Once more where is the proof of that once more where are the sources saying and proving they had MiG-23ML prior to 1989

Actually there’s the arms embargo for one thing, they’d have had to have taken delivery before it was put in place. Beyond that, I haven’t had time to look for a real source just yet, it’s too convenient and easy to find someone’s amateur site and pass it off as a real, credible source of information.

the Russians would had advised the Libyans to use their MiG-25s to kill the Tomcats or fire BVR R-24s form their MiG-23s, see this detail, the MiG-23s never fired upon the Tomcats, niether at BVR or close range, no R-24 was fired, so no MiG-23ML only an aircraft with AA-2s would had done what the Libyan MiG-23s did, so only MiG-23MS can be the variant that fought the F-14s

Are you serious? If you were in any way correct then why did the Libyans ignore Russia’s teaching and send FITTERs out into the Gulf to deal with USN F-14s a few years earlier?

Your argument is not based in any sort of fact. No R-24 was fired so it couldn’t have been an ML…that’s hilarious. Maybe the better equipped MLs were used for base or capital defense and the inferior MSs were used to intercept unknown contacts during periods when Libya was not overtly at war, putting more hours on the lesser airframes. There’s no evidence for that either, of course, but at least I can take the time to come up with a logical reason for the USN’s casual FLOGGER elimination exercise not featuring an ML.

I don’t know if you’d be wise to make that serious a change to such a purpose-built system as the Granit. Changing out the nav system, the EW systems, and the motor is going to dork about with the CG something fierce and potentially throw the performance into a region which the airframe isn’t as suited for. Yakhont is a little slower but will have all of the newer systems you would want in a modified Granit anyway.

I don’t mean that Venezuela isn’t necessarily interested, but with Chavez wanting lots of things he’s going to have to pick and choose. I’d guess that the heavy SAMs are the next priority based on their current situation.

As for China, they’re partly in the same boat. They’re beginning work on the JXX ATF-type fighter, building the J-11B, building the J-10, and building the JH-7A. It would seem that current developments in China have negated a need for the Su-35. Now, importing some of the systems to use as upgrades for their Su-27 and J-11 fleet is another story, one that’d allow them to be exploited for the JXX as well.

If Iran wants to start something in the Gulf, then a little canal like this isn’t going to do a single thing. If they used a pipeline to send oil and gas to a refinery well outside the Gulf, like in Yemen for example, now we’re talking. But this does nothing whatsoever, and that’s probably why it remains a “pipe dream”. In fact, it was probably brought up to make it appear that leaders were trying to protect their country’s resources, getting prices to trend back upwards.

It’s Su-27BM or Su-35. Su-35BM is incorrect. That term was used by Sukhoi in some early marketing materials but they only refer to it as the Su-35 or Su-27BM now. The latter designation will probably be what it is called in RuAF service, complementing the Su-27SM. It was never referred to as an Su-37, that was the T10M-11 prototype with TVC only.

Venezuela? No. They want long-range Russian air defense systems and have just bought the Su-30MKV.

China? No. They are going the domestic upgrade route with the J-11B.

S-300PMU. The top of the FLAP LID engagement radar array is not the proper shape for it to be TOMB STONE, so it cannot be a PMU-1 or -2. Also, it wouldn’t be a PMU-2 as a 36D6 TIN SHIELD is present as well, and the PMU-2 should be using the 96L6E for EW functions instead.

Some reports suggested that the budget for hypersonic projects (unspecified) has more than doubled in Russia since last year. They have also cancelled all cooperation with the EU regarding hypersonic projects (RADUGA D-2, hypersonic engine and the like). The declassifying of the Meteorit has been interpreted by some analysts as a sign that they were near something better. But I doubt that it will be a air-launched system.

I doubt that the unveiling of Meteorit has anything to do with a follow-on project. But the growth of the hypersonics budget is interesting, it most likely has to do with the development and maybe now production of the hypersonic MaRV for the Topol-M.