Wonder what gave you the impression that F 16 are stealth fighter jets
Aggressiveness is a fundamental requirement of air combat, and the IAF has traditionally been an attack orientated force. For instance, on December 3, 1971 in response to Pakistan Air Force (PAF) raids on 11 Indian airbases, the IAF responded with initial air strikes the same night, which were expanded to massive retaliatory air strikes the next morning.
The exercise was aimed at testing the IAF’s capability for a two-front war against China and Pakistan, by deploying “swing forces” from the western theatre right across to the east.
As part of the war games, Sukhoi-30MKIs flew 1800 km bombing missions from Chabua in Assam to the western front, with mid-air refuelling. This is possible because the Sukhoi has a range of 4.5 hours on internal fuel, and IAF pilots are known to lead missions over 10 hours. And you are patronising about light 3.5 generation fighter with single engine against Asia's most feared Su30 MKI . Even with latest su 35 they have ordered 50 some MKI as Russian variant SM .
Your so called super stealth F16 has more RCS than F18 . In clean configuration if am not wrong RCS of F16 is around 4-5 m2 . MKI are armed withery powerful PSEA radar which can detect upto 400 km and track more
than 8 threats from 350 kms
And some in US believed Time of dog fighter is over . But against Russian versatile
God bless America and F16 and JF 17 of PaF
1) Where did you read me saying that -16's are stealth? My post was mere mocking the silly article, hope you got the sarcasm out of it. I know the -16 A LOT more than you do. So I know how unstealthy it is.
2) Aggression is not usually a "retaliatory" action. Its the first one. So the big "retaliatory" strikes don't mean it was the aggressiveness, as you own post suggest. Those were "a response" to the actual aggression. Plus, its very easy to send BIG retaliatory strikes to an enemy SEVEN times smaller than you. Try doing that to the Chinese or a country your side.
Interesting part is, the SEVEN times smaller country has got you SO obsessed with them that I find it rather interesting!!
3) The "two front war" is a pipe dream. I can assure you of that. The only nation that has that capability is the US. Even Russia will reach her threshold if it was to go to war with a couple of Central Russian States, the EU at the same time (keeping the US out of it, just for simple comparisons). The Russians, for the next three years, are ONLY good to act like a big bear and fly their bombers across. For "actual" war....there is billions of dollars required and a force ready to go. Neither of which Russia has or can afford right now!!
4) Those 400 jet big exercises were to appease the Hindu nationalists about the soup-o-paowah India. Nothing more. In reality, the Chinese alone will field over 400 jets at a time in case of a way, and Pakistan I think, has about 300-400 battle ready jets like the Israelis. So not sure how "Swing" roles can 400 jets do while facing serious attrition.
You are talking like the 400 jets will go attack one place and without any loss, they'll go to the next war zone. Its a story like Kids in the Zoo going from animal to animal for fun.
5) The mighty SU-30's case.....well, in Pakistan and India's case, how do you track an F-16 (or multiple) from 300-400 miles away due to the supa-dupa radar of the SU, when the planes aren't even airborne???
Both the SU and the -16 will see each other within 100-140 KM range as when the SU's are detected, the -16's are scrambled. I heard the SU was taking an Indian astronaut to the moon too, let alone scrambling them on a UFO. You guys are too advanced for the world. You can keep these macho stories to yourself, no one on here is impressed with childish comments, irrelevant to the post.
6) Thrust vector...what do you want me to tell you about that? I am hating to destroy your little imagination. But here, the TV is ONLY good for one maneuver. For example, one missile chasing after the SU, the SU does cobra maneuver and say loses the lock. But for the next 15 seconds (which is too long in jet fights), the mighty SU is literally like a Duck sitting in a Pond. The SU would've bled all the energy and would be picking it back up and would be unable to do any serious maneuvers. With 4-6 BVR missiles, drop tanks or heavier loads....take the recovery time to 25-30 seconds.
And this gap is the best time to use AIM-9X or Guns after the SU pulls Cobra, you then pull a Sidewinder, end of the show. Too much for TV.
The US military has pioneered pretty much all military technologies. There was a reason they didn't really care for TV as much.
Last, in Russia's case and dog fights....the US war machine is right. The Dog fight era is over. The US strategy is take out majority of the enemy's air defense and fighters before the actual combat even starts, and enforce Air Dominance, if not total Air Supremacy.
The -22 can each take out half the squadron of jets, even if you divided than number by half, a few -22's can take down a couple of squadrons of enemy's top end jets, like the SU-30's and all. IMO, 25 -22's should be able to take out about 4-5 enemy planes at the minimal, that's over 100 enemy jets taken out, without them knowing what hit them and from where!!!