Russian Air Force. Photos & Videos & Discussion

[vostok]

New Tu-160

 

[vostok]

More new Tu-160

 

[vostok]

New tanker IL-478 (78M)

 

[The SC]

Su-57 / СУ-57 [PAK-FA] Maiden Flight With The NEW Engine

 

[Gomig-21]

Il-76 Beast.

 

[ejaz007]

 

[vostok]

 

[Gomig-21]

@vostok , great video of the new IL-78M-90A first test flight in Siberia ooops, I mean Russia lol. Look at the brutal weather during this awesome, short video of the test flight and the pilot operating the yolk during takeoff but especially during the landing of this monster, is incredible. I don't know how the flight surfaces don't freeze up more often in these conditions. De-icing must be quite the process at Russian airports.

 

[Gomig-21]

@vostok @Barmaley @ptldM3 what is your opinions of the RuAF sending a pair of Su-57s to Syria? Seems like a lot of people can't understand the logic behind that move.

 

[vostok]

@vostok @Barmaley @ptldM3 what is your opinions of the RuAF sending a pair of Su-57s to Syria? Seems like a lot of people can't understand the logic behind that move.

I have no idea. I think this is stupid.

 

[Gomig-21]

I have no idea. I think this is stupid.

I think everyone is baffled by this move because it just doesn't make any sense whatsoever. Syrian airspace is probably the most active and volatile airspace in the world today. And why expose two of the 11 prototypes to all the available radars in the area? You have unfriendly AWACS, search radars on the ground and from the sea, jet fighters from 3 or 4 different countries flying within their radar range even drones and satellites! Not to mention what I would consider the worst thing to expose them to at this point which would be US SIGINT that the US command would jump on this like dangling candy to a 5-year old! I wouldn't be surprised if US commanders' eyes lit up like a Christmas tree when they found out the 2 birds were either heading or were there and have started all sorts of sneaky intel work, first of which would be firing up a pair of ELINTs to gather everything they can. Very bizarre.

 

[Avicenna]

I think everyone is baffled by this move because it just doesn't make any sense whatsoever. Syrian airspace is probably the most active and volatile airspace in the world today. And why expose two of the 11 prototypes to all the available radars in the area? You have unfriendly AWACS, search radars on the ground and from the sea, jet fighters from 3 or 4 different countries flying within their radar range even drones and satellites! Not to mention what I would consider the worst thing to expose them to at this point which would be US SIGINT that the US command would jump on this like dangling candy to a 5-year old! I wouldn't be surprised if US commanders' eyes lit up like a Christmas tree when they found out the 2 birds were either heading or were there and have started all sorts of sneaky intel work, first of which would be firing up a pair of ELINTs to gather everything they can. Very bizarre.

I’m sure they have their reasons. Hopefully.

 

[Gomig-21]

I’m sure they have their reasons. Hopefully.

The thing is that an event like this deployment to the world's most volatile hotspot that is absolutely saturated with EW, radar, satellites and where the world's other superpower is actually deploying it's version of the world's most advanced air superiority stealth AC in the F-22 and where fighting is engaged between at least 6 or 7 parties including Israeli intel gathering in support of US coop doesn't make any sense at all.

There's not one single person, including all the professional prognosticators, that has been able to come up with a rational explanation or even a compelling one that would at least make you think that it's a possibility.

For those of us who have followed the program and all the publicized testing including all the official releases to date, we have a pretty good idea as to where the aircraft stands and this is not another Su-35 with improved avionics or a new helo that's ok to introduce it into a hostile environment to test it's new features. This is the flagship fighter of the Russian Federation that is supposed to be shrouded with secrecy and supposed to push Russia into the next generation of fighters where it has been a bit behind.

Then you have the severely hostile environment it's being sent to. Syria is the hottest spot in the world ATM. The environment is saturated with the world's most advanced EW and intel gathering sources that it just doesn't make any sense to bring it there in the condition that it's currently in. One can only imagine what the US is doing, if not with its F-22s but with its COMMINT, ELINT and especially SIGINT operations.

Let's say that even if the Russians aren't worried about giving out current signals and properties of the Su-57's signature because it's in a raw state and that the finalized version will be much different and so any information gathered on its current status won't matter is bizarre because then the simple counter to that is why even expose it then? A photo op? Or is it influenced by the J-20 being given the official operational status that it needed a PR boost to counter? Even that doesn't make sense.

 

[Barmaley]

Hypersonic air-to-ground and Anti-ship missile "Kinzhal" for the Mig-31BM.

 

[Avicenna]

The thing is that an event like this deployment to the world's most volatile hotspot that is absolutely saturated with EW, radar, satellites and where the world's other superpower is actually deploying it's version of the world's most advanced air superiority stealth AC in the F-22 and where fighting is engaged between at least 6 or 7 parties including Israeli intel gathering in support of US coop doesn't make any sense at all.

There's not one single person, including all the professional prognosticators, that has been able to come up with a rational explanation or even a compelling one that would at least make you think that it's a possibility.

For those of us who have followed the program and all the publicized testing including all the official releases to date, we have a pretty good idea as to where the aircraft stands and this is not another Su-35 with improved avionics or a new helo that's ok to introduce it into a hostile environment to test it's new features. This is the flagship fighter of the Russian Federation that is supposed to be shrouded with secrecy and supposed to push Russia into the next generation of fighters where it has been a bit behind.

Then you have the severely hostile environment it's being sent to. Syria is the hottest spot in the world ATM. The environment is saturated with the world's most advanced EW and intel gathering sources that it just doesn't make any sense to bring it there in the condition that it's currently in. One can only imagine what the US is doing, if not with its F-22s but with its COMMINT, ELINT and especially SIGINT operations.

Let's say that even if the Russians aren't worried about giving out current signals and properties of the Su-57's signature because it's in a raw state and that the finalized version will be much different and so any information gathered on its current status won't matter is bizarre because then the simple counter to that is why even expose it then? A photo op? Or is it influenced by the J-20 being given the official operational status that it needed a PR boost to counter? Even that doesn't make sense.

Given Putin's latest pronouncements about nuclear powered ICBMs and the other bombastic statements he is putting out, likely this deployment was for domestic PR rather than any overt or covert tactical reasons.