Why Indian Navy is better off with Su-34 Fullback than Tupolev Tu-22M3 Backfire

[INDIAPOSITIVE]

OURCE: PRASAD CHAWAN / FOR MY TAKE / IDRW.ORG

India purchasing 4 Tupolev Tu-22M3 Backfire for Indian Navy is again in the news lately after a Russian media reports . Indian Navy officially has not commented on this recent development but many Defence experts don’t believe India will go ahead with the purchase but India was, in fact, interested in their purchase nearly 15 years ago shows that India at some point of time did had plans to have a medium-sized maritime bomber for protection of Indian ocean Region (IOR) .

Tupolev Tu-22M3 Backfire medium bomber force in question here suffers from operational deficiencies due to its poor Soviet era build quality and lack of modern avionics . to top that spares shortage have crippled nearly half of the operational fleet in Russian Air force which has operational availability hovering around 40 % throughout its operational history with Russians .

Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback is strike version of the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker airframe which has performed extremely well over Syria is a tandem seat bomber which has long-range, sensors and a payload to perform the Backfire’s anti-ship mission and can also be armed with Indo-Russian BrahMos-A Air launched Supersonic Cruise missile which can come handy in IOR .

Su-34 Fullback does provide commonality with Su-30MKI in terms of maintenance machinery and few spares and can also carry weapons procured for Su-30MKI. Su-34 also has higher internal fuel carrying capacity which will allow it perform longer Combat air patrol over IOR than Mig-29k or Su-30MKIs. dedicated Maritime bomber positioned at the strategic naval base will act has a deterrence against Surface warships operated by rivals .

While IAF’s Su-30MKIs does provide similar performance when compared to Su-34 Fullback in strike missions but it holds some critical advantages over Su-30MKIs over Strike weapons package it can carry and an airframe optimised for strike missions which can be easily adapted for ASW patrols.

Russia for long had plans to export this strike optimised Flankers to its existing users of Flankers and Russia considers India has one of the potential buyers of this aircraft , while Su-34 Fullback does provide host of incrementally better penetration and strike capability over India’s top tier Su-30MKI, but it has to be seen if India is really interested in buying a new medium range bomber for its Navy and if reports of India acquiring Tu-22M3 was, in fact, genuine reporting.

http://idrw.org/why-indian-navy-is-better-off-with-su-34-fullback-than-tupolev-tu-22m3-backfire/

 

[PARIKRAMA]

The ability of Tu22 like bombers of handling multiple standoff brahmos is something which Su34 won't be able to sustain.

Even if it's say NG version I doubt Su34 would be able to carry beyond 5 of these beasts whereas Tu22 like beasts can carry anything between 9-11 such payloads.

Anyways the role of Su34 will be taken care by Rafales if India procures in sufficient numbers.

So only a platform which gives us close to 6 brahmos ALCM at the moment and perhaps 10 brahmos NG should be looked into.

Perhaps if we are serious then may be look at PAKDA also which may come in next 15years. Sufficient time for our maritime policy to evolve as well

 

[A_Poster]

The ability of Tu22 like bombers of handling multiple standoff brahmos is something which Su34 won't be able to sustain.

Even if it's say NG version I doubt Su34 would be able to carry beyond 5 of these beasts whereas Tu22 like beasts can carry anything between 9-11 such payloads.

Anyways the role of Su34 will be taken care by Rafales if India procures in sufficient numbers.

So only a platform which gives us close to 6 brahmos ALCM at the moment and perhaps 10 brahmos NG should be looked into.

Perhaps if we are serious then may be look at PAKDA also which may come in next 15years. Sufficient time for our maritime policy to evolve as well

ASSUME that we are able to get Kaveri's successor right by 2025-30 time frame, won't it be wiser for us to look into designing proper bombers in medium time frame (I mean in 2030+ time period)? AFAIK no one will (or even could) provide you with a bomber capable of delivering nukes across continents, and eventually we would need them along with ICBMs.

 

[Ankit Kumar 002]

" Defence Expert " ? Lol who ? This IDWR author ?

Lol again.

 

[sudhir007]

then why not try for tu-160 Blackjack.

 

[Farhan Bohra]

The ability of Tu22 like bombers of handling multiple standoff brahmos is something which Su34 won't be able to sustain.

Even if it's say NG version I doubt Su34 would be able to carry beyond 5 of these beasts whereas Tu22 like beasts can carry anything between 9-11 such payloads.

Anyways the role of Su34 will be taken care by Rafales if India procures in sufficient numbers.

So only a platform which gives us close to 6 brahmos ALCM at the moment and perhaps 10 brahmos NG should be looked into.

Perhaps if we are serious then may be look at PAKDA also which may come in next 15years. Sufficient time for our maritime policy to evolve as well

India neither going toward Su-34 nor Tu-22. And even not PAK-DA. There is nothing to discuss about that.

 

[a.kumar]

" Defence Expert " ? Lol who ? This IDWR author ?

Lol again.

LOL for wasting your time to write empty post .

Again LOL

 

[Stephen Cohen]

The ability of Tu22 like bombers of handling multiple standoff brahmos is something which Su34 won't be able to sustain.

Even if it's say NG version I doubt Su34 would be able to carry beyond 5 of these beasts whereas Tu22 like beasts can carry anything between 9-11 such payloads.

Anyways the role of Su34 will be taken care by Rafales if India procures in sufficient numbers.

So only a platform which gives us close to 6 brahmos ALCM at the moment and perhaps 10 brahmos NG should be looked into.

Perhaps if we are serious then may be look at PAKDA also which may come in next 15years. Sufficient time for our maritime policy to evolve as well

Will we be able to fit Brahmos on Tu 22 ; we struggled a lot for the modifications on SU 30

 

[T90TankGuy]

@Joe Shearer remember our conversation on what i saw in Pune airfield?
Is int it a co incidence that the jaguars which are assigned to maritime strike role also are based there.
@PARIKRAMA contact Joe via email he will fill you in , dont feel comfortable sharing it on the forum.

 

[Joe Shearer]

@Joe Shearer remember our conversation on what i saw in Pune airfield?
Is int it a co incidence that the jaguars which are assigned to maritime strike role also are based there.
@PARIKRAMA contact Joe via email he will fill you in , dont feel comfortable sharing it on the forum.

You've made your point.

I'm glad I seem to have been wrong.

 

[Abingdonboy]

OURCE: PRASAD CHAWAN / FOR MY TAKE / IDRW.ORG

India purchasing 4 Tupolev Tu-22M3 Backfire for Indian Navy is again in the news lately after a Russian media reports . Indian Navy officially has not commented on this recent development but many Defence experts don’t believe India will go ahead with the purchase but India was, in fact, interested in their purchase nearly 15 years ago shows that India at some point of time did had plans to have a medium-sized maritime bomber for protection of Indian ocean Region (IOR) .

Tupolev Tu-22M3 Backfire medium bomber force in question here suffers from operational deficiencies due to its poor Soviet era build quality and lack of modern avionics . to top that spares shortage have crippled nearly half of the operational fleet in Russian Air force which has operational availability hovering around 40 % throughout its operational history with Russians .

Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback is strike version of the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker airframe which has performed extremely well over Syria is a tandem seat bomber which has long-range, sensors and a payload to perform the Backfire’s anti-ship mission and can also be armed with Indo-Russian BrahMos-A Air launched Supersonic Cruise missile which can come handy in IOR .

Su-34 Fullback does provide commonality with Su-30MKI in terms of maintenance machinery and few spares and can also carry weapons procured for Su-30MKI. Su-34 also has higher internal fuel carrying capacity which will allow it perform longer Combat air patrol over IOR than Mig-29k or Su-30MKIs. dedicated Maritime bomber positioned at the strategic naval base will act has a deterrence against Surface warships operated by rivals .

While IAF’s Su-30MKIs does provide similar performance when compared to Su-34 Fullback in strike missions but it holds some critical advantages over Su-30MKIs over Strike weapons package it can carry and an airframe optimised for strike missions which can be easily adapted for ASW patrols.

Russia for long had plans to export this strike optimised Flankers to its existing users of Flankers and Russia considers India has one of the potential buyers of this aircraft , while Su-34 Fullback does provide host of incrementally better penetration and strike capability over India’s top tier Su-30MKI, but it has to be seen if India is really interested in buying a new medium range bomber for its Navy and if reports of India acquiring Tu-22M3 was, in fact, genuine reporting.

http://idrw.org/why-indian-navy-is-better-off-with-su-34-fullback-than-tupolev-tu-22m3-backfire/

The Su-34 adds little that the Su-30MKI doesn't have.


The Tu-22's strength lies in its payload capacity.


Entirely stupid analysis from IDRW once again.

 

[a.kumar]

The Su-34 adds little that the Su-30MKI doesn't have.


The Tu-22's strength lies in its payload capacity.


Entirely stupid analysis from IDRW once again.

Russia operates Su-30SM and Su-34 for a reason .

Tu-22 is pretty ancient and its build Quality is questionable .. Remember Soviet Air force wanted to jail Tupolev engineers for delivering substandard Tu-22 .

India doesn't need another Hangar Queen , if their is Bomber requirements than Su-34 operationally is much cheaper

 

[Ankit Kumar 002]

The Su-34 adds little that the Su-30MKI doesn't have.


The Tu-22's strength lies in its payload capacity.


Entirely stupid analysis from IDRW once again.

By the logic of author here , Rafales would be still better than Su34, commonality....

Anyway what I have figured out is that the author here is basing the whole article on a news from few years back that Tu22M in Soviet Air force during the Afghan War had availability of less than 40%.

What he forgets here is the Range and Payload.

If we acquire Tu22M it would not be for delivering guided munitions , it would be long range land attack / anti ship cruise missiles.

Further the author forgets that the Russians on Su34 till date have only " reportedly " tested a 1,500 kg P800, and BrahMos A is 2,500 kg.....integration is easier said than done.

What a flight group of 3 Tu22M armed with BrahMos A taking off from A&N , then ..... do some naughty things. .. get a refueling over Vietnam and get back.... , Su34s can't.

Itsv like USAF should give up B1s and B52s because they have F18s and F16s.

 

[[Bregs]]

The writer of article should not write on defense matters, making mess of comparing su34 with backfires

 

[Abingdonboy]

Russia operates Su-30SM and Su-34 for a reason .

Tu-22 is pretty ancient and its build Quality is questionable .. Remember Soviet Air force wanted to jail Tupolev engineers for delivering substandard Tu-22 .

India doesn't need another Hangar Queen , if their is Bomber requirements than Su-34 operationally is much cheaper

The Su-34 will bring nothing to India the MKI or Rafale doesn't do.

Really though I'd favour further moving away from Russian equipment across the board.