A Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber touched down without its landing gear at an undisclosed airfield earlier today, as captured in a video circulating on X. The footage shows the twin-engine aircraft approaching the runway with its wheels retracted, relying instead on its belly for the landing.
Russian Su-34 jet stuns with gearless landing in viral video
Video screenshot
Remarkably, the plane deployed its parachutes, skidded to a halt, and stopped cleanly, showcasing an impressive display of pilot skill and aircraft durability. Sparks flew as the Su-34’s underside scraped the pavement, yet the jet remained intact, coming to rest as if it had landed conventionally.
The incident, reported on March 22, 2025, has drawn attention to both the pilot’s expertise and the structural resilience of this advanced warplane, though no official statement from Russian authorities has clarified the circumstances.
The video, shared widely online, offers a rare glimpse into an emergency landing executed with precision. As the Su-34 nears the runway, its landing gear remains conspicuously absent, a situation that would typically spell disaster for most aircraft. Instead, the pilot maintains control, deploying drag parachutes at the critical moment to slow the jet’s momentum.
The plane slides along the tarmac, kicking up sparks but avoiding any catastrophic breakup. Observers on X noted the smoothness of the maneuver, with some praising the pilot’s composure and others marveling at how the aircraft held together under such stress.
Without official confirmation, speculation ranges from mechanical failure to a deliberate training exercise, though the exact location and cause remain unverified.
The Su-34’s ability to withstand this belly landing owes much to its robust construction. Designed by Sukhoi as a frontline fighter-bomber, the aircraft features a reinforced airframe built to endure combat conditions. Its underside incorporates titanium alloys, known for their strength and resistance to heat and abrasion.
Aviation materials expert Dr. Emily Carter, a professor at MIT specializing in aerospace metallurgy, explained that titanium’s high strength-to-weight ratio makes it ideal for such scenarios.
“Titanium can absorb significant friction and impact without fracturing, which likely minimized damage during this slide,” she said in an email interview. While sparks indicate surface wear, the Su-34’s belly—lacking protrusions like a deployed gear—likely distributed the load evenly, preventing structural failure.
Aluminum alloys also play a role in the Su-34’s makeup, comprising much of its fuselage and wings. These materials, lighter than titanium, balance durability with the need for agility. The cockpit, a heavily armored capsule, uses titanium to protect the crew, weighing nearly 1.5 tons alone, according to Russian manufacturer data.
This design prioritizes survivability, a feature that may have contributed to the safe outcome of this landing. Sparks suggest some abrasion to the coatings or softer aluminum sections, but the absence of visible cracks or fire in the video points to the airframe’s resilience.
The exact alloy composition remains proprietary, though analysts estimate a blend of titanium and aluminum dominates, with steel in high-stress areas like engine mounts.
Executing a gear-up landing demands exceptional pilot skill, a fact underscored by this incident. Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel John Hayes, a former F-15 pilot with over 3,000 flight hours, described the challenges involved. “You’re managing a heavy, fast-moving jet with no margin for error,” he said in a phone interview.
“The pilot has to nail the approach speed—too fast, and you overshoot; too slow, and you drop hard.” The Su-34, weighing around 45 tons fully loaded, requires precise control to avoid stalling or bouncing.
Hayes noted that the parachutes’ timely deployment was critical, reducing speed without relying on brakes or reverse thrust, which are less effective in a belly landing.
Training for such emergencies is standard in military aviation, though pulling it off flawlessly is rare. The pilot likely adjusted the aircraft’s angle of attack to minimize impact, keeping the nose slightly up to let the rear absorb the initial contact. “It’s a high-stakes balancing act,” Hayes added. “You’re trusting your instincts and the plane’s design to get you through.”
Russian pilots undergo rigorous simulator sessions for scenarios like gear failure, and the Su-34’s side-by-side cockpit—housing both a pilot and navigator—may have aided coordination. The video’s clarity suggests a calm, deliberate approach, a testament to the crew’s professionalism under pressure.
The Su-34, known to NATO as the “Fullback,” is a cornerstone of Russia’s tactical aviation fleet. Introduced in 2014 after decades of development from the Su-27 platform, it’s a twin-engine, two-seat aircraft designed for all-weather bombing and air-to-air combat.
Powered by two Saturn AL-31F engines, each producing up to 27,500 pounds of thrust, it reaches speeds of Mach 1.8 and boasts a combat radius of about 600 miles, extendable with midair refueling.
Its 12 hardpoints can carry up to 18,000 pounds of ordnance, including R-77 air-to-air missiles, Kh-29 air-to-ground missiles, and precision-guided bombs like the KAB-500. A 30mm GSh-30-1 cannon rounds out its arsenal, effective against both aerial and ground targets.
Variants of the Su-34 reflect its evolving role. The base model, produced since the early 2000s, excels in unguided bombing missions, while the Su-34M, a modernized version, integrates advanced avionics and the UMPK glide bomb kit for standoff strikes.
The cockpit features multifunction displays and a Khibiny electronic countermeasures suite to jam enemy radar. A rear-facing radar in the tail sting enhances situational awareness, alerting the crew to incoming threats.
The aircraft’s armor and redundancy systems—like dual hydraulic controls—ensure it can sustain damage and still fly, a design choice rooted in its frontline combat purpose. Russia reportedly operates around 120 Su-34s, though losses in Ukraine have reduced that number.
In the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the Su-34 has been a workhorse for Russian forces. Since February 2022, it has flown countless sorties, targeting military installations, infrastructure, and frontline positions. Early in the war, Su-34s relied on unguided bombs, flying low to ensure accuracy—a tactic that exposed them to Ukrainian air defenses.
The Netherlands-based Oryx project, which tracks visual evidence of military losses, documented 36 Su-34s destroyed or damaged by mid-February 2025, with 29 lost in combat.
Ukrainian claims often exceed these figures, citing downings by Patriot and S-300 systems, though not all are independently verified. A notable strike on August 3, 2024, saw a Ukrainian drone attack destroy one Su-34 at Morozovsk airfield, alongside an ammunition depot.
The introduction of UMPK kits in 2023 shifted the Su-34’s strategy. These GPS-guided modules allow bombs to glide 30 to 40 miles, letting pilots strike from safer distances.
Russian state media have showcased their use against Ukrainian fortifications, with pilots reportedly adjusting targets mid-flight. “It’s given us a new edge,” a Russian Aerospace Forces officer told TASS last year, speaking anonymously.
However, the aircraft’s vulnerabilities persist when flying within range of advanced defenses. Analysts at the International Institute for Strategic Studies note that while the Su-34 excels with support—like fighter escorts or suppressed air defenses—it struggles when isolated, a pattern seen in its losses.
Combat data highlights the Su-34’s dual nature. Its radar, with a detection range of about 75 miles, lags behind Western jets like the F-35, which can spot targets at 400 miles. This limitation, coupled with a maximum G-force tolerance of 7—versus 9 for the Su-35—makes it less agile in dogfights.
Yet its payload and range keep it valuable for bombing runs. The Institute for the Study of War reported in January that Su-34s intensified strikes along the Donetsk front, supporting ground offensives.
Ukrainian countermeasures, including mobile SAM units, have forced Russia to adapt, balancing risk with operational needs. The jet’s role remains pivotal, though its losses raise questions about sustainability.
Today’s belly landing, while striking, fits into the Su-34’s broader narrative of resilience and risk. The video offers no clues about its context—whether a training mishap or a combat return—but it underscores the aircraft’s durability and the crew’s capability.
Russian authorities have not commented, leaving the incident’s cause a matter of conjecture. For now, it stands as a vivid example of how design and skill can avert disaster, even as the Su-34 continues its high-stakes missions elsewhere.
As the war grinds on, each such event adds a layer to the aircraft’s complex legacy, blending engineering prowess with the harsh realities of modern conflict.
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