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Russia's Stealth Fighter Could Match U.S. Jets, Analyst Says | Danger Room | Wired.com

Far superior in almost every way to anything america can put on the table. Although the article stands to be corrected in one respect; it states the plane is still in prototype stage - which in fact it passed a while back. The planes are already fully operational and have been spotted numerous times. One had a freindly encounter last week with two american jet fighters

Meanwhile what the Pentagon has refered to as the last american fighter to be produced - still running into massive problems, especially the vertical take-off variation.

So Russia wins at a fraction of the cost, again.

Two more jet fighter from Russia also in the works, will most likely be publicly presented early next year.

[Jasvox]

After having actually read the article, I am not worried.

Jason

[glennbp]

After having actually read the article, I am not worried.

Jason

You should be! Take it from a 30 year US Navy veteran that visited Russia and walked through Checkpoint Charlie more than once. As long as we have dangerously incompetent people in charge of our government that refuse to see the threats we face, we are all at huge risk.

[JinDesu]

Far superior in almost every way to anything america can put on the table.

The above statement is quite the over exaggeration, if the article is our only source of comparison. So it's mildly more agile, has a longer fuel range, and is more stealthy to the specific radar we use.

But the article doesn't tell me anything about the computing systems (FA-22's forte), speed, adaptability (FA-35's forte), etc.

[D0n]

when it comes to a fight the better specs don't always win... some times it's the cheaper planes that win... here's how...
say you got the worlds first six shot revolver.... on specs the best gun ever made... then you find yourself in a gunfight with seven guys that got cheap but accurate single shot hand guns.... you're screwed....

[normhead]

As long as we have dangerously incompetent people in charge of our government that refuse to see the threats we face, we are all at huge risk.

Do I really need to say anything?

You guys do know the game played by the US contractors. They regularly pass technological information to the Russians to enable them to "surpass" us in some aspect of military technology so that the government will have to invest in a new round of military upgrades, making them billions. During WWI half of American companies never stopped trading with the Germans. This is all a show designed to separate you from your dollars.

[Clavius]

You should be! Take it from a 30 year US Navy veteran that visited Russia and walked through Checkpoint Charlie more than once. As long as we have dangerously incompetent people in charge of our government that refuse to see the threats we face, we are all at huge risk.

This may be a new concept to some here but: The fact that Russia has superior military gear, doesn't automatically mean they're going to use it against the US.

What are you afraid of?

[Parallax]

Still using that lower case a for America, eh MFP?. Seems you you feel the same way about America (or as you call it, america) as I do about unions

[jeffkrol]

apparently Russia is following Mittens "economic stimulus" plan...............

[Jasvox]

You should be! Take it from a 30 year US Navy veteran that visited Russia and walked through Checkpoint Charlie more than once. As long as we have dangerously incompetent people in charge of our government that refuse to see the threats we face, we are all at huge risk.

Been to Russia several times and through Checkpoint Charlie myself...not sure what that has to do with anything? 22 years have passed since the cold war thawed out.

Jason

[normhead]

This may be a new concept to some here but: The fact that Russia has superior military gear, doesn't automatically mean they're going to use it against the US.

What are you afraid of?

it's much more likely the US and Russia will be allied against China. Russia has a long and frequently disputed border with China, and China has enough US money to buy the whole country at market value and try and kick the Americans out.

[Ratmagiclady]

I'm not too alarmed, there: mind you, I really don't know what direction the Russians might be headed as regards their disposition toward the West or any of our allies, but I'm having a bit of trouble imagining where our top ground-based air superiority fighters might be expected to mix it up with each other. What are they going to do, invade Poland? India?

Am I forgetting or not-seeing something here? (I could see some potential scraps over the melting Arctic and all, but who knows how those birds would perform up there anyway: fly in with tankers, do something else. It's almost literally terra incognita if someone wanted to have a major conflict up there.)

I mean, you never know what could happen, but I'm having trouble seeing a scenario where it's our best vs their best to begin with, ...it's not like we're looking at an invasion of Western Europe or something, that I can see. Simple fact is, Bush pretty much spent our major-ground-conflict capacity for a while, anyway.

I think the reason some in the military are calling the latest craft our 'last x and such kind of fighter' is because they think we're likely to be going to remotely-operated craft next, anyway. Whether that's true or not, that's what I've heard that way.

[Parallax]

I think the reason some in the military are calling the latest craft our 'last x and such kind of fighter' is because they think we're likely to be going to remotely-operated craft next, anyway. Whether that's true or not, that's what I've heard that way.

I think you're right. There's a reason that the military hasn't contracted for, or put any R&D money into, trebuchets, long bows, or horse-drawn caissons.
Time marches on.

[JinDesu]

I think you're right. There's a reason that the military hasn't contracted for, or put any R&D money into, trebuchets, long bows, or horse-drawn caissons.
Time marches on.

But Romney would have loved that~

[rawr]

I've been following the Russian PAK-FA program for a while.

There is no need for alarm about the Russian PAK-FA program. There are only three PAK-FA prototypes flying, with another soon to take to the air. Everything is still under heavy test and development - eg not a single flying example has even had any radar absorbent coating put on its airframe yet, and it is not clear yet if #3 or the latest airframe #4 even have a radar installed. So it certainly isn't going to be sooner than 2017 before you see the first serial production jets flying, let alone the first operational squadron formed. These are very complex jets.

Also Dr Carlos Kopp, the Australian researcher whose report the WIRED article is based on, has been on a mission for some time to strike fear into the heart of the Australian government (and others) about Russian military capabilities of all sorts.

Much of his analytical effort seems to be a quixotic mission of his to try to convince Australia to ditch our planned F-35 purchase and buy F-22 Raptors instead - since Kopp sees the F-22 as the best option for Australia - even though F-22 production has now stopped.