That is so true .......so very true!
Air battles are won by those who have information grids that allow military assets in the air and on the ground to correspond with each other in realtime, and to launch strike options at any opposing force.
That is the reason nothing can stand up to the USAF currently and in the future. With things like AWACS slaved to F-15s any enemy aircraft is bound to become a flaming ball of flame in seconds flat. And with the future introduction of the F-22 Raptor this advantage will only be enhanced ensuring American air domination for decades to come (since the Raptor will possess a formidable communication grid linking up several fighters into a cohesive combat unit).
Thus no matter how maneuvrable and effective Russian aircraft like the SU-33MKI and the advanced MIG-29M2 are they would still be fodder for 15 year old USAF F-15s with help from AWACS! Information and communicationt echnology is the key here. Which is why we swatted those Iraqi Mig-29 Fulcrums from the sky like they were flies!
However in India versus Pakistan the Indian SU-30MKIs have better capabilties than the Pakistani F-16As, plus possess a better communication, radar, and weapon payload than the Pakistani Falcons. If a war broke out between the two it would be a slaughter (and myopic individuals could say it 'shows' Russian Sukhis are better than F-16s when the ACTUAL fact is that the win was due to the SU-30s having all their combat ability and efficient radar while the F-16As sold to Pakistan had most of their high tech removed before being handed over by the US to Pakistan).
In essence the thing that makes the USAF win aerial battles is a mix of great aircraft, efficient pilot training, sheer numbers, PLUS the proliferation of communication and tactical targeting capabilities that allow an AWACS to tell an USAF F-16 (obviously not the Pakistani model) where to fire its Sparrow long before the firing aircraft has even acquired the target.
In the coming decades information will have the ability to kill the enemy, literally!
From first strike tactical in Nuclear theatre warfare..to battlegroup disruption..Air,Land and Sea.
Here the Russians do play..and should not be taken lightly.
Unless hardened...complex computer suites go quickly into stupid mode.
Tom Clancy has written some good stuff in this area...I'm sure he's heard wispers from corridors deep inside places we never will get..and hints to us of what could happen should Russian and U.S. technology square off on a large scale.
Both countries probably desire to keep their cards close to their chests ...open testing can be detected by satillite.
Both probably game out on computer..but one day EMP phasing will appear on a battlefield somewhere.
It has been hinted that Israel plans to go this route should Egypt feild her M1A1 Abrams and mobile MLRS's.
Simply shut them off.
Russia has some smart engineers and designers...being left behind does tend to drive creativity and imagination to catch up.