Indias Ministry of Defense, had this to say about the initial RAF-IAF 2007 clashes, and adds some words of wisdom:
The operational part of the Exercise Indradhanush-2007 began with a series of 1 vs 1 air combat sorties
The RAF pilots were candid in their admission of the Su-30 MKIs observed superior maneuvering in the air, just as they had studied, prepared and anticipated. The IAF pilots on their part were also visibly impressed by the Typhoons agility in the air.
While it does not imply to say that the 1 vs 1 air combat sorties were meant for backslapping each other, it may be understood that in todays aerial combat scenarios of beyond visual range (BVR) capabilities of air platforms, it is highly unlikely that any of the modern-day fighters will ever get into a situation that warrants extreme close air combat, as in the situation simulated in the 1 vs 1 sorties. With a kill criterion of front-gun ranges being mostly under 1000 meters and a visual tracking envelope behind the target for only up to a 60-degree cone mostly for most fighter aircraft of the world, the unlikely scenario gets more exemplified.
But the irony also lies in the fact that while there is a number of counter and counter-counter measures to make the modern missiles with claims of inescapable parameters redundant by using chaff and other active/passive measures, a gun kill is invariably a most certain kill. The pilots invariably begin honing their tracking and combat skills under such close combat situations.
This is true. Even in the modern missile age, most air-to-air kills have remained within visual range. As such, performance within the parameters of this initial matchup still matters.
At short missile ranges, both aircraft are equipped with canards for fast slew and point maneuvers, infrared search & track systems, helmet-mounted sights, and ultra-maneuverable short-range infrared missiles (ASRAAM, AA-11/R-73) with wide boresight seeker cones. This creates more forgiving parameters for a kill than the front gun range requirements; the SU-30MKIs superior maneuverability would have to contend with UK Typhoon flight profiles enabled by ASRAAMs longer range and lock-on after launch capability.
In longer-range combat situations, however, issues of detection and reach would also come into play. The Eurofighter is smaller, and is generally agreed to have more shaping than the SU-30 to reduce its radar profile (though neither aircraft is in the same class as the F-22A Raptor or even the less-stealthy F-35 Lightning II); and its Meteor ramjet BVRAAM missile is explicitly designed to kill from longer range than the Russian AA-12/R-77. Speed can compensate to some degree by reducing detection time and extending missile range, especially in HVA busting missions against tankers, AWACS aircraft, et. al.
Unlike the American F-22A, however, the Typhoons supercruise capability for sustained speed above Mach 1 apparently relies on the aircraft being clean (no external stores), while the SU-30 currently lacks that capability until and unless plans for an uprated engine come to fruition.
Exercise Indra Dhanush 2007 came to an end on July 12/07, reaching its crescendo with a 6 vs. 6 aerial combat involving 4 Indian Su-30 MKIs, 4 British F3 Tornado air defence variants, 2 British Typhoons, and 2 of the Royal Navys GR9 Harriers. An Indian IL-78 MKI aerial tanker and a British E-3D Sentry AWACS aircraft were also in the air. No details were released regarding the results, but were sure they made for very interesting debriefs.