Initial speculations on differences with ‘Blue 51’:

http://paralay.iboards.ru/download/file.php?style=12&id=12343&mode=view

…to which I’d like to add, on the pic below ‘saw teeth’ are visible around the radome:

http://www.sukhoi.org/img/gallery/wallpaper/pak-fa-2/2011-03-03_03sm.jpg

Almost forgot- congratulations to Sukhoi & KnAAPO!!

It appears it’s not only the Russians who think S-ducts are yesterday’s tech, the Japanese do too:

http://gb.zinio.com/reader.jsp?issue=416156224&o=int&prev=si

(pg.33).

…in other words, expect something very similar for the PAK-FA.

Also @ Zhukovskii last week:

The dependence is a big issue too (the air chief himselfs stated in an interview that he don’t want to put all eggs in one basket), but there are many operational points as well and that speaks against it. Not to mention political, or offset benefits.

Agreed. It is also India’s attempt to forment a strategic & technological partnership with the winning nations.

For example if SAAB can be courted as a development & funding partner for the AMCA and Dassault the same for nEUROn UCAV -the IAF’s core requirements will be met for decades to come, as the ToT and know-how gained will facilitate further weapons system indigenisation thereafter (as opposed to starting from scratch, copying/reverse engineering).

If indeed it is true that the IAF has increased it’s intended purchase to 260 aircraft, then undoubtedly the order will be split, and the above hypothetical moves closer to reality.

Personally, I think the SAAB Gripen NG has already won it’s ‘share’ of the order with it’s tangible assertion for an R&D centre and infusion of technologies in local industries. Imho, the remaining share will go to one of the remaining Eurocanards (possibly Rafale, think recent $9bn nuclear power deal with France).

Gripen NG & Rafale would be a formidable mix.

Because the gimballed Irbis (passive) has very high performance- so no need.
SM would require major modification, probably new engines to handle output, there may be weight/cg issues- too many headaches.

With the MKI MLU the active array production achieves desirable economies of scale pre-PAK-FA IOC.

Bars’ Phase 1 upgrade details (by it’s Chief Designer):

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mDvQ8xYRdSI/SpZW2Bg-eNI/AAAAAAAAAN4/je_NfidvKRs/s1600-h/27.08.2009+11-00-29_0021.jpg

As an addenda to the article, I think Phase 1 will include the ‘back-end’ of the Irbis-E, with a new passive array, when they add the active array (phase 2) it will essentially be a PAK-FA radar (i.e. AESA + back-end of Irbis).

Apologies, I actually thought the NIIP AESA entered flight-test last year 😮

Last week Lenta.ru reported that the MKI upgrade would feature the Zhuk-AE, but I’m certain that was a journo error.
So it appears the MKI upgrade will feature a whole new radar with a new passive phased array (phase 1) and then get a new ‘front-end’ AESA (phase 2).

I’m surprised the AESA is going straight to T-50-03 & 04 without testing aboard a flying lab first- but good to hear there’s been no major problems thus far.

China was never invited to join Sukhoi’s T-50 programme, a proviso of Indian involvement was that China would not be sold the type either.
The sources are Pogosyan and very senior IAF officials who were the key negotiators of the deal (India’s biggest ever defence programme/spending allocation).

Maybe if the J-20’s that good the Russians should have been begging to join Chengdu’s programme :rolleyes:…or maybe the Russkies new better, the guys at AW&ST strongly suspect they did- (they say the evidence suggests MiG designed the friggin thing, that Russian guy photographed next to one of the ‘designers’ probably worked @ SibNIA). I agree with them.

Finish your lunch showtime, I expect a full technical analysis of your claim. Don’t hold back, PM me if need be.