The Sukhoi Su-34 (Russian: Сухой Су-34; NATO reporting name: Fullback)[6] is a Soviet-origin Russian twin-engine, twin-seat, all-weather supersonic medium-range fighter-bomber/strike aircraft.[7][8][9][10] It first flew in 1990, intended for the Soviet Air Forces, and it entered service in 2014 with the Russian Air Force.[11]

[–] nekandro@lemmy.ml 18 points 11 months ago (2 children)

It's sort of a shit design for 2023 tbh.

Sounds like Ukraine got a new air defense system... Maybe they moved a Patriot battery?

[–] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 33 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It's pretty mid nowadays, nowhere near the levels of the F-22 or F-35. But the F-16 C, D or MLU versions are in almost every way a very modern fighter. Russia does pretty much the same thing, but while an upgrade F-16 is called a 'block 50', an upgraded SU-27 is called an SU-30 (or 34, or 35). They're basically all improved versions of 1970s planes.

The SU57 and Mig-35 are basically non-existent, if not actually so.

The F-16 is absolutely not the best fighter out there anymore, but it's hardly a pushover and at the very least on par with what Russia is fielding.

[–] jonne@infosec.pub -1 points 11 months ago

Yeah, that's the theory. Russia had been using the planes to bomb a Ukrainian beachhead from an area that would keep them out of range for the Soviet-era systems Ukraine has in that area, so Ukraine moved a patriot system there, switched off. When the Russians flew in and they got detected on long range radar, they turned on the patriot and fired.