Oh baby, good view of the Gorshkov. Back when she was just launched.

whenever I see this damn thing…it highlights the Russian response in competing with the Indian planners & yards w.r.t messing up projects and incompetence! But Russia can never catch up with India on that matter. India can beat ROW combined hands down!!!

Its a shame…..over 6 years and not a single ship. Where as almost 30 Sovremennys’ & Udaloys are neglected without any upgrades. Even the Kara class with a decent upgrade and installing with Shtil-I VLS would give the Russian base in Syria some thing to cheer about.

Another criminal wastage is the $1.7billion for 2 mistrals. Another 2mistrals that is to be build in Russia will cost extra.

Indian Navy press piece with a pic of JF-17?

http://blogs.defenceaviation.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Picture-1024×743.jpg

Actually its nothing compared to what the “official” wisdom have offered. For instance take the IAC-1 CG. What we get to see on the deck are F-15s. 😀
Then take the various banners of the Def Expo etc we’ll find the same stuff….

Also, even seasoned people make mistakes. For example…..during the 75th Anniversary of the IAF, during the display the commentator (ex-IAF) was talking about the MiG-29 doing the display, when it was actually the Su-30MKI. He might have had poor visual as the footage that he was commenting was black n white that was being telecasted right from the UAV. But I don’t get how he could have missed the canards and the typical shape of the MKI.

The range will be closer to Tu-160. and will use 4 engines derived from PAK-FA. development started in 2007.
http://www.izvestia.ru/news/503271
Tu-22/B737 are too short range & lack power for dedicated bombers.
you need bombers for places/weopons where you cannot reach by conventional fighters even with refuelling. I dont expect Su-30 type fighter to carry 10 tons cave busting bombs or saturated missile attack.

PAK-Da is probably to replace the Tu-22M3 and not for the Tu-160. Tu-160 is too much a “fresh” design with some LO properties to be replaced so quickly.

TR1

1.) Nothing is certain in regards to PAK-DA right now, program is too infant. Though, I certainly agree it will not be Blackjack sized.

I think the PAK-DA from Sukhoi might have the range of the Tu-160, but its is probably not going to have the payload capacity of the Tu-160. More so around 18-20T.

Just an OT question…

Libyan AF would need new fighters (read Europe need to sell them overpriced a/c and make more profit) and so does the ground forces.

So the Tanks also come into play. Since Britain & France has been the prominent members in bombing Libya into “democracy”. Which one be the new MBT. Challenger-II or the LeClerc? Any thoughts?

FWIW, a few quotes from Yefim Gordon’s (Yeah – I know!) Su-27 book….

There were several reasons for this. For one thing, the MiG-29K was an all too radical redesign as compared to the standard version, utilising a different airframe manufacturing technology, new engines, new control system, new WCS and so on. The Su-27K represented a much less radical redesign and hence had better prospects of entering service on schedule.

Ken

This has to be highlighted. Because there are still many idiots who go on arguing about the airframe of MiG-29 being “old”.

Even during the development of MiG-29K/KUB for INS Vikramaditya, there was article mentioning that the Indian Navy’s MiG-29K would be of 2011 vintage and not of the 1989 vintage, which in itself had been redesigned compared to the early MiG-29s, which IAF is operating. The only similarity for the MiG-29s was the outer looks.

Why is it a waste of money?

well…i would not say its a waste. But there definitely is wastage/loss because in market-economy or capitalist terms, this project or the sales of Tejas is not going to recover the tax-payers money (atleast theoritically) through sales. Atleast not with just 200 x Tejas. Anyway any internal sales is not going to generate any “true” profit for the investment. Only Exports can realise the Profit or atleast truly recovering the part of the tax-payers investment.

The project was not meant for just 200 Tejas LCA, but to replace the MiG-21s and other aircaft almost one-2-one. It was the reason why Tejas was planned/meant to be a cheap to acquire, which probably is not the case now. Considering the MMRCA, PAK-FA, Su-30MKI, I wonder if the 200 figure will stand or if it will be cancelled in the future in favor or a new variant with internal bays. (somewhat like F-35)

Going OT little bit…

here is a Pakistani Album that a lot of Indians have already watched and liked. I certainly do.:cool: Most of the Indian media also played this video not just because it was a good music video, but also because the album also condemns Ajmal Kasab. For those who have not yet watched, here is it…

http://www.themuzik.com/pakistani-music-news-reviews-profiles/aalu-anday-by-beygairat-brigade/49.htm

Full Video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEpnwCPgH7g&feature=player_embedded

Good Interview with the young chaps of the Album from Dawn News.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bsk6aiTNxes&feature=related

Getting back to the actual topic at hand
-From what I’ve read the MiG-29K was designed from the start as a more multi-role kind of fighter and the AV-MF planned to acquire both Su-33(for air-to-air) and MiG-29K(for air-to-ground). With the collapse of the USSR there was only funding for one type and so the Su-33 was chosen(Partly due to superior platform performance, partly political influence).

-When India bought the Gorshkov it went for the MiG-29K over some Su-33MKI because of small wingtip clearances wrt the superstructure as well as the MiG-29K’s smaller storage footprint(The Su-33 may have opening i.e. folding nose and tailcone, but so does the MiG-29K, and from what I’ve read they are only folded for maintenance and not routine storage).

Good points & Actual facts!

Though in point 2, I’d say that even during storing the wings(/nosecone/tailplanes) are probably going to be folded as every inch of hanger space is precious.

-How does the MiG-29K compare with vanilla Su-33? Thanks to the latter’s obsolete systems and lack of BVR weapons the new MiG would obviously have the advantage. But on the other hand it would lose to a new J-15 which is like an Su-33 with modern equipment and armament.

The original MiG-29K was based (if I’m not wrong) on the original MiG-29M, in the sense that it was a multi-role aircraft from the start itself. Where as Su-33 was purely a air-defence fighter.

Ken maybe able to input anymore if what I said is wrong. But my understanding is that MiG-29K was a multi-role platform as against the Su-33.