After IAF Su30 spanks Typhoons,questions about F-35's ability to fight against Su T-50

After IAF Su30 spanks Typhoons, questions about F-35's ability to fight against Su T-50

 

  Earlier this year a damning report from an F-35 test pilot revealed the troubled $400 billion dollar single-seat stealth fighter was easily outmaneuvered by a two-seat 1980s vintage F-16D combat jet.

   As recently as last week, the success of modern Russian designs appear to have won some vindication when Indian Russian-made Su-30 combat jets went toe-to-toe with British Typhoon fighters in a competitive training exercise: It was a 12-0 clean-sweep victory, in favour of the Indians.

   The T-50 is the latest incarnation of Russian combat jet doctrine.

   It purports to blend stealth with extreme maneuverability, and an extensive suite of sensors and weapons. Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes to have the jets operational by 2020, though an initial order for 50 of the aircraft has since been cut back to just 12.

   The Tu-50 is just one of several new fighter types the F-35 Lightning II may eventually face.

  Despite its advanced sensors and avionics, the fighter’s single engine simply isn’t powerful enough to push the bulky and overweight airframe through the air all that fast — or accelerate it away from danger.

   The F-35’s supporters argued that dogfighting was not what the next-generation stealth fighter was built for:

    “The F-35’s technology is designed to engage, shoot and kill its enemy from long distances, not necessarily in visual ‘dogfighting’ situations,” a Lockheed Martin statement reads.

   “The challenge, chivalry and thrill of ‘guns-only’ dogfighting is clearly of a bygone era,” a 2007 US Air Force article reads.

Detractors, however, point out we’ve heard that argument before — with near disastrous results.

    US Navy jets went into Vietnam without cannons, such was the confidence they had in their ultra-advanced new missiles. Every jet designed and built since then has had them included due to the lessons learnt at the hands of the Russian-build jets the US came up against.

Detractors also argue F-35s long-range, stealth fighting style is also suspect.

   To survive against a T-50, the F-35 must be stealthy. To be stealthy, the F-35 cannot carry any weapons or fuel under its wings. This reduces its capabilities and flexibility considerably.

    Even if the F-35 is able to evade new visual and heat-seeking sensors developed specifically in the past decade to find it, it is totally reliant upon the success of its two air-to-air missiles. These must find — and then hit — targets which are capable of both hiding through stealth and countermeasures while using extreme maneuverability to dodge.

    Once those two missiles are fired, the comparatively slow and sluggish F-35 is entirely dependent on its stealth capability to slink away from the battlefield to refuel and rearm.

And it’s not all that stealthy from behind.

If it’s spotted, the questions remain: Can it run? Can it turn? Can it fight?

 Article first published in news.com.au

Flanker and Typhoon Dogfight Ex Indra Dhanush

Flanker and Typhoon Dogfight Ex Indra Dhanush  

Royal Air Force and Indian Air Force fighter pilots participating in Exercise Indradanush are full of admiration for each other’s capabilities and aircraft.

The two week exercise has seen four Su-30MKI Flanker fighters from 2 Squadron IAF deploy from Northeast India to RAF Coningsby to train with Typhoon FGR4 equipped 3(Fighter) Squadron. The exercise provides a rare opportunity for RAF pilots to test themselves against the fourth generation Russian built fighter.

Over the course of two weeks the complexity of the training sorties is increasing, starting from 1 v 1 dogfight to sorties involving up to 20 fighters.

Wing Commander Chris Moon is Officer Commanding 3(F) Squadron. He said: 

“First impressions of the Flanker are very positive. It is a superb aeroplane and it’s a privilege to operate our Typhoon alongside it. 

“The RAF and IAF both pride ourselves on operating some of the leading edge technical equipment in the world. However without the people to support that we are nothing so that’s where our real strength lies.”

His views were echoed by Squadron Leader Avi Arya, a Qualified Weapons Instructor responsible for training pilots on the radar and weapons systems of the Su-30. He said:

“Both are fourth generation aircraft and so are matched evenly, so the learning value comes from the person to person contact, it’s the man behind the machine which matters. All fighter pilots speak the same language, that’s the common thing we have and it’s very comfortable to learn from each other.”

Speaking shortly after his first encounter with the thrust vector equipped Su-30, Typhoon pilot Flight Lieutenant Mike Highmoor had no doubt about the values of the bilateral exercise:

“This is fantastic. It’s the first time I’ve flown against a Flanker this morning and it’s fascinating to see another air force do its thing in a different aeroplane. Flying against an aircraft which is equally comparable to the Typhoon isn’t something we get to fight against on a regular basis in the UK. It’s very exciting.

“It’s an incredibly impressive fighter but the Typhoon is a good match for it.”

Opposing Flt Lt Highmoor on that first sortie was Squadron Leader Amit Gehani who trained with the RAF in the UK. He said: 

“It’s going well. We’re flying a lot of missions that are proving our air combat missions. We brief on the ground, we go up there, set up the fights and thereafter it’s a free for all.

“The Typhoon is a good aircraft, a very powerful aircraft. The RAF pilots here are really amazing and flying with the Typhoon we’re learning a lot of new lessons from the RAF which we will take back to India. Of course we’re also giving some good points to the Typhoon pilots.”

On training sorties the fighters are being refuelled in mid-air by tanker aircraft from their respective countries operating from RAF Brize Norton. C-130J Hercules aircraft are undertaking joint parachute drops of RAF Regiment and IAF Garud troops while RAF and IAF C-17 crews are also training together. The exercise concludes 31 July.

 Edited by Wg Cdr Dylan Eklund published in Royal Air Force

IAF to take part in Ex Indra Dhanush in UK,Red Flag in US

IAF to take part in Ex Indra Dhanush in UK,Red Flag in US

    The Indian Airforce planning to boost it's capability by performing combat exercises with foreign forces, Indian Air force already have good friends in west where Western and Indian Fighters teaming and study about the possible future threats and know how to thwart such moves.

        It's earlier the Indian Airforce engaged with the American Fighters in India during 2004 for a combat exercise named Cope Thunder, which shows the Indian Fighter Pilots ability by proving score much higher than the American Fighters.

        As per news sources the Indian Air force Planned two series of Exercise one in UK this year another one US in coming year. The Indian and British pilots already engaged in a combat exercise during early 2010, the Indira Dhanush. which was planned between India and Britain, earlier in 2004, 06, and 2010 Indian pilots roared the British skies with British counterparts. after 2010 without any prior notice India didn't involved any air combat exercise with  Britain.

       But it's been confirmed that India will be there in UK for Ex India Dhanush scheduled on July, India Plans to field Su 30 MKI front line fighters with additional support of  IL 78 Mid air refulers, It's suspected that India also fields it's MiG 29 UPG and Phalcon AWACS also.

        Another good news is India once again to take part the world Famous Red Flag exercise, This is the second time India going to part of the exercise, earlier in 2008 India deployed the Su 30 MKI against the American aggressive Squadron flying with F 15, Normally the reports are secret who is winner what is the score like questions, But some leaked information pitched positive views both side,

            Earlier last week IAF Chief visited Neveda Airbase and briefed about the Red Flag exercise and It's importance by US airforce Marshals.

       Within seven years India changed so much, It's the time to show the Indian Air force strength once again in UK and US,

        It's needed to exercise with foreign countries Fighter jets to study lot much about foreign fighting tactics, and threat handling methods, since those exercise can be done only with Friendly Nations. India always get some, earlier this year IAF successfully complete the Garuda Exercise with French.