The reliable design of the Russian fighter-bomber Su-34M allowed it to successfully endure a belly landing without deployed landing gear. The "Krasnaya Zvezda" publication reported on a similar incident that occurred with a combat aircraft in the spring of 2025.
The accident occurred during landing approach when neither the nose gear nor the main landing gear deployed. The crew was authorized to leave the fighter's cockpit and eject, but they requested permission to land on the belly and saved the combat vehicle.
Therefore, during the landing, the pilots had to jettison the cockpit canopy on the navigator's side to escape the cockpit in case the aircraft overturned.
At high speed, the Su-34M approached the runway and made a landing. The braking parachutes deployed in time.
Pilot-Captain Alexander of the Su-34 said that the aircraft can use 19 types of unguided weapons and 16 types of guided high-precision weapons.
The length of the aircraft is 23.4 m, the wingspan is 15.2 m. The maximum take-off weight reaches 39.5 tons, which is slightly lighter than modern Russian tanks.
Two TRDD AL-31F-M1 engines provide the Su-34 with a speed of up to 1,900 km/h and a range of 4,000 km (with refueling).
Read also on the topic:
The Sevmash plant will build 6 submarines by 2030
The nuclear submarine cruiser "Knyaz Pozharsky" was included in the Russian Navy