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To: sukhoi-30mki
Well, I don't think the Russians are purchasing much of anything that they are producing these days, or for that matter since 1991. That goes for their aircraft, their missile systems, their submarines, etc. They inherited a giant legacy military and no money from Soviet times, so they parked everything. Despite all of their huff and bluff and recent cash infusion, I think the Russians are feeling quite secure and don't feel there is any real threat for them to react to.

The issue for the USAF is how to keep up numbers. Even though more F-22s will likely be built, there won't be enough of them. They might have a 15-1 kill ratio against Flankers, but they can't be in 15 places at once. The JSF will be a filler, but the USAF might benefit from having a more affordable utiltiy fighter-attack aircraft in the mix. The

121 posted on 12/24/2007 4:49:55 AM PST by SampleMan
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To: SampleMan
This Douglas AD-6 Skyraider is another American naval aircraft which entered service just after the war ended. Like the Bearcat, both remained in service for a long time and saw considerable action in Vietnam - I even have a photo of a Skyraider captured at the end of that war and incorporated into the communist air force! The Skyraider was certainly a remarkable aircraft, capable of carrying twice the weight of bombs of the early model B-17 Flying Fortresses based at Midway at the time of the Japanese attack. It's even more extraordinary to consider that it could do this with a single engine and single crewman, in contrast to the B-17's four engines and ten crewmen! This particular aircraft is one of the best on the airshow circuit, complete with a simulated bomb and rocket load and a pilot who is ready, willing and able to throw this large aircraft around in one of the most high energy performances you'll see anywhere. The large panel sticking out of the bottom of the Skyraider is a dive brake, which was deployed several times, together with the tail hook.
Personally for the conflicts we have seen like in Iraq it would appear that just a basic aircraft such as this but with modern systems like chaff, flares etc. it would be a potent factor, 1,000 of these would be a lot cheaper than a couple of F-22's.
123 posted on 12/24/2007 4:01:03 PM PST by Eye of Unk
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