May 20, 2004 at 3:37 pm
Instead of the usual and boring versus threads between two planes one on one, let’s look at a more sophisticated versus thread.
Let’s take two types and all its variants that are actually available today and pit them in a giant brawl.
The F-15 versus Su-27.
Teams:
“Enormous Eagle Escadrille” versus “Full Flanker Force” (FFF)
Contributing nations to the EEE:
USAF – 400 F-15Cs
USAF – 200 F-15Es
Japan – 200 F-15Js
Israel – 25 F-15Is
Israel – 30 F-15C/Ds
Saudi Arabia – 70 F-15C/Ds
700 C/Ds; 225 I/Es
Total: 925
Contributing nations to the FFF:
Russia – 250 Su-27s
Russia – 50 Su-33s
China – 50 Su-27SKs
China – 50 J-11s
China – 75 Su-30MKKs
India – 20 Su-30MKIs
India – 20 Su-30K
Vietnam – 12 Su-27SKs
Ethiopia – 8 Su-27s
370 Su-27s, 50 Su-33s, 115 Su-30s
Conclusion: A blowout win for the F-15s. Far greater numbers and far better equipped planes.
Not only are there less Flankers but a majority of them are the basic Su-27s which are armed only with the SARH R-27. The 115 Su-30s are R-77 capable but against 700 AMRAAM-armed F-15C/Ds, they have no chance.
Here are others that could be interesting:
F-16s versus Mig-29s (without research, I would guess a blowout win by the Lawn Dart)
Mig-21 versus F-5 (shear numbers of Mig-21s and J-7s could probably overwhelm the Freedom Fighter)