The Mig-29SMT is essentially a fat looking Mig-29M, just that fatness makes the difference and slightly different airframe alloy.

Get your history right before you mouth off. SOVIET CRAP. Learn about SOVIET policy. They never gave anyone the best of what they had, always worse radar, worse weapons, etc.

RUSSIA and RUSSIAN stuff are a DIFFERENT story. (Though they still don’t sell EVERYTHING… they aren’t selling SS-N-12/19s or SS-18 Topol ICBMs.. yet)

You asked for it. And you claim your American equipment if “proven”. Yes it’s proven against degraded, old crap.

Let’s compare the Su-27SM and the F-18E, I’m ALL up for it. And then again, you could have compared the Mig-29SMT (essentially a Mig-29M) to the F-18C since the Hornets have received updated APG-73 radars like the Super Hornet, and the Mig-29SMT is essentially an old Mig-29S airframe.

it’s not an attack on americans, it’s a cheeky comment on the raptor cause everyone is so hyped up about it and there goes the plane…

ohh… superb plane *thumbs up*

Combat proven against flying trash, that’s what American planes are proven against. Old, degraded, badly serviced airplanes.

Like I’ve stated before, leave the Super Hornet out of here as even the original size of the Hornet is larger than that of the Mig-29, but the Super Hornet is more comparable to the Flanker.

In general, the Mig-29M2 can carry 6,500Kg of weapons vs the F-18C’s 6,000Kg.

Now, in BVR, you have to consider all the new options the Russians will offer soon. The R-77M and the R-77-PD are slated for production. These should be quite on par with the US AIM-120. Zhuk-ME radar vs the APG-73 are quite on par, easily. Prove me otherwise with some statistics, if you will. The Zhuk-ME can track 10-20 targets, and engage 4 simultaneously. Leave the APG-79 out, it’s not here anytime soon.

For WVR, you are seriously wrong. Here is where the Mig-29 has ALWAYS shined, where it’s 9G turns vs the 7G turns of the Hornet will outright win the day, and the R-73M/M2 are any day a better weapons than the AIM-9M/P/X. (Dynamic thrust control is a plus for the R-73, and so is its range.)

For A2G purposes, the Kh-59Meh is equal to the JSOW, if not better. The newest Kh-59Meh has a range of some 280Km, 80Km more than a powered AGM-154. The 225Kg warhead of the AGM-154C/E is also not as powerful as the 285Kg penetrating or 325Kg blast warhead of the Kh-59Meh.

The Kh-25/29 series offer a combination of range and extreme firepower, and each outdo the AGM-65 in several areas.

Someone on this forum has also stated that GPS guided bombs like the JDAM are only really effective(useful) in bad weather conditions, and that Laser and TV guided bombs are still more accurate in normal weather. Not to mention the Russians are finalizing the Kab-500/1500S models, which will be GLONASS guided (Russian GPS system).

As for Anti-Ship purposes, we can look to the Kh-35E (extended range Kh-35), the Kh-31A, or the SS-N-27 Klub (no Kh- designation known). For real destruction, the SS-N-27 is the weapon, and up to 3 can be carried, and the weapon is real wonder with its multiple stage attack profile and large 350Kg warhead. AGM-84 has no chance here, as it’s not very versatile (or rather doesn’t add to any versatility to the Hornet) or useful.

The AGM-88 is much shorter ranged (some 50Km vs 120-200Km) and carries a much smaller warhead (50Kg vs 90Kg) compared to the Kh-31P.

So is the Hornet really better? I don’t think so.

the earlier ones did im pretty sure.