In Andrey Karasev’s opinion, the circumstance, that the idea of heavy fighter has been chosen as fundamental for the Russian air force, should not nullify the great amount of work carried out at the MiG firm on the creation of a fifth generation airplane

I am excited too, but a little confused. What is the long term goal of continuing work on the MFI design? The PAK-FA has been given to Sukhoi has it not? Could the MiG 1.44 eventually be seen as a heavy weight option to replace the MiG-31? And therefore fly along side the PAK-FA in future?

The JSF, now F-35 program, is an ambitious pursuit to say the least, lots of promises and goals to meet for not just one customer, but many. Weight problems at such an early stage of development is not all that uncommon with combat aircraft programs. If it remains a problem even with efforts to reduce it they may have to review the critical design goals. Will it be affordable? At the current promised fly-away price, yes. But it remains to be seen if they can live up to that promise too. Personally, I don’t have a lot of confidence in American defence programs living up to touted goals, and I don’t think I am alone.

Also, airpower is tied to bases which are awfully vulnerable, especially in a civil war/guerilla warfare environment with no frontlines. A case in point was the attack on the Sri Lankan air force in 2001 which destroyed or damaged 26 planes.

Agree again. However army base barracks are usually fixed, and naval bases too are vulnerable. The very fact that the rebels attacked the Sri Lankan airbase indicates the amount of respect they have for opposition air power (hence its a thorn in their side) and the need to level the playing field. If I recall I think this was a mortar attack by the TT?

I agree GD, but an air arm does offer flexibility in wartime, even against your own people. You can get to places and attack them quickly, often attack without fear of rebel counter-attack (unless they are well armed rebels). And hit places that are generally inaccessable, or inpenetrable to ground units. I won’t carry on about the benefits of air power, even for the third world, as I am sure you know. And as for cost? Well like I said a lot of these poorer nations spend heaps on their military when they arguably don’t really need to. I don’t think the cost/benefit ratio is something a lot of them consider when fighting these types of wars that often drag on for years, and flare up from time to time.

I loathe traitors. If the SVR were to find him one day, IMO, my reaction would be “well, you had it coming”.

He could’ve easily defected without giving them a damn thing- instead, he took the entire aircraft and all it’s technical manuals.

I am not 100% sure about this, although the ‘Vympel’ tag does say something, but are you Russian, or of Russian heritage by any chance Vympel?

Just wondering….

External gun? I thought, as depicted in that first pic, the gun was going to be internal only.

Most third world militaries are more of a threat to their own people than they are to other countries.

All the more reason for them to have the power to supress their people too then. Yet another point adding to the reason why they will still operate an air arm. 🙂

Is the HUD glowing green because it’s turned on, and the display figures are shown in green, or is their some sort of intereference from reflected and incident light that’s causing the “glow”?

I am guessing refraction.