Have you looked at the price of a barrel of oil lately?

Still relatively high compared to years ago.

Don’t forget the project has long since been funded.

I eagerly await actual pictures of the test airplane. One picture is worth a thousand internet threads of speculation.

The first pic you will get will likely be the first flight.

The numbers are wrong…

24-36 aircraft make up only 1 regiment, depending on whether it has 2 or 3 squadrons, each with 12 aircraft (usually a regiment has 2 squadrons)

So

2 regiments = 48 aircraft
3 regiments = 72 aircraft

I believe the original quoted number was closer to 72, yes. I can’t find the link on RIA though.

I think where you and Scooter(and pretty much the rest of us) are at issue is over numbers, and how the word interested is being used. According to that article, the RuAF is interested in 24-36 aircraft(which I would say only qualifies as only somewhat interested). I think the point which has been reiterated is that there’s a big difference between that (24-36) figure, and interested in acquiring the aircraft in any sizable quantity, which means that they’re not REAL interested in the aircraft. It’s nowhere near the interest level of say “being interested” in 381 Raptors(or 1760+ Lightnings for that matter).
What you see as pessimism, is what many of us call realism. To say anything other than “we will just have to wait and see what happens” is just pure speculation. It’s painfully obvious that what the RuAF is INTERESTED in is the PAK FA, along with mods on other aircraft.

Russia and American both are not going to acquire 1000 new aircraft of any type anytime soon. No one said the Russians were interested in the Su-35 in massive numbers, they want it – for a stopgap fighter.

echonine, it seems from the article you linked in that the numbers are as follows: 116 new aircraft (presumably fixed-wing) and 156 new helicopters – not the other way around. Even if these figures are incorrect, i.e. if they don’t meet these goals in full, the numbers are a huge step forward for an air force that has been used to a trickle of upgraded aircraft thus far.

Pardon, you are correct. Misread the lines.

Either way, this was the article / info I was referring to previously for re-armament purposes.

I think added on to this, the defense budget also includes new purchases of aircraft – but I’d need a confirm on this.

While 116 new aircraft is good, up to 408 upgraded ones means a lot of the MiG-31 / Su-27 / 24 / 25 aircraft will receive upgrades, as well as the bombers, and perhaps even the transport aircraft which are no less important.

According to your own source………..The RuAF has only requsted 24-36 Su-35’s. Which, as of this moment no funds have been provided by the Russian Goverment??? So, what lies have I posted and what in the article is counter to any of my statements???

Youngman you need to cut back on the medication………….it will be your undoing.:(

Lies that the air force will not acquire any Su-35s. You just don’t know.

Lies that the air force is not interested in any Su-35s. This is clearly wrong as proven just before.

And again, no links from you.

:rolleyes:

Can’t you read your own source??? I especially love the part the RuAF asked the Nation’s Defence Ministry to approve a “worthwhile order”??? Sorry, doesn’t sound like anything has been approved to me!

Russian air force seeks 24-36 Su-35 fighters
By Vladimir Karnozov

[COLOR=”Blue”]The Russian air force has asked the nation’s defence ministry to approve a “worthwhile order” for Sukhoi’s new Su-35, service commander Gen Aleksandr Zelin revealed during the first official presentation of the type in Moscow on 7 July.

Zelin calls for sufficient aircraft to equip “at least two to three regiments”, with this indicating interest in 24-36 examples of the new type. Sukhoi general director Mikhail Pogosyan says the Russian air force is being offered a special version of the aircraft optimised “for-inner-use”, dubbed the Su-27SM2.
© Aleksei Mikheyev [/COLOR]

The air force is only seeking a limited number of Su-35s, despite its offering significantly greater combat effectiveness than the baseline Su-27. “We do not need new aircraft in quantities matching our Su-27 fleet, because the new types have multirole nature,” says Zelin.

[COLOR=”Red”]If approved, deliveries would take place in the 2009-12 timeframe, with the Su-35 to provide an interim solution until the availability of Russia’s fifth-generation PAK FA fighter, which Zelin says is scheduled to fly next year and to become operational in 2013.[/COLOR]

The air force commander also sees the Su-35 as a counter to the US Air Force’s Lockheed Martin F-22. “We have not seen the Raptor in action yet. What we have seen is how Raptor performs at flight displays. I render the Su-35 as not lagging behind in manoeuvrability,” he says.

Sukhoi’s lone Su-35 prototype had by earlier this month completed 22 flights since making its flight debut on 19 February.

Russia’s air force meanwhile expects to receive its first Kazan Ansat training and Mil Mi-28N night attack helicopters later this year, and to field Yakovlev’s Yak-130 advanced jet trainer from 2009, says Zelin. The defence ministry is also preparing a five-year contract with Sukhoi to equip two regiments with Su-34 bombers.

Why are you arguing in circles LOL??

First you tell everyone here BS that they aren’t interested, now apparently, you are suggesting that they aren’t going to approve the contract – with NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER. No one here shares your terribly Russophobic and biased non-sense opinion. :rolleyes: