I was referring to the cold war between the US and USSR. New US weaponry is designed for different threats so we really have to get out of the PAKFA vs F-22, PAKFA vs F-35 , PAKDA vs B-2 , PAKDA vs LRS-B debates…As you have said the LRS-B’s ultimate mission would be to penetrate contested areas in the Pacific with impunity.

I don’t think Russia is off America’s radar to quite the extent that you suggest, but in any case America is certainly not off of Russia’s radar. When Putin spoke of the need to make Russia strong to protect against Comrade Wolf who knows whom to eat and is not listening to anyone, he wasn’t talking about New Zealand. :p

Here’s an analogy: Russia is to America as Pakistan is to India. Former has latter as reference threat, but latter has different reference threat (in both cases, China).

Will be interesting to see what happens with Nigeria in the long run. They’ve only just reconstituted a fast jet capability with F-7s but by 2050 should be by far the largest economy in Africa, top 15 globally.

Mind you the country could well tear itself apart by then. :p

nope, officially it is not even called a carrier, it is a scientific research and training vessel 🙂

Smooth. :p

The second photo is quite nice.

I can see Finland doing this over buying another fighter (most likely the Gripen). European budgets are not there for fighter purchases in this decade.

The budgets won’t be there next decade either. Ageing populations (static or decreasing workforce, increased demand for domestic spending) will eat up any improvement in fiscal circumstances and then some.

One of the reasons why the F-15 is out done by the modern Super Flankers (30Mki, 35 etc etc) is because the US did not pursue the program like the Russians, the US wanted the F-22 by 2000-2002 (eventually got IOC by 05) which is the time the 30MKI IOC’d so technically the Su-30 MKI and the F-22A are from SAME timelines (2-3 years apart)…There were test programs and plans to evolve the F-15 into a super eagle of sorts but the ATF won and that is the path the USAF took…

As Su-27 is parallel to F-15A/C, Su-30/34 is parallel to F-15E, not ATF. You seem to have forgotten that the Soviet Union collapsed, retarding progress far beyond American post-Cold War drawdown. It is that which is responsible for the deeper investment in Flanker platform vs. progression to 5G, not some doctrinal difference.

In any case it is irrelevant as F-15 was out-classed as soon as Su-27 entered service. The superiority is all in the base platform, no ‘super Flankers’ needed.

It won’t lead to anything because negotiations with France will collapse and America will swoop in with deal too good for bean-counters to pass up.

Eight hundred and sixty seven, eight hundred and sixty eight…

I would have been nice to see the Viggen catch on outside of Sweden.

Sale to India was blocked by the United States. Jaguar was acquired instead.