Well,
in any case, I would hate to see Any US aircraft that shot at Serbia in 1999 with Serbian markings. Im not full of hate ( i live in USA) but it would just seem wrong.

Also, I think it would be interesting to introduce Russian modern aircraft to Nato missions and have them work in conjunction with western aircraft. It would keep thinks interesting and that “mystery” capability alive, instead of everyone flying the same machines.

Not trying to be rude, but why does Serbia need modern fighters for? Who are they going to fight with them?

As their last war experience should have taught them, for such a small country surrounded by so many bigger, richer and more powerful ones, it really matters very little what their air force is flying. Had the Serbs had a squadron of F22s, I would dare say the overall outcome of the war would still have been the same.

With that in mind, I think they should either give up on operating fast jets altogether and just use armed trainers for air policing duties, or get the cheapest (to buy and run) option.

In that respects, the JF17 would be the best candidate. Although there are interesting videos floating around of Serbian big wigs being given a special J10 flight display, so apparently that is on the cards as well.

But personally, I think the J10 would be overkill, even the Mig29. If they the Serbs really want something 4th gen, the Gripen would be the best plane for their needs. Good performance, low operating costs and able to operate from a stretch of road. Bet they wish they have something like that back in 99.

The downsides would be cost and American engine.

Costs might not be too bad if they can get some second hand A models. The issue of American engine would be harder to resolve. Maybe they will just have to build up a good stash of spares for the engines during peace time just in case.

its good to have small airforce, and be up to date as far as pilot training and ability to defend.

Mainly, it would be requirement to not have to pay others to patrol your sky. Its not cheap i hear

British sources confirmed that seven Storm Shadow missiles were ready to be fired from a British aircraft, but the strikes had to be curtailed due to crews from CNN, Reuters and other organizations nearby. Officials from Libya’s Ministry of Information brought those journalists to the area to show them damage from the initial attack and to effectively use them as human shields.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/03/21/exclusive-libyans-use-journalists-human-shields/#

thats what you get from FOX. They are the worst source of latest info.
Their news is always obviously one sided and usually trash. They will write anything and everything before confirming anything. Brings back memories…

here is one counter story already:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/21/libya.robertson.report/index.html?hpt=C2

I don’t see any real evidence of any significative advance on the laser research, if lasers are still in the IR band I don’t think something useful will come out, despite all the research involved.

Remote systems have their issues aswell, and I don’t buy the UAV promises about their effectiveness in air combat, air combat is way too dynamic, and nowadays UAVs are just reusable cruiser missiles…there is not good enough technology in the informatic-communications field, problems of syncronization and data delay are still present and have not solved yet, and this is wont be fixed with more satellites, is an intrinsic issue of the technology.

Reliying in BVR combat is not good idea as well, magazines would say so..but the USAF is not full of idiots, they are not happy with the F-35 for air superiority tasks, and this is why they want a F-22’s replacement for the 2020-30, neither the Boeing FX program for the Navy is an unmanned concept.

And this is why old fashion small manned fighters will stay, for long time.

Agree on all except lasers.
Laser technology is picking up the developmental paste, and its going to be scary!! The real limitation is power source. Once they make smaller better source of power, bullets and missiles are going to be only used as “beyond line of sight” weapons.

of coarse!

and they tell fairy tales of humanitarian missions. Its the best excuse they could hope for 🙂

“.. and the war goes ON-ON-ON-ON” – Ministry

is that Mig-27 or Mig-23 that was shot down? See video on cnn.com

any reports if it was shot down from the ground, or by Rafales?

The main advantage over existing aircraft for having something like B-1R AA platform is:

– Full stealth
– Larger more capable onboard radar than anything in the air short of AWACS
– Larger body so all missiles are carried internally (lots of them)
– Longer range – supercruise.

That sounds like the F-22…
Now that really sounds like the F-22 😉

So if the scenario proposed here by RAND, is simply a missile truck to augment the F-22, the question becomes, why would the F-22s need so many additional missiles? Unless they are being faced by hundreds of aircraft simultaneously, such a capability is redundant. And realistically they can’t face that many Chinese aircraft, to begin with.

Sounds like F-22?? Not at all. Step away from your closed picture for a second Kapedani.
You are thinking F-22 while I’m describing 1.5x to 2x larger even stealthier super cruiser platform that can carry 3-4 times more Long range missiles , than F-22, and radar that F-22 whishes it had, but couldn’t fit.

It would not be super maneuverable aircraft as such, and it would certainly not be a supercomplicated superexpensive multirole bird like F-22. It would be something other countries would fear WAY more than F-22 if it ever came down to AA conflict again.

Next time it might not be as easy as fighting hugely outnumbered outclassed in training and obsolete birds like in Yugoslavia. The only sure thing is that next time it will again be on someone else’s homefield, and USAF just might get overwhelmed by resilience and numbers of fight capable birds that will be defending their airspace. When one by one F-22 and F-35 start to drop, nobody will care about what generation missile hit them, but how to deploy more F-22s on time before airbases, or carriers get eventually hit.