ROFL!. Laughable.

Coming from someone who thinks the ‘Roswell-stealth’ F-22 is covered in little windows that fire low-power laserbeams to zap-fry enemy pilots’ eyeballs -that’s pretty rich!

Senior Russian designers regularly visit international aviation industry symposia & lectures. in the presence of, no doubt astounded, experts.

Again, that’s not saying what you think it is. It’s not claming Skat is anything more than a mockup. Potential and reality are not the same thing.

I never said the ‘Skat’ was anything other than a mock-up. I just observed that their first stealth aircraft is B2/X-45 level, which the likes of Barrie, Sweetman et al concur.
But if MiG have announced to the World a first flight within 2yrs and they’ve been working on it for some time already- then it’s a serious programme.

IMHO, the stealthy PAK-FA and UCAV programs under development are the more logical recipient platforms. They need to carry the missiles internaly in order not to compromise their stealth. Hence the new version of the Kh-58.

You’re right. There’s a whole host of new-generation & updated AA/AG munitions which are intended for PAK-FA, UCAV & future platforms, being developed.
It seems the RuAF is making a determined effort with their bold new programmes and requirements, where Europe dithers (as usual) and the US remains uncertain of UCAVs.
It’s certainly ambitious to go from Su-34 to UCAV as a strike asset- all credit to ’em.:)

Oh, did you hear Thales has sold ‘Catherine’ thermal-imagers for Russian Army T-90s? what next, Litening IIIs for Su-34s?

The junction between the ‘fixed’ wing l/e and the slats appears to be ‘sealed’ – in much the same way as the so-called ‘adaptive wing’ on the Su-27KUB.

OK, it’s only a better seal – but it must confer some aerodynamic benefits – else why do it ??

‘Sealing’ the leading-edge slat eliminates the hinge gaps which has a direct effect on the form drag component of the viscous drag on the wing- resulting in upto 10% drag decrease.

The hinge gap is also a source of radar wave reflection: hence by eliminating the gap the wing radar LO could be significantly increased.

It’s interesting to note that the engine covers weren’t removed at anytime, also the lower lip section of the intake appears to be slightly reprofiled.
There’s indications of RAM applied to the intake walls, and I bet they’ve installed radar baffles further down.

… but with radars like Irbis floating around you have to wonder what the point is? Cold they provide a start point for conformal arrays?

AESAs with LPI are ‘the holy grail’ of air-warfare (specifically the GaN sets), they are solid state (i.e. no mechanical parts) hence low maintenance, & will function despite multiple T/R module failures- so more reliable in combat.
(Though power hungry & cooling remains an issue).

Their simultaneous modes AA & AG at considerable ranges turn the fighter into a real-time battle management system, hence a true force multiplier, limited only by the pilot’s ability to mentally process the data.

Irbis is the last of the PESAs- it’s good, but it’s tech has peaked, and I bet that complex gimball mounting isn’t cheap to maintain.

AESAs are already mounted conformally- such as Phalcon AWACS & more recently J-Stars.

Nice one UAZ!! An amazing launch sequence for an amazing missile!!:cool:

Well, well, looks like the Russians enter the stealth scene at the level of X-45 & B2- good for them!!
I hope Mr. Barkovsky phoned ‘Skunk Works’/’Phantom Works’ & Northrop to thank them for saving MiG et al. 25yrs of development time & expense.
I bet the Chinese were jumping for joy at talk of ‘Skat’s’ export potential!

This explains why PAK-FA has only a secondary strike role (unlike the multirole F-35). Maybe Sukhoi will be forced to unveil their UCAV contender. Regardless, it looks like the Russian MoD has a serious long-term vision.

I wonder if the production version will be AA refuelable?
[ATTACH]156757[/ATTACH]