The Su-34 fighter-bomber is intended to destroy ground (surface) targets, including small-size and moving ones, in enemy tactical and operational depth, as well as air targets by day and at night, in VFR and IFR weather conditions.
The Su-34 fighter-bomber is a derivative of the Su-27 aircraft. It features a conventional high-wing configuration. Exploiting the Su-27 aircraft basic layout and construction of the airframe and on-board equipment to the utmost, the Su-34 fighter-bomber differs from the Su-27 aircraft in the following:
- changed contours of the fuselage nose section and front compartment due to accommodation of a two-seat crew cockpit;
- increased capacity of internal fuel tanks;
- changed front and main landing gear units for increased takeoff weight;
- installation of fixed-geometry all-duty air intakes;
- increased scope of on-board avionics;
- changed central tail boom to accommodate a rearward-facing radar.
The aircraft is powered by two AL-31F turbofan engines.
The Su-34 aircraft is provided with a high-lift cantilever wing, twin-fin tail unit, front horizontal empennage, all-moving stabilizer, and tricycle landing gear. The airframe features an integral aerodynamic layout, enabling the wing and fuselage to form a common lift-generating body.

The front horizontal empennage, mounted on the Su-34, enhances the airframe lift qualities and improves the aircraft stability and controllability characteristics at large angles of attack. The aircraft is equipped with the fixed-geometry all-duty air intakes. To prevent ingestion of foreign objects on the ground and in flight, the air intake ducts are provided with a rotor protection system. The fuel is accommodated in four fuselage and two wing fuel tanks. If necessary, the aircraft can carry three external fuel tanks with a capacity of 3,000 liters each.

The Su-34 aircraft avionics are intended to solve the following missions:
- search, detection and identification of ground and surface targets, as well as target designation, aiming and use of weapons in VFR and IFR weather conditions;
- twenty-four-hour and all-weather detection, identification and determination of coordinates of enemy aircraft and missiles, attacking the Su-34 fighter-bomber from the forward and aft hemispheres, target designation for the air-to-air missile guidance system to destroy the attacking aircraft, as well as target designation for the electronic countermeasures system to defend itself from attacking air-to-air and ground-to-air missiles;
- twenty-four-hour and all-weather provision for low-altitude flights with semiautomatic and automatic aircraft control;
- twenty-four-hour and all-weather provision for joint group actions of aircraft;
- taking countermeasures against enemy weapon control radio-electronic facilities of ground-based air defense systems, fighter-interceptors, as well as ground-to-air and air-to-air missiles;
- provision for jamproof secured radio-telephone and telecode communications of aircraft with control posts of the front-line aviation automated control systems, as well as between aircraft;
- delivery of information to general information system indicators about flight parameters, operation of aircraft units and systems, as well as tactical situation;
- registration of objective monitoring data.

Nation of origin: Russia
Prime contractor: Sukhoi Design Bureau
Function: strike-fighter
Crew: 2
Length: 21.94m / 72ft
Height: 5.93m / 19ft 5in
Wing span: 14.7m / 48ft 3in
Wing Area: N/A
Max t-o weight: 44360kg / 97815 lb
Engine: Two Lyulka AL-31MF afterburning turbofans, 29,320 lb thrust each
Speed: M1.8 at 11000m
Ceiling:18000m / 59055 ft
Range: 4000km / 2,485miles
Armament: One GSh-30-1 30mm cannon with 225 rounds, plus 8000 / 17,635 lb including SPPU-22 23mm six-barrelled cannon with 140 rounds, R-77 AAM, R-73R AAM, Kh-29L laser-guided missiles, Kh-31P HARM, Kh-59 AGM, Kh-59M TV-guided ASMs, Kh-15PM anti-ship missile, FAB-250ShN/500ShN GP-bomb, KB-500 laser-guided bombs, RBK-500 munition dispenser weapon, BETAB concrete penetrator, PTAB-1M anti-armor/ShOAB-0.5 anti-personnel EO guided bombs, FAB-250M/500M EO guided bombs, FAB-250M1 laser-guided bombs, rockets, drop tanks, and ECM pods on eleven external points