Moscow now says it will purchase 58 Su-34 fighter-bombers by 2015 and may receive its first new Tu-160 strategic bomber by the end of this year, according to the Russian News & Information Agency. The Su-34 is slated to replace the Su-24.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.