US buys Ukrainian fighter jets (SU-27)

[LETHALFORCE]

US buys Ukrainian fighter jets / MosNews.com

US buys Ukrainian fighter jets

11 May, 03:45 PM

The United States has bought two Su-27 fighter jets from Ukraine, Lenta.ru reports, citing the website Strategy Page. The planes were delivered on an An-124 transport planes. They will be used to train American military pilots, who may face opponents in them.

In addition, the US military will use them to test its radar and electronic warfare equipment. China, India, Malaysia, Algeria, Venezuela and other countries have Su-27’s or the upgraded Su-30’s in their armed forces and the model continues to sell quite actively. The plane costs about $36 million, making it a cheaper alternative to the American F-15.

The Su-27, known in NATO as a Flanker, is made by the Sukhoi Design Bureau. It was introduced in 1984. About 700 of them have been manufactured. Su-30’s are built under license in China and India. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov announced today that flight tests of a fifth-generation fighter plane will take place this year, and production of the plane, which will supersede the Su-27, will begin next year.

 

[Sailor]

Interesting concept Lethal.
At $36 million they are cheap enough to use as target drones to sight in armaments on our fighters. No use building drones if we can use these.
Might get a few hundred more.

 

[Singh]

Ukrainians. Tsk tsk.
They are giving US a good chance to learn about the Sukhoi platform.

 

[Sailor]

Anything for a dollar

 

[kuku]

Interesting concept Lethal.
At $36 million they are cheap enough to use as target drones to sight in armaments on our fighters. No use building drones if we can use these.
Might get a few hundred more.

Why do you think these would be used as drones?

US military has a long history of operating equipment from other nations to train against, Su-27/30 represents a type that is operational with a lot of nations around the world and USA might have to respond to trouble in some of these nations/regions.

 

[Sailor]

Why do you think these would be used as drones

Why use perfectly good aircraft if there is cheap Junk to sight your weapons in on.
Great concept. The West builds fighters and the latent enemy builds the drones for them to shoot at.

 

[kuku]

Why use perfectly good aircraft if there is cheap Junk to sight your weapons in on.
Great concept. The West builds fighters and the latent enemy builds the drones for them to shoot at.

If US wanted to do so, it has plenty of planes to use, which will cost less that 5-10 million USD.

These planes will help US pilots from several branches train against Su-27s.

They will not be used for target practice.

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blog...79a7Post:36be72c4-1223-493f-bc10-073b0f15112e

And that is the reason for US military to be that good at what they do, not the multi billion dollar equipment, its the people and the training they have.

 

[F-14]

why do i have this feeling that the USAF is buying this to simulate PLAF su-27 and J-11's

 

[Pintu]

True, I am here totally agree with Kuku, these Fighter Aircrafts will be used for train the USAF Pilots to withstand against them ( The Russian / Soviet Origin) Fighter Aircrafts, not other purpose.

Regards

 

[Pintu]

May be You are right F-14, but at the same time I personally think their focus also on Su-30MKI s , I have read in ,many websites they recon Su-30MKI 's worthiness, but the Su-27 import from Ukraine proves your point.

Regards

 

[K Factor]

Pintu,

1. America knows a lot about the MKI, more than you think. (Hint - Israel, and Israeli avionics on board the MKI).
2. Also, US has a lot less concern regarding India than China.
3. The basic Su-27 is a lot closer to China's MKKs and J-11s than the MKI. (Canards, no of pilots, avionics)

 

[Pintu]

^^^Dear Kommunist , I am not anybody's Sir and do not want to be called that way, and I simply did not advocate that US knows better than me about SU 30MKI 's avionics and during the Red Flag exercise the IAF was advised by The Russians to turn off the PESA Radar onboard the Sukhois. I am not opining my post that India, is a point of concern for the USA , the point I made after reading LF Sir's post.


Please see the last line of the last post by me responding F-14's post.

Regards

 

[ZOOM]

Purchasing Fighter Jets belonging to Russian make is not a new ritual for USAF, they have doing this either by bribing opponent airforce's pilots by giving them safe protection under US Citizenship or either directly purchasing it from CIA countries. Mig-15, Mig-21, Mig-29's are some of the fighters that they have tested extensively including Isreali themselves. Although, it will be a good learning experience for US Fighter Pilots with latest addition of Su-27 which is a deserving candidiate to be seen as a opponent in future air warfare.

 

[Yusuf]

Sailor,

$36 million is not cheap. It is half the price of a loaded F-15.
So its definitely not a target practice plane. Drones are far cheaper than that. And if the Su 27 was some Russian crap, then the Americans did not have to fear it and buy some to train on it and learn from it.

That apart, what is important is whats the config of the Su 27 from Ukraine? A lot changes when you add avionics etc. The MKI of India is vastly different from the MKK of China which are both from the Su 30 platform.

 

[Sailor]

It was an Aussie joke Yusuf.
I keep forgetting where I am............LOL

 

[Yusuf]

It was an Aussie joke Yusuf.
I keep forgetting where I am............LOL

Aussie joke? Mate dont joke about $36mil. I could do with 10% of that. even 1% of that will help too!!

 

[rock45]

As some pointed out Americans buying Russian aircraft isn't that big of a deal. When in training pilots will account for the add avionics but the base Flanker design will still help for training purposes.

 

[Soham]

I suppose they'll be inducted in one of the Aggressor squadrons.
Anyhow, neat job by the US. Everyone is not lucky enough to induct the very planes they'll be up against.

 

[F-14]

I do strongly belive that the Su-27 purchase is speficlly aimed at china due to the fact that the Su-27s operated by the UkAF are first genaration 27's with non of the refiments of the Su-30MKI MKM serise
add to that apart from the Russians the only other country to produce the Direct descentens of the Su-27's ( Not withstanding the Su-30MK) serise is china People's Liberation Army Air Force. China acquired 76 Su-27 fighters from Russia before signing an agreement in 1998 to redesign China's own versions of the plane as the Shenyang J-11 (about 100 have been built by 2004).

 

[youngindian]

USA Buys Russia’s Su-27 Jets From Ukraine to Find Out Why F-15 Is So Bad

20.07.2009

The Pentagon purchased two Russian-made Su-27 fighter jets from Ukraine. The United States will reportedly use the Russian jets to train effective counter-operation efforts.the Russian jets are a serious competition for the US F-15 fighters. The jets of Russia’s renowned Sukhoi design bureau proved to be more successful than their US competitors during a number of tests. The Pentagon has been trying to obtain the Russian warplanes, and Ukraine helped the nation do it legally.

The news about the deal between the USA and the Air Force of Ukraine appeared on the US-based website Strategypage.com. The website said that Russia’s Su-27 fighters were technically similar to F-15 jets, although the Russian planes were 30 percent cheaper.

Several Su-27 jets landed at Langley US air base in the summer of 1992, upon the agreement with the US side. Russian pilots examined F-15 jets at the base and proposed a simulated combat. The US pilots did not like the idea much: they thought that it would be too risky to hold the fight above the base in front of photographers and TV cameras. They eventually accepted the offer, but agreed to hold the mock fight above the Atlantic Ocean, 200 kilometers far from the coast.

The scheme of the mock fight was very simple. A Sukhoi was supposed to fly behind a US jet, and the planes were supposed to switch places with one another.

A US plane attempted to fly away from the Russian jet, but the Russian pilot caught up with the F-15 very easily. The planes switched places, and the Su-27 flew away from the F-15 making a turn and gaining altitude. The Russian jet found itself behind the American fighter a couple of minutes later. The F-125 pilot lost the Russian aircraft out of sight and could not escape from it afterwards: the Russian pilot was keeping the F-15 covered.

The F-15 lost another battle with Russia’s Su-27 in the autumn of 2000, during the US-Japanese drills in the Pacific Ocean. Two Su-27 jets, covering the Su-24MP, conducted a sudden attack of the flagship of the US 7th fleet, Kitty Hawk. The US aircraft carrier would have been destroyed in real combat conditions.

The US Defense Department is seriously concerned about the growing sales of Su-27 and Su-30 all over the world. Russia has been shipping these jets to India, China, Malaysia, Venezuela, Indonesia and Algeria for years.

Now the US purchased two Su-27 fighter jets from Ukraine. The US military command will now be able to study the phenomenon of Russia’s Sukhoi design bureau thoroughly.

USA Buys Russia’s Su-27 Jets From Ukraine to Find Out Why F-15 Is So Bad - Pravda.Ru