No...I understood what you were saying. Your clarification was just a little off base. You said this about the Hokum: " it is the 'best' when it comes to matters of cost effectiveness (the ability to perform the same or similar duties at the same level of efficacy, yet at a cheaper economical or logistical cost)."
The Hokum cannot perform the "same" mission. I pointed out a large part of the Apache mission capability in the previous post.
Similar...maybe, but definitely not the same.
We pay for the extra bang, that is how it works.
"Secondly the fact that Israel and France has been participating in the development and upgrades of the Kamov do not mean it is deficient"
I beg to differ...
I can understand the Israeli changes but the French were definitely trying to "spruce it up".
"And as for your assertion that the Ka-50 is relegated to use by bottom tier countries is not entirely correct
Yes it is correct.
"unless you consider Russia among the dregs when it comes to military power."
I do.
Their quality has never been comparable to their quantity. I understand that they have now learned this lesson and are upgrading but nevertheless...they are second rate.
"However that does not mean the Kamov, Eurocopter tiger, or even the quite impressive South African Rooivalk is suddenly null and void."
You're right it doesnt...
What it makes plain though is an assertion I made in an earlier post...we unveil a great new toy, technologically far greater then anything on scene...and then the rest of the World, especially the Russians hustle to catch up.
It doesnt make them null and void but there showing up twenty years later doesnt make them equals either.
"And the Kamov is not as 'basic' as you imply. The versions in use by the Russians can perform to the same specifications as a LongBow Apache."
No...it cannot...Russians may say it can but it cannot. Again I'd refer you back to my earlier post about the Apaches Mission capabilities.
"i guess that is why some people claim the Russians reverse engineer American military concepts....and sometimes even the actual models in a number of cases"
I'd venture a guess that many people claim the Russians do this based on the fact that they Do it.
Many of their weapon systems are catchups...the Kamov is just another one.
I understand the rumblings about the Comanche...they are the same rumblings heard everytime we are rolling into a new system...[Except stealth becaus it was kept out of sight from the naysayers]...it will be here soon enough.....and ten or fifteen years down the road.....we'll be having this same discussion about the latest Russian knockoff.
~grin~