Indeed, why develop the AIM-9X? Asraam or IRIS-T would fit the bill

Only ASRAAM was developed earlier than the 9X and it was evaluated by USAF/USN as a replacement for the M; and it failed in meeting US requirement; IRIS-T was later than the 9X.

While the price of F 22 incresed dramatically as the total numbder decreased (~ 700 to 187), the F 35 is suposed to be built in > 2000. So the analogy is not appliable.

16 AESA radars ordered for F 15 C

Raytheon will deliver 16 APG-63(V)3 radars for F 15 C (8 for ANG and 8 for USAF), including spares and service. Total cost is ~ $ 90 milions ($ 5.6 milion per copy) http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/micro_stories.pl?ACCT=149999&TICK=RTN&STORY=/www/story/03-17-2008/0004775257&EDATE=Mar+17,+2008

Well it wasn’t the Russians… it was the Soviets… and now that is the Ukraines problem because Chernobyl is in the Ukraine.

And the most exposed areas were in Belarus…

S-400 sell depends on time frame. In 10 years time World will be completely different place. It is not only military strategist but investment bankers/Commodity/Currency traders that report to Kremlin.

No matter if selling such an advanced system would bring loads of $$$, security concerns should stop the Russians to sell S X00 to such imprevisible regimes. Up to now, Russia didn’t sold them to Iran for example, who, unlike NK could afford them, at least in limmited numbers (Tor doesn’t count since it’s a short range system). Opposing the US stance vs. NK or Iran is one, selling them sophisticated weapons is another thing.

Dont confuse Turbine inefficiencies with Nuclear technology.

You didn’t understand. Russians reactors, offered now commercially, for domestic and foreign utilites are VVER (wich are light water reactors, or more preciselly the equivalent of PWR in West). What I meant was, that even if the Russians are very good in “exotic” reactors (they even sold fast breeder technology to Japan for ~ $ 1bn.) those are in experimental stage except one (BN 600). So, up to now they are not (yet) interesting for customers for various reason (safety, proliferation risk).

How could a country where the average person is starving afford to build ICBMs and nuclear warheads?

Are they really starving? I allways thought that’s western propaganda BS…:p …Firstof all, I don’t think that Russia will sell S 400 NK .

So if it is hard for Fiji to make ICBMs then it is also hard for Russia to make ICBMs?

Nukes are expensive to built and maintain. Russians ones are no exception.

Because it was Western and therefore crap. Or after looking at the wiki entry I’d say it was a successful operation by the Soviet Union to sabotage the whole project… RPGs and all…
The US has also tried liquid metal cooled nuclear reactors for Subs which also failed… guess the Soviets shouldn’t try that… no wait… the liquid sodium cooled reactor has already been developed in the Soviet Union…

Liquid metal cooled program in Russia was one of the most succesfull-BN 600 still runing; however, future power generation reactors planned in Russia are still LWR.

Wow

nuclear weapons are relatively cheap to make and store… and hide. (If so, why are only a few countries able to produce such weapons.?)
Their conventional forces are designed to defend Russian territory… not keep in line lots of occupied countries to form a buffer zone. A small but effective conventional force (present day Russian army doesn’t qualify)and an enormous and very powerful nuclear force would be very cheap to maintain. A few Plutonium breeder reactors (the only one that did work, the SuperPhoenix was closed; I wonder why?:p ) generating power and producing weapons grade plutonium would build up weapon stocks rapidly and reduce internal consumption of the export product that earns big money…

More consequences…http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3a5699ee69-5935-451d-bd27-feb01f8b1ece

Nope, the ugliest part is the nose- really scarry…