For the F-15 the M2.5 top speed was impractical, i know that, but for the su-27 its top speed is M2.3 with missiles, it wont go further, not because the drag or power output, but because the structural limitations of its engines compressor, same for the Mig-23 and Mig-29 all of them limited to M2.3, by the same reason.

Interception speed would not be very important for the US doctrine, because their air superiority doctrine, in which the first strike and preemptive strike is the most important factor, so the F-22 was not meant to intercept fast bombers, but to patrol an area gained after the first strike.

But the PAKFA is meant to be an interceptor and and air superiority plane…unless is just an air superiority fighter, leaving the vital interception task to the Mig-31.

The yak-130 for russian CAS?, you must be kidding…

CAS requirements for Russia are completely different from US CAS requirements, the russian federetion has been facing the chechenian resistance, the ossetian war, these kind of wars were pretty dirty, they were not fighting some stonemen hiding in caves, neither they have the Pakistan army to do the dirty job, neither they have the time to carefully deploy an army, because the war you will fight is on the other side of the world, they need a heavy, sturdy and ready to fight CAS plane…an aircraft that can do the job with few sorties, a plane that will be ready when their forces get attacked by surprise…

The only plane that could do the job is the Su-25, the Yak-130 is completely inadequate.

So people really want to change that winged powerhorse , just because they believe a faceted pony will do the job as good as the 25?, they will get a very nasty awaking.

Where the cracks were found?

The fact the thing is actually using the intake grid show us the UAV design is more concerned in the LO issue than many other designs , most likely because is a small and an relative low performance airframe, since it does not need to make many compromises.

This thing has lower RCS than the B-2, that’s for sure.

aviation and defence journalists

Well…after reading so much trash, over and over again from aviation journalists, I would not difference them from a sci-fi writter…actually, the latter is a more credible source…

Let me put in a better way obligatory

“Do you seriously think these toys have automatic landing system to nicely land in iranian soil and leave an highly classified hardware to iranian authorites?”

The thing was hacked

my theory is Iran has the capability to to track, lock, and shoot down VLO air craft, but don’t want to reveal their capability and so claim it was a hack.

Even for the hack they needed to track and detect it.

Would be hillarious if it was a hack, imagine the impact of this event in all the USAF-Euro UAV programs…pure gold

(it clearly isn’t)

In my opinion it is, the problem is that you guys analyze things like kids, what? it does not have the zigzag thingie over it doors?…well probably it has better tolerances in it sealing, what? it does have a rounded exhaust? well, the X-47a was a very stealthy design, with a rounded exhaust, what? it does not have a profile like the B-2?, well it does not have so many congruent angles all arround.

So yes the thing is stealthier, at lest stealthier than a B-2, considering it small size (tell me that size does not matter)…and surely is stealthier than a F-22/35.

The fun thing is that all this happens when the thing was downed…what a shocking surprise…come on.