MKI might get a solid performance buff if India will be interested in new Izd. 177S engines
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MKI is casually on its way to become the best flanker
how ?
They are gonna equip them with AESA while afaik the Russians are sticking to PESA for now even for their Su-35S.
The MKI is compatible with better weaponry as well, you’re never gonna see MBDA missiles on a Russian flanker.
Edit: though I forgot about Chinese flankers, those are getting seriously good so not sure
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Well, if to go into details, both Bars and Irbis are a mix between PESA and AESA technologies
Fair I guess, but not pure AESA yet
Well, for now Irbis is pretty adequate radar. Right now Su-35S take role of mini-AWACS alongside other stuff in Ukraine, after A-50s were withdrawn from frontlines. It also can provide guidance for S-400 and S-350. Unless NATO will start to flood borders with F-35, i don’t think that AESA replacement would be that important.
tbh with we need to look in different aspect, air to air/air to ground weapons:
- su35 and su30sm2 :
4 long range missile
10-8 (12 with no ecm) fox3 (r77-1/r77m),
4 air to surface strike (kh31 or kh35/kh69) or glide bomb ( 3x 1500kg / 6x 500kg ) - su30mki (upgraded)
10-8 fox3 (rvv-sd/astra mk1/derby ER)
(brahmos) idk much about strike but limited only glide bomb (mostly spice bomb/ gaurav)
lack of long range missile
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That is IF Snail decided to add Su-30MKI in according to wet dreams of Indian mains instead of, say, the original
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Which original are you referring to here
Early 2000s ones, I should have put “Early/First batches” instead of “original” I suppose
They should just add both tbh
Btw the first match of MKI was closer to Su-30K than anything, what we call the MKI usually refers to the later batches that are closer to the SM
Yeah, both as UK premiums and you need to buy early to be able to buy late
And they’re like $200
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yeah definetly significantly longer, i wonder how that affects su57, it has a pretty big weapon bay but thats quite long.
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j16 is that
KH-58USHKE mock-ups that were shown recently should be around 4,19 meters long. R-77-1 is 3,71 meters. So there is some room to work with i think
it can definetly carry it im more concerned with ammunition depth.
Well, at least 2 per bay i think. Maybe 3 if there is a way to stack the third like on a launcher patent.
but this one takes R-77-1 length for the missiles.
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Yeah kinda now that I think about it
It has good avionics, good weapons, good engines…