2015-30-10 on "VO" was posted an article "F-15E against Su-34. Who's better?" The author is the highly respected Sergey Linnik (Bongo), who pleases us with a lot of interesting material.
Some of the aspects mentioned in the article touched me literally to the quick. We will not touch on the use of technology in combat operations, we will consider a technical comparison.
The author writes:
An analogue of the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter-bomber in the Russian Air Force should be considered the attack Su-34, and not the multipurpose Su-30SM. air-to-ground weapons.
Here, perhaps, it was from this paragraph that I had a desire to write an answer! It is the Su-30SM that is analogous to the F-15E, and the Su-34 stands apart in this comparison.
Let's be honest: the F-15E, like the Su-30SM, does not have a sighting system installed.
A Sniper targeting container is placed on the Eagle.
The Sapsan container was to be installed on the Su-30SM.
But its implementation became impossible due to sanctions and imported filling.
The fact that we do not have aiming containers does not make the Su-30SM an aircraft of a different class. The rescue of drowning people is the work of the drowning people themselves.
Our partners have been installing CU import containers on the Su-30 for a long time.
Of course, due to the deflected thrust vector and aerodynamic features, the Su-30 is a better fighter in close combat than the F-15E. But the Su-30SM is exactly the drummer! The co-pilot should act as a weapons operator.
In our videoconferencing systems, the specificity of using the Su-30SM is different, but for a completely different reason (this is a topic for a separate conversation).
Yes, the PLATAN sighting system is installed on the Su-34 as standard.
But there are several nuances in it. The quality of target detection is much inferior to Sniper. There was a lot of relevant evidence in the press, and you can also find a video of the intelligence and the central command of the Sniper and Platan. This, I am sure, can be confirmed by uv. nickname Ancient, who consulted the author of the article. And the LTPS itself is not always needed, and it cannot be replaced with a more modern one. Which, in turn, can be done with the control center container.
The author writes:
"The total fuel supply in the internal and conformal tanks reaches 10217 kg. Suspension of 3 PTBs with a total capacity of 5396 kg is possible."
The total volume of fuel in the internal tanks is 7637 liters in conformal tanks 2304 liters. Knowing the density of aviation fuel, we can calculate the total weight of the fuel: 9544 kg.
The total weight of the three suspended tanks is 6247 kg. It is obtained from their volume and density of kerosene.
Total: the total weight of fuel with three PTBs and conformal tanks is 15791 kg.
The total mass of fuel in the internal tanks of the Su-34 is 12000 kg. Plus he can take one PTB-3000 and two PTB-2000. Total: the total weight of fuel with three PTBs is 17460 kg.
The author writes:
"The combat radius and ferry range of the Su-34 and F-15E are practically equal, but a Russian bomber can carry a large bomb load at the same range."
And this is not true. The maximum bomb load of the Su-34 is 8000 kg, the F-15E is 13381 kg.
At the same time, the empty F-15 weighs 14379 kg, and the Su-34 - 22500. The specific fuel consumption of the Al-31 is 0.78 kgf / h, while that of the F110-GE-129 is 0.76 kgf / h. It would seem that the difference is small, but at the same time, one should not forget the weight of empty aircraft, where armor and a large cockpit play their negative role.
Even if we compare aircraft with the same amount of fuel (12,000 kg for the Su-34 and 11,690 kg for the F-15E (1 PTB)), the combat load of the Su-34 will be 8,000 kg, and for the F-15E - 11,300 kg.
The author writes:
"In the case of a full refueling of bombs and missiles, about 5000 kg remain. According to this indicator, the F-15E is somewhat inferior to the Su-34."
No, 6571 kg remain, and on the Su-34, with all PTBs, 3320 kg will remain. This can be calculated from the remaining suspension nodes.
The author writes:
"The cockpit of the Su-34 is made in the form of a durable titanium armored capsule with an armor thickness of up to 17 mm. The armor also covers some vital aircraft components. This to a certain extent increases the aircraft's survivability, and most importantly, gives additional chances to save the front-line bomber's crew."
Which is a controversial point. The Su-34 is not an attack aircraft. And to use it in this capacity is to hammer in nails with a microscope.
So why would he need armor? When flying with a bend in the relief, armor will save only from small arms. Armor won't save you from MANPADS, won't save you from air defense missiles, and won't save you from a 30-mm cannon. Are there many examples of downed aircraft from small arms?
The author writes:
"The built-in 30-mm cannon GSH-301 outperforms the cannon installed on the F-15E in terms of the power of the projectile."
The GSh-301 cannon wins only in caliber power (30 mm versus 20 mm). Here are just the rate of fire of the M61 Vulcan - 4,000 rounds per minute, while the GSH-30 has 1,500 rounds per minute. I do not think this is an important factor, but nevertheless.
The author points out the difference in target detection range between the Su-34 Sh-141 radar complex and the F-15E AN / APG-70 radar. However, he forgets to say about a very important point - such as the review sector.
Sh-141 is a radar with PFAR, but it lacks a turning mechanism. (Which is typical only for AFAR.)
The viewing area in azimuth and elevation for Ш-141 is 60 * 60 degrees. The AN / APG-70 has a slightly smaller fixed scan area. However, due to the presence of a rotary mechanism, the viewing area in azimuth and elevation is 120 * 60 degrees. Those. the area of the viewed surface is twice as large.
conclusions
The Su-34 is very difficult to compare with the F-15E. It was created with different MO requirements than Eagle. Many solutions are specific, and in this regard, the Su-34 is a unique class that has no direct analogue in the West. And the direct competitor of the F-15E is the Su-30SM.
