Yes, since the Foxbats were often stationed at Far Eastern airbases facing the USA and Japan, they were pretty much off the civilization. MiG-25 was used for several other roles than just intercepting incoming bombers. It was a perfect platform for hunting deers, rabbits and foxes and Soviet technicians also claimed that one flyover at low attitude with the radar turned on caused sterility with a duration of approx. half a year. Nevertheless, the most significant role of the aircraft was mirrored in its nickname ‘The flying bar’, since under normal conditions the bird was to be loaded with no less than 300 litres of pure ethanol. Not necessary to say that in reality good two thirds of the daily ethanol ratio were pumped out and swallowed by thirsty Soviet throats rather than used for its original role.

Because of this simple fact the real combat readiness of Foxbat crews and technical staff was usually in accordance with their 2.12 promile of alcohol in their blood. 🙂 But on the paper it surely looked muich better, because the commander of the base responsible for the paper work was usually more drunk than all others 😉

Huge bottle of Vodka 🙂

Mexican E-2 Hawkeye and a kit Helicopter Rotor Way assambled in the Mexican Navy mantainance center in Veracruz state, this small american kit Helicopter was the begining of the Mi-8 assambly deal with Russia for the Mexican Navy but also the Lancair kit aircraft was assambled there. there were rumors that Antonov is also thinking in building aircraft in Mexico since the representative of Aviabaltika said once the plant is finished it will be possible built Antonov Aircraft there.

some pictures of the Mexican and Chilean Air Forces aircraft

Ex-Israeli Air Force E-2 Hawkeye Mexican Air Force
Rotorway kit helicopter Mexican Air Force
Lancair kit aircraft mexican Air force
Mi-8 Mexican Air Force
A-36 Enaer Halcon a license built version of the Spanish C-101 Mirlo Chilean Air Force
Mirage V Elcan and Pantera modified by IAI and ENAER to Kfir standards Chilean Air force

Another Russian link claiming the MiG-23MLD has Helmet Mounted S 😀 HMS in MiG-23MLA ight

For the record I didn’t suggest the US was assisting SA with it’s technical aviation issues. Rather, I was pointing out that the US buys aircraft from Brazil now that that it produces useful non-military products. This strikes me as being supportive in an economic sense. How this can be veiwed as a negative is beyond me. Nor did I suggest that the US is responsible for the fact that SA is largly peaceful and democratic.

My comment about nukes was ment to be sarcastic :rolleyes: and was in response to the a rather dumb comment by someone else earlier in the thread.

I would imagine that many US companies have and are investing in many aspects of SA economies. Why would they not?

Perhaps a reasoned read of what people actually say rather than comments about “freaking out” etc would be more in order.

Sauron

Sauron do not worry i agree 100% with you, i like the US in many ways even admire it but i like to also say that the US considers latin America as it`s belonging rather than it`s Friends and Latin America needs to stand up for it self and not be always under the US shadow, i like and i would like the US invest in latin America in fact i would like a true friendship and partnership but unless the US changes it`s view of latin america as it`s servants and does not see us as strategic partners as the EU is viewed we will need to look for other and more reliable partners because we need to also develope our technology and allow the talent in our nations to grow but the US does not allow it with it`s policies of just satisfying the US market at the expense of the workers and salaries of latin america and therefore the Latin American markets and also play us against nations such as China and Asia for investment