the west is only interested in who is useful to them now. (either with us or agaisnt us).

You’re right, Garry, it must have slipped my mind that Russia’s motives and actions are purely humanitarian. Misunderstood and misjudged, the gentle Bear.

I think perhaps the answer to your question depends on what the Russians do over the next few years. There’s no question that while Russia is still a generally friendly nation to the West, Putin has gradually turned down the temperature, so to speak. The major sticking point now (in my opinion) is that Russia continues to openly sell modern weapons to nations that are hostile to Western interests. Russia has that right, of course, but that makes it politically unpleasant for Western nations to do business with them as far as weaponry.

And now, we hear of a new arms buildup on the part of the Russians. Again, nothing inherently wrong with that. But depending on whether or not this increase in military strength is combined with a more confrontational attitude toward the West…I think that will ultimately determine the future for Russian aircraft in the Western market.

Just my opinion – I could be way off base.

i did answer you question, what hapens is you want to hear that the US always tells the truth.

No, you did not answer the question, you redirected the conversation, which seems to happen quite often.

I’m not denying that it is within the realm of possibility that a MiG-25 could shoot down an F-15.

Let’s try my question to you one more time:

You claim that a Syrian MiG-25 shot down an Israeli F-15, and that Western sources are just denying it. My question was, if Western sources have admitted that a MiG-25 shot down an F/A-18, then why would they deny that one shot down an F-15?

If you have a (direct) answer for that, I’d love to hear it. But I suspect you don’t have one.

The truth is, Western sources don’t acknowledge this Russian claim simply because there is ZERO evidence to support it.

Western sources confirmed that a MiG-25 shot down an F/A-18 in 1991. Why, then, would they not confirm an F-15 being shot down? If there is evidence to support it, that is. ]

What i am saying Meat is undoutedly sometimes Russian and American sources admit losses but also they have different accounts, of course you might think Russian sources are les credible, to tell you the truth i think you can not have the idea always only one side tells the thuth, personaly i believe kills are very difficult to prove except when you have video footage or several pictures of a kill beyond that wreckages prove you kills but many times these can be called accidents so i feel the Israeli account has proven some facts but up to now i think both sides more less have shown me pictures proving losses they inflicted on their rivals

Nice pictures, but would you mind answering my question, please?

That F-15 kill undoutedly is not confirm by western sources that usually never consider truthful Russian claims.

Western sources confirmed that a MiG-25 shot down an F/A-18 in 1991. Why, then, would they not confirm an F-15 being shot down? If there is evidence to support it, that is.

presence of Foxbats effectively prevented recce overflights over Soviet territory, be it with U-2 or SR-71. That is all that really matters, mission accomplished, what is here left to discuss?

Well, we can discuss the fact that this statement is complete BS. The presidential directive from Eisenhower in 1960 after the U-2 shootdown is what prevented overflights of Soviet territory. The decision not to overfly the USSR was made long before the Foxbat or Foxhound were on the scene. And as SOC has said repeatedly, Blackbirds regularly flew well within the interception range of the -25 and -31, even into visual contact at least once, so the idea that Blackbird pilots were intimidated by these interceptors is absurd. Did they respect them? Of course. Were they afraid of them? The record shows they weren’t.

The Russians claimed an F-15 killed by a MiG-25 in the same way the first MiG-25 was shot down.

The Russians can claim it all they want, but every reputable source verifies the fact that no F-15 has ever been lost air-to-air.

The Russians are not lagging behind as you are saying with respect the west, modern russian aviation has avionics made in Russia that do not yield to western equipment, in fighter technology the Su-34, MiG-31 and Kamov Ka-50 have little competition.

I was wondering how long it would be before you spoke up.