I don’t think Indonesia will be buying 180 of anything. Australia need not worry. The RAAF will also not introduce a new type in response to an alleged acquisition rumor. They (RAAF) are as likely to operate the Su-34 or T-50 as is the USAF or RAF. If anything, they would scale-up their F/A-18F and F-35 purchases. Perhaps they would even consider acquiring some F/A-18E’s to replace the legacy hornets. I think a super hornet can certainly handle an Su-30/34. F-35A vs. T-50 remains to be seen. The TNI-AU should invest in some AWAC aircraft if it plans to match the RAAF’s capability.

I’d be willing to be that there is something like this already flying around the desert in Nevada. They had to test this new propulsion system on something…

How come the E-model can do 9G while the lighter A/C-models can only do 7.3? It would seem the other way around to me.

Luck plays its part, but the Soviet engineers were very talented and produced a great design in the MiG-21. The fact that it is still in service with some nations after its successors have been retired is proof positive. MiG-OKB did produce its share of duds, the MiG-19 and to a certain extent the MiG-23. Despite being flown by many nations, the MiG-23 was a poor fighter on many levels and often did not last long in squadron service in Europe.

So, we’ve described the MiG-31 as a pretty capable interceptor, but its lack of air-to-air maneuverability is a limiting factor when considering it as a “fighter”. I mean, it doesn’t even have DSI…

Germany retired their phantoms very recently.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/picture-german-air-force-to-bid-pharewell-to-last-f-4fs-387655/