On a more serious note, I don’t really think all these big su-30 purchases are smart. Instead of a stop gap solution, a few dozen bought, they’re turning to be really the mainstay of future Ruaf fleet. Su30m2 is pretty obsolete even today, and even Su30sm isn’t really going to be superior to many opponents in ten years’ time. And even the whole mig-35 plan doesn’t seem like it’s worth the while, considering the timetable it will happen in and considering all these planes will be serving 30 years from now.

Sure, companies making those planes got work, certain people got their pockets filled, Ruaf got a continuity of training their personnel on planes that can actually fly – but at what cost? Wouldn’t it have been better if su35 was the mainstay of all ruaf purchases until pak-fa was ready for mass production? Even if it means investing money only into one manufacturer? Sure, those planes are more expensive, and maybe even the inventory totals would have been lower if that route was taken – but plane purchase price is really just a smaller part of operating a plane over 30 years. And part of the extra cost would have been compensated with less pilots and infrastructure needed due to less two seater planes.

Having two or three competing firms may be doable for very large economies. But if France, UK etc are getting by with a single producer – maybe it’s better for Russia too, instead of throwing a lifeline to multiple manufacturers (within the same company even!) every now and then.

there’s a lot of people here in these forums that feel the need to justify the production and upgrades of various flanker variants, fulcrums, foxhounds, etc but refuse to acknowledge its primarily motivated by job creation not actual need (only 2 here acknowledge that).
but I also don’t think Su-30M2 is obsolete. I think it’s rather current.

C295, Ka-226T, M777

Big Bang: India Clears 3 Big Deals With Russia, Europe & the US

that is interesting. so we can say the ka-226 is the winner of the LUH competition?
I always figured India would buy European or American for helicopters and Russian for very big ticket purchases.

I just had a brain fart..

indeed there is nothing but gas in your head.

keep away from fire.

It look as a turret but it is not really such: just look at pictures from its left side. There is a large hole just in the front part to allow vision to an optical sensor (the main “gunner” visor?) located deep inside it.

Hard part of the “turret” is probably at a such depth, what you see on the outside is instead just a simple covering structure, acting like slat armors do, just being watertight so to protect also from adverse weather conditions (Russia is not the Iraqi desert)
Just look also at the gun mount, it sits quite low near to the hull and the roof of the turret is well above it but the latter seems to be a separate, not moving part .

they are saying this is how the naked turret looks like with out the slats