We should also be weary of calling all of those kills with the AIM120 BVR. I think a number of them were WVR and AIM120 was chosen as the preferred weapon as it is better able to discriminate targets after it is launched.

If we look back at the Vietnam war a number of AIM7 kills were WVR as well.

There are number of things that mystify me.
1. Why transport it during daylight?
2. Why not take the wings off and fly it in a cargo aircraft? (how wide is an il-76?)
3. If it is an empty frame, why not sling it under a helicopter? (How much would a Hip lift?)
4. Probably most perplexing… why transport it at all!?!

1. Its a cheap and easy way of doing it and not particularly unusual in the aerospace industry. On many occasions highly classified aircraft suitably covered up have been transported in broad daylight.
2. It might not be that easy to remove the wings, without knowing the general structure of the airframe under the camo tarp we can’t really judge fully why they were forced to transport it that way.
3. Depends on how heavy it is stripped out, the Hip is really a medium lift type. The Mi17 has a sling load of around four tons whilst the Z-8 about 5 tons. It might well be its too heavy even gutted! Also there is a far greater risk of damage to the airframe sling loading it.
4. Not an unusual scenario within the aerospace industry. Sometimes the assembly plant hasn’t the proper facilities for test flights.

As for the unusual transport angle, to my eye it might well be done that way to make it easier to transfer the airframe off the truck.

I agree with Scorpion82, F22 tactics are wrapped around a stealthy approach followed by an AMRAAM shot.

What happens after that? Whilst AMRAAM is a superb weapon system that doesn’t mean its guaranteed a kill. Looking aside from technical failures it still has to get past countermeasures which can never be 100% resistant to or the shot could be outside the no escape zone and the target escapes the shot. The next thing to consider is how many enemy aircraft are you going up against? If the initial volley from an F22 flight uses up the missiles without taking out all the targets then unless they run (making it a soft kill for the enemy) they have to close to WVR. As it stands in a guns only fight my money is on the F22 but if we are talking a missile fight F22 as it stands is actually inferior to a number of other aircraft. F22 carries AIM9M as its principle WVR missile and has no helmet mounted sight.

So a fight against a well trained, equipped and I would add numerous foe is far more problematic for the USAF.

Indeed Geoff_B, it was a disingenuous headline when the current intend OSD for Typhoon in the UK is considered. Now I do think that the OSD is rather optimistic considering significant numbers of Typhoon have been transferred without replacement and Tranche 3 slashed but nevertheless that doesn’t mean F35A is on the cards at the moment.

There might be some logic down the line to purchase F35A as a partial GR4 replacement to ease the flight hours on the Typhoon and F35B.

Which is why I wonder if this is an interim solution to test rota-dome, electronics, engines and tail in a spacious analogue. A future aircraft would probably have the narrow style fuselage like the Hawkeye and folding wings. Operating from a land base it can also test datalinks with aircraft and surface types like the Varyag. Considering the rumoured catapult equipped carrier is a way off it isn’t particularly needed for actual operations as of yet. It should also be noted that they have purchased a number of AEW type Kamov from Russia and have their own Z-8 AEW to act as an interim solution.

Kuznetsov and Vikramaditya certainly have a good chance of sailing out together, it would a PR opportunity too good to pass up. As for Varyag/Shi-Lang/Mao/Or whatever they have called her…not a chance! I would be surprised if China’s new carrier ever ventures out of the South China seas. Its sea trials for the foreseeable future, except for some observers on the Sao Paulo the China navy has no experience of carrier operations unlike Russia and India. They have to start from scratch so it will be a long process of work ups. Luckily for them aside from the deal with Brazil to have observers on the Sao Paulo plenty of information about carrier deck operations is in the public domain! A quick google search will bring up reams of official USN information about deck operations, actually it is interesting to note that the deck landing sight is very similar to the earlier American FLOLS system. Finally there has been a fair amount of discrete help from the Ukraine.

HaHAHAHA! Please please carry on! You are just digging the hole deeper and deeper!

You have made my point with your last post. I no longer need to correct your fantasises!

😀

Ahhh I am attracted to sillyness much like a moth to a light. Also it is fun watching him dig his nationalistic fantasist hole deeper and deeper.