Personall I think the best solution for the IAF’s needs would have been an ‘E-767I’ type platform with the E-3 Sentry suite replaced by the Phalcon, similar to how the A-50EI was developed.

CGI Demo for the Type 054A frigate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RHL9AskfYg

Photographs from Ilyushin IL-76MF First Flight on September 30th 2010

[B]2010-10-07 As reported earlier, the upgraded IL-76MF heavy lift transport aircraft made its first flight in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on September 30th 2010. This new generation plane is intended to make a strong case for sale to India as New Delhi has been acquiring U.S. C-17 and C130J Hercules aircrafts which are more expensive than the Russian air lifter.

Unlikely. The IL-76MF lacks a crucial requirement for the IAF’s heavylifter needs; that being a cargo bay wide enough to hold tanks like the T-90. I’m fairly sure the IAF brass already considered it when they were researching strategic airlift options before placing the C-17 order.

BTW shouldn’t the headline say ‘IL-476’? The IL-76MF stretched version has been advertised for years.

Why is there such a delay on the engines? Since the PAK-FA is a twin-engined jet a thrust of 130-140kN per engine is more than adequate to surpass the F-35. Unless the problem is in other aspects like IR reduction systems I think the AL-31F3 or the 117S would be more than adequate.

The Russians still have the potential to develop the best systems in the world in any category of military gear.

The problem lies in financing the development to top-of-the-line leves, and afterwards buying the product in significant numbers.

Take MiG’s offerings, for example. Their sales primarily consist of MiG-29SMTs and MiG-29Ks. Their new MiG-35 series has a vastly different set of electronic systems, engines and airframe redesigns, but it doesn’t sell because customers are content to go for the cheaper, still modern systems of the MiG-29SMTs and Ks.

http://www.hmforces.co.uk/news/articles/3996-navy-will-get-one-new-carrier-but-raf-jets-are-axed

ONE of the two new aircraft carriers demanded by the Navy will be built but the RAF will lose 100 jets after David Cameron intervened in a row over defence cuts.

The Prime Minister sided with Defence Secretary Liam Fox yesterday, making clear that at least one aircraft carrier will get the go-ahead.

Seems like it’s on the chopping block.

Unless Pakistan cancelled its KJ-200 order it’s not them.

Does South Korea already have an AWACS?

Granits are HUGE. If these are replaced by BrahMos and Kh-101, there will be a lot of place for them. About Kirov, well the plan until a year ago was to let the two older die and save and update Peter the Great and the Nakhimov. Now it seems that Ushakov and Lazarev will be also modernized. That’s seems to be a recent decision and the implementation will take years and lots of $$$. So, Russia see the Artic Sea as a near future source of conflicts.

How exactly are they going to be ‘modernised’ anyway? Will they have new radars like Podberezovik and Poliment-K? Wouldn’t that necessitate rebuilding the suprestructure? The whole idea sounds a little dubious to me.