How to kill a Hornet Russian style?
http://www.strategypage.com/militaryforums/6-54648.aspx
Rock I agree with you with many points you made but the AWAC vulnerability will be very real with more AWAC -killer missiles in the works
http://www.defenceforum.in/forum/showthread.php?t=201
here is some more on this topic,written by a russian consulting firm(to market sukhois?)
Asian countries advise of being tired of loss-of-face from domination of air by Australia?s Hornet and F-111. New aircraft come onto Asian region and old Hornets and F-111 retire, so balance of power in air combat can change. American dollar is falling like broken lift, but even so Russian aircraft remain still much cheaper. Asian clients ask me - can Russian aircraft do the job over Super Hornet and F-35 JSF? Is acceptable by them to post APA NOTAM ? Asian clients say give back face.
Two seat combat aircraft better ? make space for some more Omega advisors to help fight. So, I offer basis of analysis by using Su-30MKI/MKM, Su-30MKK/MK2 or Su-35BM. Add Flanker upgrades as they come ? Sukhoi factory very quick at upgrades.
Grisha says «you can make a big fighter into attack aircraft, but find very hard to make medium attack aircraft into good fighter».
Need to depend on better radio-location system [Editor: RLS - Russian jargon for airborne radar] and weapons, but if get caught, maybe get run down and killed by enemy fighter. Much depend on fuel, range and payload. Long distances around Asia, so my advice to fit centerline conformal tank on Sukhoi ? holds 6,000 kg fuel and reduces radio-location reflections [Editor: radar signature] ? still plenty of space for weapons on wing and body. Also fly where Sukhoi own sky ? above 15,000 metres [Editor: 45 kft]. Have radio-electronic combat systems Khibiny-M [Editor: KNIRTI L175M defensive Electronic Support Measures receiver], Sorbtsiya [Editor: KNIRTI L−005 wingtip phased array jamming pods] and Lobushka [Editor: towed decoy] fitted to Sukhoi fighter.
To make analysis clear, break air combat in parts, from the time aircraft take off from Australia through to the end of combat in «battle space».
Start when aircraft assemble and take off. Difficult to hide many aircraft on combat mission. Sometimes have spies on ground with mobile phone [2]. Use MacDonald's code for types ? Big-Mak, Quarter-Pounder, Super Fries, Small Fries ? you get idea. Phone order to cut-out telephone number, or «Internet Cafe», then onto Network Centre in far away country so know Mak order coming. Have sea-ships in key points to read signals ? Russia been doing this for long time. Have new electronic reconnaissance complexes [Editor: ESM and direction finding receivers] and infrared sensors on ships. Find track and pass to Network Centre. Plenty time to load best weapons and fuel for «counter-air» mission.
Next phase in combat is first radio-location system contact. If radio-location signal from Big-Mak [Editor: Wedgetail AEW&C MESA radar emissions], Sukhoi go around Super-Fries, take big prize. Have Mak and Super-Fries killers in same bunch. Use K-100 [Editor: Novator R-172/KS-172/AAM-L] or R-37 [Editor: Vympel AA-13 Arrow] for 300 km to 400 km engagement, X-31A and P [Editor: Kh-31A/P / AS-17 Krypton] for close work.
Look for Quarter-Pounder [Editor: A330-200MRTT aerial refuelling tanker] on radio-location system ? N011M [Editor: Tikhomirov NIIP N011M BARS phased array radar on Su-30MK] can see a long way at this height as radio-location system horizon almost 500 km. Tankers only have 600 km/hr speed, while Sukhoi have top speed to 2,500 km per hour, so can run down and kill tanker quickly. Big centerline fuel tank help the Sukhoi fighter here. Might have only Super-Fries [Editor: tanker escort CAP] ? has good radio-location system so see Sukhoi first ? but Khibiny radar warner-receiver know [Editor: ESM receiver] Super-Fries coming. Cannot change physics laws. Give Super-Fries time to bug-out but not make mission success.
Soon close to time Sukhoi see Super-Fries with radio-location system. Minister Nelson say Super Fries stealthy, Russian Institute of Radio Physics and Electronics says not so, when Super-Fries carry weapons and tanks on pylons, see about 200 km with N011M radio-location system, much better with new Irbis-E radio-location system [3].
This is far away from AIM-120 range of about 80 km, so have lots of time for free shots at Super-Fries. Shoot pairs of R-77M with mixed self-guidance heads [Editor: GSN - Russian jargon for missile seeker] ? active radio-location missile go first, if scare him pretty good so he turn to beam, expose his pants to R-77M Infra-Red or Optical missiles [4].
Super-Fries ALE-55 radio-electronic combat complex [Editor: Russian jargon for towed decoy] good against radio-location guidance missile, not so good on Infra-Red or Optic. Can dance around outside Super-Fries' missile range and use Sukhoi radio network [Editor: TKS-2 intraflight digital radio datalink / network] to make sure no Sukhois in range of Super-Fries' missile. Omega advisor in back of Sukhoi help here as fighter controller. Stay until Super-Fries reach Bingo [Editor: only fuel remaining to get home] and run for home ? cannot escape at Mach 1.6 when Sukhoi make 2.35 ? take R-77 or R-27 in pants.
Next is guts fight ? close inside AIM-120 range. Still some tricks to use. Sukhoi OLS-30 [Editor: Infra-Red Search and Track set] sees flare of Super-Fries' missile launch at long range ? gives time to turn away and wait until Super-Fries' missile fall into sea. Then turn back to close again. Have lots of fuel and many weapons, so can play «cat and mouse» for some turns. Grisha likes upgrade to OLS-35, which looks all round Sukhoi aircraft all the time.
Maybe Grisha makes mistake and misses Super-Fries, and radio-electronic combat complex warning alarm start as Super-Fries' missile self-guidance head radio-location system switches on to transmit [Editor: AIM-120 seeker going active]. Break turn and use Khibiny, Sorbtsiya and Lobushka radio electronic combat complex [Editor: EW self protection suite]. Lots of G for minute or so. Not many missiles good at high G above 15,000 metres. Also fire nose first, then turn and guide missile with tail radio-location system. Not touch Grisha this way. Tail radio-location system watch to see no surprises [5].