Well, don’t be surprised if Russia ask India for more money for the PAK-FA Program. 😮

Yeah, because India is immune to the global financial crisis, probably 😀

Media-driven cliches notwithstanding, let me remind you that the Russian defense budget has been increased, and not decreased, and nothing suggests the 2009 Federal budget will be revised either. All indicators (World Bank reports for example) suggest a growth in Russia for 2008 and 2009, albeit less growth than in the previous years, despite a crush in oil and gas prices.

Meanwhile, Germany and France are already in recession, for example.

The only difference for Russia is that the State has used the Stabilisation Fund to factually grab assets from indebted industries, such as RUSAL. And the federal budget will not end in a proficit, but will be level – whereas most Western countries run on budget deficit since a decade and will increase it twofold due to rescue programmes.

The OECD, the IMF and the World Bank all agree that the Russian real economic sector will be the least impaired by the global crisis. Surreal arket prices for private equity, accomodation and construction in Moscow will fall, and that is actually good news for all the Russians (except the developers, of course).

So don’t expect Russia to come to India and ask for something that the Indians have begged for the last 2 years and not gotten (R&D participation).

Yet, really the million dollar question is what about the ex-Varyag???? Will it return to service.

Never. Never in the present shape, that is.
It would be similar to build a new carrier. The hull means nothing.
The Varyag does not have anything the Chinese can put to use right now, without very important engineering works.
She has no powerplant.
She has no powerlines.
She has no life support systems.
Fuel dumps are not operating.
Electric and electronical systems are totally absent, and even the technical openings for them are inexistent.

It would be a HUGE work. And even if the Chinese will complete it, it will be a new definition of “Chinese quality”.

Designing ‘new’ ships on the basis of 30+ year old hulls is ot demonstrative of a healthy shipbuilding and design industry. Especially given the progress made by western shipbuilders.

Poor USN… still running on 30+ old hull designs and designing aircraft carriers on the basis of 50+ year old hulls… Must be in crisis, surely. I wonder what the Russians wait for before exporting democracy to Long Island 😀

Rear quarter stealth looks to be pretty poor in all of these speculative images. Front on it mught be OK, but from the rear it’ll light up scopes all over.

You’re totally right but…
– these images have little to do with the PAK FA.
– “design fundings” have nothing to do with it, because a) it’s the cheapest part of R&D (esp. in Russia) and b)simply because even in Russia, laws of physics remain laws – and strangely enough, they are aware of them.

The submarine “Nerpa” will remain in Russia

Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russian Army General Nikolai Makarov said that the multipurpose nuclear submarine “Nerpa”, after testing, will be adopted by the Russian Navy, and will not be sold or leased to the Indian Navy, as previously planned, said “Rossiyskaya Gazeta”.[official governmental newspaper]

As the boat itself is not affected by the recent disaster, the test program will continue after the completion of the investigation, and then the boat will be incorporated into the Pacific Fleet. The funds that are necessary to complete the task will be allocated by the Russian budget – in accordance with the budget proceedings or as an extraordinary allocation for the purchase of new military equipment and weapons.
END QUOTE.
http://www.lenta.ru/news/2008/11/18/nerpa2/

NB: I would still wait and see. On the other hand, I warned about this already a year ago.

The missing piece of the analysis is the probability of getting to the merge. Since the SU’s detection range against stealth is tiny, the F-35 has the advantage of avoiding the SU completely or springing a BVR ambush against the SU.

The article is biaised and sometimes plain wrong, but your assertion unfortunately also. The radar system of what is called Su-35 extremely powerful, and whereas the detection range against a F-35 is off course less than against a non-stealth opponent, it is nevertheless impressive enough and allows the Su to use its weapons way before entering a sure danger enveloppe. Weapon effectiveness will be the decisive factor here.
Depending on the Lightning II mission, it will either try to avoid the Su-35 altogether or call in Raptors for terminal fighting capabilities. The Lightning, as a fighter, is imho totally overestimated.

I heard the kill was scored in close quarter fighting with a sabot round to side of the Georgian 72.

A couple of 100mm rounds on the side of an Ambrams would kill it too. Nothing suprising here.