US Combat pilots always talk combat loads by default, not airshow loads.

:rolleyes:
So the Raptor is more maneuverable “combat loaded” than any SU out there ?

Show me the raw data and I will believe it.

Not too useful in a stealth vs stealth situation if it’s not in use all the time.

98% of the worlds fighter aircraft are not stealth.

Another urban myth floating around is the claim that the IRST housing compromises stealth

“The IRST housing is turned backwards when not in use, and its rear is treated with radar-absorbent material (RAM) to reduce its radar return. “

Oddly enough I don’t see anything in the agreement that allows Russian forces to blockade Ukrainian forces in their garrisons, or cut off all access to Crimea in order to organize a sham referendum without even the most basic of protection in place. Maybe it is in the fine print?

Basically if I understand what you are asserting, you think US forces in Germany would be allowed to seize some part of German territory so long as they don’t exceed the agreed upon manning levels… idiocy.

You clearly do not have the basic knowledge of the region to make any informed statements on the situation. But I will reply anyway.

The US installed government in Kiev dissolved the Crimean Parliament. This was a hostile act and completely voids all of the treaties and checks and balances that Crimea had with Russia, the Ukraine and the international community.

Forget the fact that no blood was spilled through the whole ordeal and most local soldiers in Crimea voted to join Russia. Did you really expect Russia to stand by and watch a US funded rebel group seize Russia’s only warm water port and all of the assets therein ?

What did the English do when that happened in the Falklands ?

Washington “annexed” California in 1846. Now imagine a Russian funded coup toppled the Mexican govt and then the coup govt did not recognize the California annexation and sent an armed militia to seize the Navy base of San Diago ? And all of its assets ? Give. Your. Head. A. Shake.

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Plenty of places, including every US state have autonomy and their own parliament/legislature and constitution. That doesn’t mean neighboring states can invade them in the dead of the night and organize sham referendums.

Sigh..

Russia had legal right to be there and never exceeded its 25,000 troop as per :

Kharkiv Pact – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kharkiv_Pact
The Agreement between Ukraine and Russia on the Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine, widely referred to as the Kharkiv Pact (Ukrainian: Харківський пакт) or Kharkiv Accords (Russian: Харьковские соглашения), a treaty between Ukraine and Russia whereby the Russian lease on naval facilities in Crimea ..

Then, the Parliament of Crimea , invoked its right to self determination. A vote was cast and they elected to re-join Russia.

Self-determination
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The right of nations to self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international law (commonly regarded as a jus cogens rule), binding, as such, on the United Nations as authoritative interpretation of the Charter’s norms.[1][2] It states that nations, based on respect for the principle of equal rights and fair equality of opportunity, have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no interference.

But if you want to see what a real land grab looks like, look at the US and Cuba. Which can be seen in the link on the top of the page.

Thank goodness the US economy does not rely on Manufacturing. As for the global recession- ahem see above post. The truth hurts.

When the US was the richest country in the world, with the highest wages and highest standard of living, it was the worlds biggest exporter. You export to pay for imports. You export to acquire money to buy more assets. You export so that you can be a creditor. Not a debtor.

You have been brainwashed by socialist Keynesian economic theory which is so prevalent in the west to justify its bad standing in the world. Its debt. Its stagnant wages. Its gap between rich and poor.

No manufacturing yee haw pass me that Orwellian Kool Aid

I know this is just a troll post, but there is a serious topic beneath it.

In the long-term, as the smaller power, Russia’s readiness to acquire Chinese hardware will be constrained by the imperative to maintain its own R&D and manufacturing base. That does not mean that direct acquisition or licensed manufacturing of Chinese platforms is impossible, only that opportunities to do so while preserving Russian interests will be limited. I think the best prospects for genuinely cooperative development and manufacturing are highly specialised platforms with limited production and export prospects, such as a super-heavy airlifter to replace An-124.

Heh. No. There is not.

Russia has been and always will be a clear step above China in Aviation. Any suggestion otherwise is just pure folly.

There is a reason why China purchased a Russian designed aircraft carrier. There is a reason why the J 20 is a copy of the Mig 1.44. Yet people want to use this thread to mock Russian aviation and claim that China is ahead of Russia in aviation.

It depends how stealthy the T-50 is.

I doubt it’s going to be as stealthy as an F-22, however it might not need to be in order to give F-22s allot of trouble; although honestly i would worry more about J-20s, since there might be more than a couple of squadrons of those ;).

Depends on how many engines Russia feels like selling them