Daryl Hunt
Your Worst Nightmare
- Banned
- #21
It would obviously make more sense to invest in something that is already in production, despite the fact that it would be older, simply because if it's not finished you don't know what you get.
there is no doubt that the F-35 is more technologically advanced than the SU-57 but the F-35 is heavily controlled and networked into America's favour. buying into the F-35 program, for a country like India wouldn't make sense due to the heavy net-centric nature of the F-35 technology. example: the U.S. air force will know the location of any Indian or foreign F-35 at any given time, its mission parameters, what its radars see, weapons and fuel status... and more importantly limit source code access. in effect, limiting India's ability to conduct sovereign use and upgrade without U.S. consent. something that the Russians would be more flexible about.
India would have more operational control and upgrade options over a Russian product than the F-35. I suspect that the Indians are trying to drive the SU-57 price down and get more independent access rather than abandon the SU-57 program and the billions it has invested up until now.
Nope. There is no way to drive the cost down. Until the engines and avionics it has promised is delivered, it's a turkey. Better to put the money against new fighters like the F-35A or SU-35. But the last thing anyone wants to invest in is anything the Chinese will offer for export. The Chinese have trouble in even getting the things delivered in one piece.
As for the US to be able to track all the F-35s in the world ,so what. It's not like the US will ever square off with the Indians. India as one of the more sane governments in the world. Don't look for the US to offer Pakistan any Lightning IIs anytime soon.
so the price of the F-35 can come down, according to you but the SU-57 can't? that doesn't sound right. operational controlled military hardware, especially for a regional power like India is paramount. spare parts, upgrades and confidentiality are all national issues that transcend the concept of "friends and allies." it wasn't that long ago that Turkey was also firmly in the Western camp. look at how that relationship has quickly soured. now there's rumblings in the U.S. that the F-35 secrets are not entirely safe with their NATO ally. Russian radars that Turkey is buying will be able to monitor and record F-35 electronic and flight signatures and the Russians will know all and who knows what else the Turks will give away to please their new Russian best mates. in fact, will Turkey even want the F-35 that can be grounded at a flick of a switch?
The, using a TV Phrase for Turkey, "No Soup for you Today".
Our own ground Radar is at least equal to the S-500 and it has real problems with both the F-22 and F-35. You will note that the 3 losses of F-35s during Redflag were done in day one of the exercise. They learned fast. Now, Ground and Air Radar have serious problems with the F-35. They know it's out there somewhere. They catch fleeting glimpses of it as it zigs and zags. But not enough to actually lock and fire on it. Then for a brief second or two,, it shows up on their scanned radar. Then it's gone again before they can lock and fire. Unfortunately, the reason it briefly shows up is because it's fired or dropped something. So you shut your system down and move your site as quick as you can hoping that there is enough time. Depending on the guidance system used by the guys with the white hats, you may be hit even when in transit with your system cold. The F-35 practices this and they have gotten very good at it.