Originally posted by SOC
Ah but the problem is that relying on GCI tends to produce less-capable pilots who are not ever trained to take full advantage of their aircraft’s capabilities. A MiG-29 could operate with help from an EW radar, but the pilot should be able to operate autonomously like Western piltos are, searching for and engaging targets on his own using his radar without off-board help.

You mean relying on AWACS produces better pilots ? They are even more lazy as almost all hand off is done by awacs and all they have to do is to point thier radar at the given co-ordinates before they acquire target. How many times does a cap call out a target and inform the awacs ? 5 % of the time ?

Thier strength lies in the nice shiny platform that flies with them. GCI doesn;t offer that advantage and so (GCI trained) pilots are used to looking for low flying meaty targets themselves. Ofcourse they are blind most times or when they come across a superior enemy, but its not the radar on the western fighter aircraft that makes the difference till the target is acquired. Its all in the hands off before the enemy even begins to know whats coming.

If you take awacs away, even the western pilot has the same limitations that the GCI trained guys have.