I’m struggling with finding decent photos of the Su-30SM. From what I can make out it has thrust vectoring, but no canards?

AH9 were originally Light Utility Helicopter compared with attack AH7 TOW.

Although they can both lift 6 heavily equipped troops or 9 passengers, AH9 slung load is 2000 kg, compared with AH7 1360 kg. AH9A was later upgraded again with CTS800-4N (Wildcat engines) with payload with slung load to 2360 kg

AH7 had option of 12.7mm mg from 2003, AH9 from 2008. Both can outrange RPGS and light arms.

Wildcat AH1 will also have option of 7.62mm or 12.7mm mg. Planned roles are utility, recon, casualty evacuation, CP, logistic and troop transport. There are no plans for missiles. Roles are recon and light lift.

US claims form Gulf War in 1991: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_engagements_of_the_Gulf_War#USAF_A-10A_vs._IRAF_Bo-105
Although these are mainly transport helicopters. Didn’t a number of UK helicopters get downed by Pucara aircraft in 1982?

ISTR the F-15E LGB kill was recorded on LANTIRN pod. This was against a hovering suprised helo.

BTW helo blades spin at something like 400 rpm (they need to subsonic). Its not so much the blades as the rotor head that shows up on radar. Case in point the RAH-66 and its cleaned up rotor head.

The E-8C with its radar in MTI can detect helicopters, and rotating ground radars (6-10 rpm). It can also classify targets as a helicopter due its rotating blades and stationary radars operating.

AAM loadouts

Standard air loadout seems to be 4 IRIS-T or 4 ASRAAM and 4 Meteor (8 AAM) total. A couple of questions:

1) There is talk of a 6 AIM-120 (and eventually Meteor) loadout. Is this a cleared load out or a future aspiration.
http://media.defenseindustrydaily.com/images/AIR_Eurofighter_underview_lg.jpg

2) Any photos of 4 AIM-9 being carried at the same time?

3) Are the innermost wing hardpoints (not visible in photos above) planned for AAM?

4) Is the Litening targeting pod planned for taking one of the AIM-120 fuselage points in the future? This was the plan, although currently carried on the centreline.

5) There was a photo of 6 IRIS-T being carried with two on the outer most HP, then 2 each next inner most. Is there a similar photo of the ASRAAM?

Whats Strongbow?

Any idea on which weapons it will carry? I cannot see any weapon hardpoints.

The original Gripen A/B entered service in November 1997 (delayed by FBW problems). It first replaced the attack AJ 37 Viggen. AIM-120B entered service in mid 1999. Final FBW software was released 2000 for full agility and automatic recovery from stalls (said to be 20% more agile).

JAS 39A was never fitted with a jammer – EW was AR380 RWR and BOP decoys only. Two seat JAS 39B lacks gun and is less agile with reduced fuel.

More agile than F-15C, F-16AM and MiG-29. F-15C has higher T?W ratio, but Gripen is unstable design with canards. ITR is 30°/second, STR 20°/second. F-16AM is 20 and 18, MiG-29 is 23.5 and 21.

Gripen was designed for pointing the nose as opposed to sustained dogfightings – lacks thrust in any case.

It was biased towards the air defense role.
Advantages are datalink, high readiness, survivability (EW, small size, BAS 90 basing). With 6 AAM RCS s 1/3rd F-16, 1/5th F/A-18C and 1/2 Mirage 2000C.
Disadvantages are small size with little room for growth, lower payload and range.

Batch 1 (28 JAS 39A, 1 JAS-39B) had D-80 radar processor (only the antenna was based on Bue Vixen) had range of around 100 km and could enagage 4 targets with AMRAAM (radar range nothing special). Batch 2 Gripen A/B had EP-80 processor for improved radar performance (96/14 A/B).

Gripen C/D was based on Batch 2 and adds Litening III, recon pod.
It entered service in January 2004.
EWS 39 jammer was added 2008-2009 (see ‘Swiss report’).
Material Standard 19 was added 2009-2010 (entered service May 09) with improved RWR, NATO IFF/comms (see ‘Swiss report’), Cobra HMD (250 IRIS-T delivered Nov 09 on)
Some were fitted with Link 16 under MS 19.5 from May 2010.
MS20 will probably add Meteor capability with two way datalink. Rb99 (AIM-20B are die to be retired 2015-2018).
There are further radar improvements, but the planned vs actual is a little murky.

Like RAF Eurofighter Tranche 1 and French Naval Rafale F1 the JAS 39A/B will be retired (this year) due to obsolescent equipment, lack of budget and force drawdowns. Some Batch 2 will be updated to C/D standards.