ew batches of Su-57 fifth generation fighters and Su-34 strike fighters were announced on December 23 to have been delivered to the Russian Air Force by the state owned United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). This follows the delivery of previous patches of Su-57s in
mid-November and
mid-September. Prior batches of Su-34s were received in
April,
June,
September,
Octoberand
in November. The two aircraft are being produced at higher rates than Russia’s other three production fighters the Su-30, Su-35 and MiG-29M/35, with orders to increase Su-34 production having been given by the Russian Defence Ministry in October 2023. Russian industry has also set a highly ambitious target of a
67 percent surge in the production of Su-57s in 2024, with 20 fighters expected to enter service this year compared to just
12 fighters in 2023 and only
six fighters in 2022. This will nearly double the fleet size from 22 to 42 fighters. The size of the two confirmed Su-57 batches has not been disclosed, and it remains uncertain how close Russian industry has come to meeting ambitious production targets.