My point is that there are currently production representative F-35s flying, and double digit airframes available for testing, and we’re still looking at 5-8yrs till IOC. There’s maybe 2 each of the PAK FA/J-20 prototypes(which haven’t even flown yet), neither of which are production representative. I just have difficulty in believing that they’ll reach IOC at the same time, unless they have very rudimentary avionics, and absolutely no issues that have to be reengineered.

Just theorising below:

Take into consideration that the engine system and avionics for the initial batch of PAK FA’s the “block 1″s will have been proven on the Su-30mki or the Su-35 it makes complete sense for the PAK FA to reach IOC in a shorter period of time.

Sukhoi have always had radars and some form of IR, with the Su-30 they got some experience with sensor fusion. The Mig-35 took it that much further with the inclusion of the OLS system.

The main things they needed to update for a next gen fighter I guess was the cruise speed and the stealth features which can be proven easily.

They also have the benifit of seeing how the F-35 and F-22 did it, and all the patents filed would have given them some hints as to how and what could be done.

http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0787971545.html

No point in fixing something that is not broken or re-inventing something some else has already spent millions inventing.

They could easily take the electronics suite from either the F-35 or the F-22 and stick it in another airframe optimised for air dominance.

Would not need to cost as much or have as long a lead time as possible. I would say that the US should wait until the PAK-FA and the J-20 actually start flying learn something about the threats and then worry about the 5.5 gen aircraft to counter them.

No point in chrystal balling now what it would take to defeat the PAK FA’s and J-20’s or buying more F-22s now.

Hmm Stealth vs Flankerism…. I think most people would go for the flankerisms.

Coz they is fun at the airshows in’it.

Have to wonder what has happened to all the projects started…

The IOC for LCA doesn’t really make sense but..

Oh well will wait for the outcome of the LCA MK-2…

Also just a thought if the LCA MK-2 is going to need a more powerfull engine will it need larger fuel tanks to achieve the 45 min flight time?

True, we don’t know for 100%…

However, it is not an unreasonable assumption to assume its fuel fraction is far higher than the F-22.

PAK-FA? Not sure how it would compare exactly… The Flanker series had a pretty decent fuel fraction too.

Why would you assume that the fuel fraction is higher?

This is no different than what any modern datalink can provide. For instance, on the F-35 the data is automatically shared and fused with all other onboard data.

As far as the whole bistatic ability, that article (source please) said:. This was not an explicit statement of capability from the mfg, but seems to be an opinion from a journalist.

To be fair I remember seeing a documentary back in the 90’s before the Eurofighter came out and I do remember the claims above not by the manufacturer but by the Swedesh Airforce.

I do remember claims of sensor fusion across platforms.

What the gripen does in such a small package is out of the ordinary and is one of the reasons it won so many fans/followers when it was released.

Don’t know anything about the j-20 to say what it is built for.