F-22 is currently the only fifth-generation aircraft and the most expensive fighter currently in service in the world.
The Pentagon recognized the superiority of Russian fighters
The US military shocked Moscow with its confessions, replicated by the media, that Russian-made airplanes are much better than those made in the USA. What is the reason for such flattering confessions for Moscow?
It all began with the publication in USA Today of an interview with American General Hal Homburg. He spoke about the successes of the Indian Air Force, which had achieved a resounding success in air combat training against American F-15C / D "Eagle" aircraft. The Indians "fought" on Russian-made Su-30MKI multi-purpose fighters and won almost 90% of all air battles.
“We are not so much ahead of the rest of the world, as we would like to think,” the newspaper quoted the words of the general in charge of the Air Combat Command service of the US Air Force. Airplanes have become a truly "sobering shower" for many Air Force officials. "
Then about the "Russian victory" told the US Air Force bulletin "Inside Air Force". He cited even more shocking data for Americans. It turned out that not only Su-15MKI, but also MiG-30, MiG-27 and even "old" MiG-29 "Bison", who also showed themselves beyond all praise, fought against the F-21C / D "Eagle". They won not only the American Orlov, but also the French Mirage-2000. The American website Washington ProFile called the success of Russian cars a “complete surprise” for American pilots.
Russian military specialists and aviation the designers of the victory of domestic combat vehicles over the American F-15 were not surprised. General Designer of the Sukhoi Design Bureau Mikhail Simonov has repeatedly told, including to the military observer of RIA “News”That the Su-27“ Flanker ”fighter, as it is called in NATO and the further development of which is the“ Indian ”Su-30MKI, was specially created in the eighties of the last century precisely to fight the F-15“ Eagle ”. And in his tactical and technical characteristics in advance were laid combat advantages over the opponent. And the fact that fighters of this class correspond to their purpose, there is nothing new for experts.
Another was a surprise - the official and public recognition of this fact by the high American military ranks. Moreover, it was surprising that this recognition was four months late.
Aerial training battles between the Indian Su-30MKI and the American F-15C / D "Eagle" took place in February at the US Air Force base in Elmendorf (Alaska). At that time, the victory of the Russian aircraft (they won three of the “battles” of four) for some reason did not spread. Like many other similar facts.
For the first time, Russian fighters won training air battles from Americans in the early nineties, when domestic “Su” and “MiGs” just started to take part in international aviation exhibitions and air shows abroad. Then several Su-27 fighters under the leadership of the world-famous now (President Vladimir Putin flew to Chechnya on the Spark - combat trainer) head of the Lipetsk Center for retraining of Russian Air Force pilots Major General Alexander Kharchevsky flew to Canada to demonstrate the capabilities Russian combat aircraft.
There were no combat missiles and shells aboard Russian and American aircraft — they were replaced by film, loaded into photo cannons. And what a disappointment befell the American pilots when it was manifested. There were practically no “tracks” from Russian Su-27 on their films. And on the Russian one, the F-15 showed off in all forms - “rear view”, “side view”, “top view”, that is, all of the most vulnerable for missiles and shells of the plane of the aircraft were visible there.
The source of such success of domestic fighters, of course, was not the “rate of fire” of on-board cinema equipment, but the high maneuverability of the Su-27 and their thrust-to-weight ratio. With these unsurpassed combat capabilities of our machines today, the entire flying world is familiar - the “Pugachev Cobra”, like other unique aerobatics, is not capable of making any other planes other than Russian ones. Not only with the “Su” brand, but also “MiG”.
While the F-15, as, indeed, their “congeners” F-16 and F-18, are deployed on the target, “hooking” half the sky with their wings, Russian planes are spinning around their tail and, having slightly added afterburner, they are easily left behind. needle ”, then in its lateral plane, then above it. From this position without a miss, it is very easy to strike a “fatal blow”.
After Canada in the mid-nineties, similar air battles were organized for Russian MiG-29 in South Africa. There, they were “fought” against the F-15C / D “Eagle”, but the French “Mirage-2000”. However, the result was the same.
“If our plane approached the enemy at a direct shot distance,” says Arkady Slobodskaya, Chief Designer-Director of the MiG-29 program and its modifications, “we can assume that the enemy has been destroyed. All 5-6 bursts are enough for this. ”
Americans are well aware of these fighting qualities of Russian combat vehicles. They even bought from Moldova when, like other former republics of the USSR, it became an independent squadron MiG-29K, which was stationed at a military airfield near Chisinau. They repaired them with the help of German specialists, who received the MiG-29 from the GDR army, and now use their pilots for training, teach them to fight and win "Russian fighters", which are more than seven thousand "pieces" in different countries of the world. Only in India, according to the British The Military Balance, over five hundred. And there is nothing surprising that Indian pilots, despite the intensive training of American pilots, are still fairly easy for them to win in air battles. Unique military equipment, multiplied by the skill of the pilots, does its job.
But on the other hand, experts also say that American pilots have not met with a serious opponent in real air battles in a conversation with journalists. Do not take such battles of the late nineties over the Balkans as such, where the USAF took not so much quality as a massive quantity. The same can be said about the first and second Iraqi campaigns, where air confrontation simply did not exist as such. Where to gain combat experience? Only in training battles.
The inveterate army psychology does not allow "war" with Russian pilots, they suddenly lose again, then try to prove to the pilot that he can and must win the "former probable enemy." There is no such problem with Indians. Well, lost and lost, so poorly trained.
But why should the Americans blow their own blunders to the whole world? This is not accepted in the military environment. Neither they nor, by the way, we have.
The explanation of such frankness of the American generals is easy enough to find if you remember why they suddenly started talking about the events of February in June. Just at this time in the US Congress discusses the provision for defense for the next fiscal year.