
3. KNIRTI Khibiny M Electronic Warfare Self Protection suite including the L175V jammer, an infrared MAWS system of undisclosed type, a threat warning and RF surveillance receiver of an unspecified type, and countermeasures dispensers.
4. Yekaterinburg UOMZ Platan electro-optical targeting system comprising a laser designator and television system.
Weapon payloads comprise a mix of up to eight tonnes of stores. Defensive weapons include the R-27 Alamo, R-73 Archer and R-77 Adder series, with the PESA providing the capability to track ten targets and concurrently engage four with BVR missile shots. The full gamut of Russian air-ground munitions are to be supported, with marketing material including carriage of a pair of Kh-41 Moskit / Sunburn or three Kh-61 Yakhont / Stallion supersonic cruise missiles.
Long term planning is to see higher thrust engines, evolution of the mission avionics, an AESA radar and future munitions integrated.
The cockpit shows the most prominent changes against the developmental design, and now includes a full 'glass' configuration with an array of multifunction displays for the pilot and WSO.
The ventral electro-optical targeting system provides a limited capability and is only suitable for medium/high level deliveries, due to its limited field of regard. It is likely to be soon supplemented by a licence built Thales Damocles thermal imaging and laser targeting pod. Russian sources claim that the Russian MoD licenced the pod design, expected to be built by the Ural Optical Mechanical Plant (UOMZ), after exposure to the design during the integration of the pod on the Malaysian Su-30MKM Flanker H. Future candidates for the pod, other than the Su-34, are the Su-35-1/35BM Flanker F, the Su-27SM/SMK Flanker B+ and upgraded Su-24M2 Fencer. The pylon installation, given hardware commonality between the SU-30MK and Su-34, is likely to be identical for both types.
It is not known whether the Su-34 will use the Shchel series helmet mounted display, or the Thales Topsight which has been integrated on the MiG-29K Fulcrum.
