More hot weather trial pics

it seems like new dumb bomb pylon has been added just after the LDP

You could do that, just don’t expect to use the MLG 😀

I don’t have subcription, here’s a link to the free portion.

This is about as from the horse’s mouth as possible.

Ainspiron posted the full article here:
Clicky

The latest Force mag has the ACM Major stating that

More specifically, two squadrons of the LCA in the IOC version will be inducted in 2010-11. After that, the IAF plan is to have six LCA squadrons by the end of the 13th Defence Plan.

It looks like six sqdns by 2018-20 time frame.

Sarang pilots (at ILA 2008)

This change in the ASRs was a good move though. Who can imagine a fighter getting IOC in 2009-10 time frame and not being qual’d to carry the IAF’s main WVR weapon?

Did the IAF/ADA did not forsee a heavier weight WVR missile coming in the future when the ASRs for that hardpoint were being made?

I know I am showing my ignorance of Rajkumar’s book.

But that second platform should be the Su-35.

I will have to disagree. We’ll see where things go I suppose. I know that MiG will try to push the light fighter concept though, hard.

His opinion might matter if he wasn’t the HEAD of RAC-MiG! With the apparent abandonment of the MiG-29SMT upgrades and the focus on upgrading Su-27s and buying Su-34s and Su-35s the RusAF has clearly chosen to focus on long-range, heavy fighters. With a mix of 400 Su-35s and PAK-FAs they have no real need for a lighter fighter (yeah I made the number up, but you get the point). I’d like to know just what role the PAK-FA isn’t supposed to be able to perform that RAC-MiG feels justifies the production and procurement of a whole new aircraft? Export is one thing, but he’s talking about domestic use here, which is a whole different issue.

I would contend that Russia will not go to an all heavy fighter force. If it does, a few years later, it will go to OAK and request a lighter platform, simply because of money. A force as large as the VVS will want two platforms, especially when the second platform’s technology can be leveraged from the first platform.

I would also contend that the Russians haven’t bought any new MiGs primarily because the new MiGs aren’t worth buying. From the initial Mig-29K to the Mig-35, they’ve all been mostly promises and dead ends. The Russian air force is too smart to buy any of the endless cavalcade of warmed over Mig-29 variants, even if other air forces aren’t. Algeria has wizened up though.