Russia’s Legendary Su-27 Fighter Jet Still Second to None in Close Air Combat

Sputnik ^ | 20.05.2017

[sukhoi-30mki]

More pix/media at link

[traderrob6]

Kinda partial to Russia eh?

[TexasGator]

1992?

[Telepathic Intruder]

I saw a group of these flying suspiciously over voting booths in November. One of them dropped something; I think it was a ballot.

[nathanbedford]

It seems to me that the operative phrase appears that the headline: "in Close Air Combat."

Please correct me if I am wrong because I do not claim any special knowledge in this area, but I understand that United States doctrine is to destroy these planes before the American platforms come within range. Therefore, the relevant question is, do they have enough of them to swarm our long-range defense weapons?

I am mindful of the idea that one of the reasons why the Soviet tanks of World War II are regarded to be among the most effective ever made is that they were so easily manufactured that they could swarm the individually superior German Tiger tanks. One is prompted to inquire whether that sort of thinking has been applied by the Russians to the SU-27 fighter jet?

[slapshot]

I believe the F-15 which is something like 125-0 in air to air since 1980 has reduced several SU 27s to airborne scrap metal ( Israel vs Syria, US vs Iraq)

[sukhoi-30mki]

Well, look at all the articles I post and then decide.

[traderrob6]

Kinda was more looking at your screename.

[sukhoi-30mki]

Russia left the swarming business after the fall of the Soviet Union. They don’t have enough SU-27s and its derivatives for that kind of role.

The main advantage of the SU-27 was that its large size and range made it useful for operations over Russia.

[sukhoi-30mki]

That would be Mig-29s. Syria and Iraq never operated SU-27s.

[Bulwyf]

You’d be correct, the quality of the pilot matters too, but the f-15 is a great fighter.

I like the flanker too, she’s a good looking bird.

[FreedomPoster]

The real advantage the F-15 has over the Su-27 in an all out war situation is something called the E-3. When you can stay in EMCON mode and a plane 100 miles back is lighting up the adversary and feeding you targeting information, that’s quite an advantage.

[nathanbedford]

You bring up the issue of range.

I have been given to understand that American assets, especially carrier-based planes, are suffering increasingly from decreased range which poses a problem of making the carriers vulnerable because they must draw in closer. Do you have any insight?

Am I correct in my original presumption that we should be able to destroy the Soviet planes from afar and need not worry about being swarmed, except as chance might have it on a local basis?

[nathanbedford]

I would assume that the American planes must have standoff capability even without the EMCON advantage?

If that is not so, why would we build a plane inferior to the Russian version for close in combat?

[Nifster]

Where do you live? Why do you have such an affinity for our enemy?

[Snickering Hound]

That would be Mig-29s. Syria and Iraq never operated SU-27s.

Yup, but after all these decades, the Mig 29 has never had a confirmed kill of a Western combat aircraft, neither has the more rare Su-27.

[Blueflag]

conformal external tanks on the several f-18 variants have helped a lot, although obviously degrading performance.

no matter where you carry fuel, it’s heavy, and affects ypur performance.

[Blueflag]

better answer: https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/f-18.htm

the long term response is the E/F variant.

[Blueflag]

better answer: https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/f-18.htm

the long term response is the E/F variant.

[xrmusn]

This may or may not be the case and I hope we never have to prove which/who is superior but I do remember long about the retaking of Kuwait when the MSM were berating us for even thinking of an attack or ‘hand to hand’ with a SUPERIOR Iraqi Army who had battle hardened troops to go along with the EVER POWERFUL Republican Guard which was advertised to be a combination of Superman, Batman, UDT, SEALs, and all the ‘Special Forces’ of the world.

Yes, the same Republican Guard that surrendered to reporters, threw down their weapons when confronted and ‘we’ covered the distance from Kuwait to Baghdad so fast the ‘powers’ that be didn’t have enough time to slow down ‘Stormin Norman’ and his invading forces.

The vaunted Iraqi forces were stymied by the Marines who never got to play ‘Away All Boats’.

We never seem to learn (Or the people who think ‘WE’ are a bunch of whining pansies)....