So I reccon that thing is probbably even more powerful than the famed chain-gun of the Appaches?

Mi-24Ps twin 30mm puts them both to shame. 😮

http://www.lenta.ru/news/2011/12/30/nerpa/

Act for handover of the Nerpa signed. Boat will arrive in India in the end of January.

Congrats to the Indian Navy on a very sexy beast.

Joint development or cooperation is just the new way to do buissness. However there is a difference between civil cooperation (which exist for decades) and military cooperation. But when you look at the amount of French tech Russia is buying right now, it seems to show that they are more than happy with it (IR systems for tanks, Damocles pod, BPC, communication systems…).

Russia isn’t buying the Damocles. The thermal imagers are a good example of course, and the (extremely controversial) Mistral buy.

Verbatim, the Su-35 is being purchased in such numbers because of financial situation and production capability. No offense but your plan is completely unrealistic, and would see the RuAF reduced to 200 tactical aircraft while waiting for mythical numbers of PAK-FAs and DAs.

If the Su-34 is a relic, then frankly so is the Su-35.

Great MiG-31 photo. According to news, BM modernization plan includes more than 60 airframes so far.

I believe the Superhind upgrade for Air Force will continue, as ATE created a joint enterprise in Azerbaijan recently.

Anyway, since Mi-35Ms are for Border Troops and not Air Force, it has little to do with Superhind which the Air Force operates.

Last I hear ATE was going bankrupt, are you sure they are getting more SuperHind upgrades?

Huh? What is it good for then? :confused:

Platan can certainly be used in bad weather and night, I think maybe Trident is reffering to Thermal channel? Not sure if Platan has it, but then again specifics are sparse on the system. Not all pods have thermals either.

No company funded effort in Russia has 100% company funding. You can bet Sukhoi did not fund the Su-35 program itself.

http://lenta.ru/news/2011/12/29/su25ubm/

Serial Su-25UBM production will begin in 2012, first deliveries in 2014.

would a ground configured Su-30MK be unable to do the same job say in Georgia?

Would the Su-34 fly the same mission profiles as an Su-25 to warrant the added weight from armor add ons?

and please, enough about “VVS accepted it, its must mean its good”. flawed logical reasoning that relies on appeal to authority. Lots of Air Forces have made questionable acquisitions. Germany and F-104, French Navy Entendard, Russian AF and early Tu-22

Both the Su-30 and the Su-34 were tested in Georgia. If you just look at the kind of missions the Su-24 carried out, it is clear the Su-34s abilities would absolutely be useful in potential future conflicts.

The Tu-22 comparison is poor. There was no similar supersonic aircraft that the VVS could have used instead.

On the other hand had the Su-34 not been cost effective, the VVS could have easily ordered Su-30s sometime back. They waited a long time to put the Su-34 to fruition, so yeah, I think I will rely on that over our internet speculation. I know its popular to second guess official decisions and go for the alternative choice so to speak, but I am not buying the Su-30 is a better choice argument.