For many years the Russian Air Force was starved of funds retaining aircraft types that date from the Cold War era. However, this trend is being reversed with the new Sukhoi Su-34, one of which is already in service.

As may be seen from this photograph of an Su-34 and Su-27UB, although the Fullback was developed from the Flanker, there are considerable external differences between the two, in particular the cockpit seating, and lifting and control surfaces.

Su-34 '02' taxiing at Lipetsk. This is the only one of the type delivered to the Russian Air Force; all other Su-34s are undergoing evaluation at the Akhtubinsk test centre.

A close-up of ’02’ showing a painting of Saint Svyatitel Nikolay Chudotvorets. This was applied to the port fuselage side, aft of the cockpit, when the aircraft was christened on July 18, 2008.

Configured for its ground attack role, '47' is armed with four B-8 rocket pods, each with twenty 80mm S-8 rounds, and six P-50 practice bombs on the fuselage and engine fairing hardpoints.

This plan view clearly illustrates the distinctive canard layout and tail 'sting' that will house missile warning sensors and V005 rearwards-facing radar.

Aircraft '48' (T10V-8) is the first model configured to meet the Russian Air Force's revised specification requirements as defined in December 2003. It is seen in the landing configuration, armed with two Kh-31 Krypton anti-radiation/anti-ship missiles under the engine air intakes, a single Kh-59M Kingbolt stand-off missile on the centreline station, two R-27 Alamo under the wings, and a pair of R-73 Archer air-to-air missiles on the wingtip launchers.

A Platan TV/laser navigation-targeting system is located behind the small retractable window immediately aft of the nose undercarriage bay. Platan enables the use of laser-guided bombs, such as the KAB-1500L, suspended between the engine intakes.

S-13 (12.2cm) unguided rockets are loaded into a five-round B-13 pod.