Not to detract from the formidable capabilities of the Su-35BM, but I get the sneaky suspicion that the RuAF is a reluctant (if necessary) launch customer:

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aw/dti0908/index.php?startid=28

Imho, Boeing’s SH is the clear favourite, especially after clearing the landmark nuke deal with the US. Boeing can offer the best industrial offsets, maybe they’ll do a fruity tie-in with P-8s -and it’s easily the finest in the tender.

SH’s AN/APG-79 is leagues ahead of Zhuk-AE, but the most advanced MMICs will shortly be available as COTS (e.g Toshiba GaN HEMT), so why would the Russians (or anyone else, for that matter) want to re-invent the wheel?

I wonder if India will purchase Growlers too 😎

Everyone’s a winner!! 😉

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/08/27/315132/india-set-for-offset-bounty.html

Yeah well India has been lagging in fighter radars, there simply isnt enough manpower and funding allocated for these projects.
…

Why re-invent the wheel? Just think of those juicy offsets & voluptuous ToT agreements for MMRCA!!

Plus, if the West puts technological/dual-use sanctions on Russia over Georgia- India will be elevated to uber-best buddy status. Watch for more high-tech JVs as a matter of necessity, with no bickering over ToT & costing.

No-matter how PAK-FA AESA progresses, I’ll bet they’re aching to get a close look at AN/APG-79/ CaptorM etc.

:rolleyes::D:rolleyes::D:rolleyes::D
Gee, what reply were you expecting Otaku? 😀

Change is good:), but change is hard:(

http://www.domain-b.com/aero/mil_avi/mil_aircraft/20080808_sukhoi.html

“Consensus expert opinion”? …then I’m very glad I’m unlikely ever to have any business dealings with you.

Hmmm…..applying the ‘swerve paradox/180 filter’ to your post means you do want dealings……but alas, I won’t be sharing my secrets of futures trading with you.

Also, whatever his faults (& there’s no doubt he has many), Saakashvili was democratically elected, & poses no threat to the security or territorial integrity of Russia. His attempts to regain control of territories his predecessors (particularly the rather nasty Gamsakhurdia) lost are no threat to Russia. If Russias leadership had more sense than testosterone, instead of the other way round, they’d have offered Georgia help in re-integrating the secessionist areas in exchange for Georgian co-operation in other areas, & achieved real security on their Caucasian border far more cheaply & easily than by fighting.

Wowsers!! Nicely selective interpretation of history & geopolitics- like it came straight out of ‘The End of History’.
Fyi most people (including the author Fukuyama) don’t believe that simplistic crap anymore, so you can put down your neo-con drum and ponder the one word retort…….Iraq.🙂

Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised to see India to begin to distances itself more and more from Russia as time goes on. Especially, if Russia continues its evil ways toward Eastern European Countries and former Soviet Republics like Georgia.

Scooter, to put it in it’s simplest terms: Georgia is to Russia what Mexico is to the US, now could you imagine the US tollerating a Chavez type in power in Mexico? (in fact, you could argue they won’t even tollerate Chavez in Venezuela for much longer).

As for India, if even the Israelis heed Russian requests over UAV supplies, the Germans & French shy away from stern measures, really puts things in perspective- the effect on longstanding Russian-Indian bonds trade/energy, political/strategic will be zero.