The OEPS-29 or 27 is an optical system (IRST). It’s a passive detection and tracking system that is completely separate from the radar nor does it operate whatsoever on radio detection and ranging. The weapons systems that cooperate directly to this system are the R60M, R73, R27T & R27ET.
As for the radar dish…
No, not because it’s outdated, but because it’s obsolete & the Soviet Union was forced to downgrade their developing 4th generation fighters with 3rd generation technology of the 1960’s.
The Soviet Union invested in OEPS because of an inability to produce the radars they actually wanted. They had all the technology to produce top on the line radars (Mig31 is evidence of that) but could not produce them en masse in the 70’s & especially during the economic decline of the Soviet–Afghan War 1979-89 which contributed to the Soviet Union’s demise.
In the development of both the Mig-29 & Su-27 the Soviet Union was forced to resort to taking Sapfir RP-23 ML Radars & modifying them to stand in for the radars they could not produce. The only thing digital was the Ts-100 digital processor that both the Mig29 9-12 & Su27S share. The Mig-29s radar dish is almost identical to the Mig-23ML & the Su-27 was made larger.
Mig-23 RP-23 Sapfir
Mig-29 N019 Rubin
Su-27 N001 Mech
These pictures are not the complete radar. They are CASSEGRAIN radars & require reflectors to operate.
The Radar reflectors are completely fixed in both the Mig-29 & Su-27 that is why there is NO FoV scan modes other than 50x10. The radar is incapable of moving beyond.
in order to direct beams, the entire reflector must move too. That is not happening in the nose of either fighters my guy.
These are the radars in their entirety. Su-27, Mig-29 & Mig-23
The ENTIRE front portion of the radar & its front plate at the tip must move to direct its beams in order to work with your ridiculous theory of radar HMS support.
That is why Cassegrain radar dishes are obsolete. You need the reflectors to operate. That is a giant radar dish you think is moving around to the speed & precision of a human’s line of sight inside of the nose of the Su-27 & Mig29.
There is literally no room for the radar to move. THAT is why there is only one search zone.
This is how they operate & there is no way in hell they are able to move as you think they can.
The plate circled in yellow is the main reflector the horn is fixed & provides the signal. The plate does move to direct signal but needs the secondary reflector in front bolded black to function. The radar can only move so much. Again, that is why there is only single 50 x 10 search in every mode.
The Radar is incapable of pointing in any direction you point your head. It is physically impossible to do so with the radar set up in the Mig-29 & Su-27. The entire front half must point with its reflectors. The radar is not a single plate nor is it capable of precise rapid beam direction like a planar ARRAY radar.
PD HMD mode is entirely fake. Only the SMT is capable in the Soviet tech tree.