HammerVery good looking jet. From this view the camo is similar to the ones applied to the Mirage Pantera fleet.
Saludos, A-29
Like this? I believe they’re different….
http://www.lamilitary.com/CL_FACh_M50_e__AldoFlores.jpg
and
http://www.lamilitary.com/CL_FACh_M50_g__AldoFlores.jpg
Regards,
Hammer
HammerOne last doubt (sorry!) what does “Manx” stand for in this case? Is it an acronym?
Regards
Hammer
HammerCould this configuration come back as an interim fighter if the F-22 is eventualy cancelled?
Regards
Hammer
HammerI wonder how much better this version would be compared with the F-15C… I imagine the RCS and the empty weight should be smaller, what else would benefit?
Regards
Hammer
HammerJust face it: any enemy that can bring an offensive force all the way to New Zealand which the RNZAF has to fight, is an enemy way stronger than New Zealand can afford fighting.
Combat jets in the New Zealand military are as useful as arctic mountain commandos in the Egyptian military.
Hannibal was from North Africa too and he did pretty well crossing the Alps with ELEPHANTS! 😉
[]s Hammer
HammerHammerStill in service:
E-3 series AWACS
E-6 series TACAMO
E-8 series J-STARS
C-18 series.This is a really annoying one, since the EC-18C became to be known as E-8A, while on the other hand the basic EC-18 designation itself was intended to be called E-7… Apart from the EC-18, there is also the TC-18F trainer for the and for the E-6.
And then, of course, there are NATO’s T-49s…
Arthur, would you care to go deeper into the C-18 and its derivatives? They are hardly ever talked about in the media… How many are still around?
Also the “T-49” is something totaly new to me…
Thanks.
Hammer
HammerDo you share or sell your index database? Would love to search it! 🙂
Regards
Hammer
P.S.: “Complete AI and AE collection”? Man, do I envy you! 🙂
H
HammerWhat gets me, (talking about upgrades) is that out of the 130 CF18’s, (not counting losses) only 70 or so are being upgraded with new equipment (NAV/COM/GPS) allowing them to be flown until 2015. The rest, (45-50?) are being stored I assume. I can’t see them being sold “as is” and I can’t think of a country in the market for them… so history as usual for Canada, repeats itself. Why buy equipment that you cannot afford to update it?
Quite possibly the Brazilian Air Force AND Navy might be interested… One single airframe for both multi-function fighter applications.
Regards,
Hammer
HammerWhere would US aircraft come from?
But I wonder if with their own bases in Iraq and in Afganistan the US would actualy need Saudi and Turkish bases. The B-2s would come from American bases and the B-52s and B1s from Diego Garcia. Fighters? From Iraq, Afganistan and carriers…
Coments?
Hammer
HammerHAL built Sukhoi joins IAF
Local Sukhoi joins IAF
SATISH NANDGAONKAR
Ojhar (Nashik), March 21: Wing Commanders Sandeep Singh and George Thomas of the Pune-based Rhinos squadron today launched a new chapter of Indo-Russian military cooperation by test-flying the first two indigenously built Sukhoi fighter aircraft at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) plant here.
The two aircraft, belonging to the Su-30 MKI series of Sukhoi fighters, were later handed over to the Indian Air Force by HAL at a formal function.
The chief of air staff, Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi, formally accepted the Sukhoi aircraft, which are part of the first batch of over 140 aircraft that HAL has agreed to deliver by 2017 at a cost of Rs 22,000 crore.
Made in collaboration with Rosobornexport, Russia, these were assembled by HAL at its Nashik plant in line with an Indo-Russian agreement signed in October 2000.
This huge fleet will add to the existing batch of 50 Sukhoi aircraft purchased in flying condition from Russia.
The Su-30 MKI is a twin-engine, twin-seater, multi-role fighter aircraft that is simultaneously operated as an interceptor, bomber and a trainer.
At the formal handover ceremony, Tyagi said: “With the Su-30 MKI aircraft, we have for the first time entered a new era of cooperation with the Russians and are jointly scripting the success story of this aircraft. We have transited from being mere customers to co-developers.”
Earlier, he walked to the tarmac to congratulate Singh and Thomas and their co-pilots Squadron Leaders P. Lall and S. Arunachalam after the landing at the plant here, 20 km from Nashik.
The IAF chief said the Su-30 MKI programme was unique as it seeks to forge a Russian platform with western avionics and systems designed to the requirements and specifications given by the IAF.
“The avionics suite includes systems from Israel, France, the UK, South Africa, and Russia. Another first has been the successful development and integration of Indian avionics on the Su-30 MKI.”
The mission computer, display processor, radar computer and the radar warning receiver are some of the devices developed by Indian agencies like the Defence Avionics Research Establishment, Bangalore, HAL, Hyderabad; and Bharat Electronics Limited.
More purchases
The chief of air staff said the IAF is also looking for 126 more aircraft, which could include Mirage and Mig-21s among others.
“We hope to induct the first light combat aircraft by 2008-10 and the first of the 66 Hawks by 2007,” Tyagi said.
HammerWhen it comes to Gripen exports, those C models were drawn from an AF order and not adding to the overall number built really.
That’s EXACTLY the worst risk to the program, that all new clients are suplied from existing orders shortening the production run of the airplane. If the line is closed then the JAS-39E/F will most probably be rebuilt mothballed units… And that is very bad news…
Pricing the development work into the unit-costs does not work. Sukhoi limites itself to production costs only. Development costs payed by former SU already. Every extra will be paid by the customer later. The limited life-time of some components will bring further business. “Sell the printer cheaply, the ink will be bought later.”
To the country purchasing what difference does who payed for the developments costs of the model? None whatsoever! Santa Claus or the Disney Corporation could have payed for it for what I care.. LOL
Limited life should be compared to reduced purchase price and then only then we’ll know what path was the most cost effective, right?
Regards
Hammer
HammerMy point exactly , Dubya!
I think this is a particular BAD moment for the European fighter industry… The reasons?
a)The F-16 is a mature and cost effective product being pushed effectively by the US Government
b) the JSF/F-35 is a potentialy gigantic industrial program for the next 25-30 years that is able to seduce friendly governments more for the potential industrial revenue to local companies than for the fighters technical specifications…. THIS EFFECTIVELY FREEZES FIGHTER PROCUREMENT FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS in many of the “richer” countries.
c) The Russians are for the first time in history offering their best fighter at very aggressive prices
d) There are THREE European fighters slugging it out in the market, Gripen and Rafale looking the most fragile, Eurofighter has a great many years of prodution until they have to worry about exports…
e) The Chinese are just entering this market with even cheaper products and som pretty acceptable tecnology and western avionics.
f) The US has an incredibly strong leveraging political position, in a scale that has never been seen in the world never seen before.
That meaning… the Europeans are in trouble…
[]s Hammer
HammerFriends,
I am a staunch believer in long range fighter operation…
Take a look at Saddam’s airforce in this recent invasion, had they the aircraft and resources to push combat to skies above Kuwait, Saudi and Jordan instead of their own the Bush Blitzkrieg might not have been possible. Retreating to the smal circle around your airbase is a miserable way to loose everything quick!
In Iran’s case they shoud be able to push the US carriers out of the Gulf and intercept B-1s and B-52s from Diego Garcia way out before they can launch their long range weapons. If they have any dream of being able to resist the US war machine they have to able to take off and mount guard for many hours as far away as possible from their bases. That´s why I believe Flankers in Iran’s military would be a useful defense tool.
What’s the use of being able to land in a road somewhere if there is no weapons, fuel and maintenance there?
Are there any US carriers operating in the Persian Gulf right now?
Comments?
Regards
Hammer
HammerHammer
If Brazil wants to buy a handfull of Flankers, then buy them and stop carping about how the U.S. would deal with the process.
You lost me there… what’s the meaning of “carping”? 😉 But anyway any country has the right to sell their good in the manner they best wish to. That’s not the point, my comment is that whatever is good for the US not necessarily is in the best interest of the purchasing countries.
Why would Australia buy Russian any more than American or European?
Exactly! Why wouldn’t Australia purchase Russian aircraft? “Because we never have” doesn’t sound a very smart answer to me. The plane is phenomenal and the cost is cheap. Want configuration they’ll happily oblige to any of the the client’s desires. Try going to Lockheed and asking for an F-16 derivative with a completely french cockpit and take a look at the costs involved… 🙂
How many aircraft has Russia contracted to buy from Embraer as apposed to those purchased by U.S. airlines?
Sauron
They offered to purchase 50 EMB-170s for Aeroflot in exchange for the 12 Su-35s. Embraer due to its “marriage” to Dassault the Mirage 2000 manufacturer declined to discuss this offer, too bad, their loss. The US airlines are private entities and would be left furious if the US government tryed to keep them from buying the best 70-110 aircraft around…. The purchase osom 12 F-16 makes no difference to the commerce held between Brazil and the US but if we chose the Sukhoi Brazil-Russia trade would be multiplied opening several new oportunities for Brazilian export companies. I just thought the Australians might be interested in opening new outlets for their exports beyond the US…
But this is no business of mine, right?;)
Regards
Hammer
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