The limit of Soviet aviation's legacy: is Russia really making progress in fifth-generation fighter jets?
The limit of Soviet aviation's legacy: is Russia really making progress in fifth-generation fighter jets?
The limit of Soviet aviation's legacy: is Russia really making progress in fifth-generation fighter jets?
There is currently much discussion about a possible direct confrontation between Russia and NATO forces. Some believe that Russia has surged ahead thanks to its combat experience and the development o...
A crutch is a crutch is a crutch even if a jet engine is affixed to it.
The Soviet – and now Russian – aviation schools were psychologically unable to abandon super-manoeuvrability. Thrust vectoring, the ability to perform widely publicised advanced aerobatic manoeuvres, and extreme agility at low speeds were, in a sense, a cult – almost part of the Sukhoi's DNA.
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A key issue nevertheless remains the electronic domain, which is directly dependent on the level of development of the semiconductor industry. Since the Su-35 features a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) mode whose resolution roughly corresponds to that of the mechanically scanned radar of an F-15E from 20 years ago, this clearly illustrates the central limitation of Russian radar systems – namely their restricted operating frequency bands.
Also not a very practical crutch either....