Wow 5 minutes lock on 2 f16s.. thats eternity.. f16 supposed to be having small rcs and nimble v/s huge su30. I think TuAF pilot need more training.
You assume they attempted to break lock, which may be a doubtfull assumption. I would think they were under orders to carry out restraint and not cause an international incident. In which case they behaved admirably for 5 long minutes (because they surely could tell if they were locked onto)
awac will do what awacs do, even russian have got awacs, better in quality and in greater numbers. ask yourself a question, can f16s fight sukhoi 35 or mig35?
Which Russian AWACS specifically is better than E-7A Wedgetail (Australia) aka Boeing 737 AEW&C Peace Eagle (Turkey) aka Peace Eye (South Korea)? Note that these countries are key US allies.
The aircraft uses the Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar. The L-band (1 to 2 GHz) electronically scanned AEW and surveillance radar is located on a dorsal fin on top of the fuselage, dubbed the "top hat", and is designed for minimal aerodynamic effect.
The radar is capable of simultaneous air and sea search, fighter control and area search, with a maximum range of over 600 km (look-up mode). When operating in look-down mode against fighter-sized target, the maximum range is in excess of 370 km. When used against maritime targets, the maximum range is over 240 km for frigate-sized targets.
MESA is capable of simultaneously tracking 180 targets and conducting 24 intercepts. In addition, the radar antenna array is also doubled as an ELINT array, with a maximum range of over 850 km at 9,000 meter altitude.
The 10.8 m long by 3.4 m high antenna assembly incorporates 7.3 m long by 2.7 m high Side-Emitting Electronic Manifold array, with the top hat supporting array providing 120° coverage on port and starboard side, while the top hat array itself provides 60° fore and aft, thus providing a complete 360° coverage. The radar's beam can be set for a 2° to 8° width, while scan duration can be set from 3 s to 40 s. Radar signal processing equipment and central computer are installed directly below the antenna array.
Boeing 737 AEW&C - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia from
Jane's Electronic Mission Aircraft, 2011 Edition
Russia has a TOTAL (for all of Russia) of 16 Beriev A-50, and Il-76 based AEWC aircraft.
Beriev A-50 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The A-50 can control up to 10 fighter aircraft for either air-to-air intercept or air-to-ground attack missions. The A-50 is capable of flying for 4 hours at 1000 km from its base at a maximum takeoff weight of 190 tons. The aircraft can be refuelled by Il-78 tankers. The radar "Vega-M" is designed by MNIIP, Moscow, and produced by NPO Vega. The "Vega-M" is capable of tracking up to 50 targets simultaneously within 230 kilometers. Large targets, like surface ships, can be tracked at a distance of 400 km