HEADLINE = Dissecting a dogfight: Sukhoi vs USAF at Red Flag 2 !

S"RA# = $ont%a%& to the USAF vie' of ho' E(e%cise Red Flag 2 ! )anned out* the Su+, -.I /ade a stella% de0ut in A/e%ican ai%s)ace1 It 'as the fi%st ti/e the legenda%& Russian Sukhoi+, Flanke%s fle' in A/e%ican ai%s)ace* and it kicked u) a cont%ove%s&1 In August 2 ! India sent its to) of the line Su+, -.I fighte% to )a%tici)ate in E(e%cise Red Flag at Nellis Ai% Fo%ce 2ase nea% Las 3egas1 .no'n fo% its co/)le( 'a% ga/ing* Red Flag involves si/ulated ai% co/0at and coo%dination 0et'een f%iendl& ai% fo%ces1 In 2 ! the )a%tici)ants included the F%ench and South .o%ean ai% fo%ces1 "he IAF contingent 4 co/)%ising si( Flanke%s* t'o Ill&ushin IL+5!-.I tanke%s and one IL+56-D t%ans)o%t 4 initiall& a%%ived at -ountain Ho/e AF2 in Idaho on 7ul& 851 "he fighte% )ilots of No1 2 Lighting S9uad%on f%o/ #une unde%'ent a th%ee+'eek fa/ilia%isation 'ith t%aining %ules* and fle' /issions against the 8!th Agg%esso% S9uad%on f%o/ Eilson AF2* Alaska* and the %esident ,66th Fighte% :ing1 Combat begins "he IAF /oved to Nellis AF2 on August ;1 <"o o0se%ve%s= dis/a&* and no dou0t to that of the US intelligence co//unit&* the IAF fle' 'ith a nu/0e% of handica)s*> '%ites Dave Fulghu/ of Aviation :eek1 "he Su+, -.I=s )o'e%ful Russian+/ade NII#+2ARS %ada% 'as o)e%ating onl& in the t%aining /ode 'hich li/ited the senso%=s %ange and s)ect%u/ of ca)a0ilities1 "he self+ i/)osed %ada% %est%ictions )%evented US snoo)s f%o/ >/a))ing> the high+tech %ada%1 2ut othe% %est%ictions 'e%e dictated 0& the hosts* Fulghu/ '%ites1 "he Indians 'e%e 0a%%ed f%o/ using data+links* chaff and fla%es1 :hen the& 'e%e ta%geted 0& su%face to ai% /issiles* the& 'e%e shot do'n1 "he%e 'as no data )ictu%e in the cock)it to hel) IAF )ilots= situational a'a%eness so the 'o%k load on the ai%c%e's 'as high1 Also* the IAF=s /ost )o'e%ful ai%+to+ai% /issile* the R+55* 'as not si/ulated in the e(e%cises1 Rogue video Although the %esults of such e(e%cises a%e %a%el& /ade )u0lic* the USAF ?u/)ed the gun1 7ust as it leaked the %esults of $o)e India 2 @* Ahtt):BBind%us1inB0logsB2 8@B 2B86Bco)eCindiaCho'CtheCiafC%e'%oteCtheC%ulesCofCai%Cco /0atC,,8881ht/lD in Nove/0e% 2 ! a video su%faced Ahtt)s:BB'''1&outu0e1co/B'atchEv=:.Ea+R,5#eUFlist=#LA $D85!!F6D A,ADD of a US Ai% Fo%ce office% talking in a gene%all& condescending /anne% a0out the IAF1 In )a%ticula% five things that $ol "e%ence Fo%nof said stick out: G"he IAF has )%o0le/s 'ith its Russian ?et engines GIndian )ilots 'e%e )%one to f%at%icide 4 shooting do'n f%iendl& ai%c%aft G"he IAF %e9ui%ed 6 +second inte%vals 0et'een takeoffs* co/)a%ed 'ith half that fo% othe% ai% fo%ces G"he A/e%ican F+8H can defeat the Su+, -.I* the /ost advanced fighte% in the Su+, se%ies GIAF not keen on 8 vs 8 dogfights 'ith the USAF1 Low blow S)eaking a0out the encounte% 0et'een the Su+, -.I and the F+8H$s* Fo%nof said: <"he AIAF )ilotsD 'e%e a/aIed* /atte% of fact the& 'e%e floo%ed to the )oint afte% the fi%st th%ee

da&s* the& didnJt 'ant an& /o%e 8 vs 8 stuff1 Let=s /ove on to so/ething else AlaughsD1 Funn& =cause in India* the& 'anted onl& 8 to 8 4 =cause the& 'e%e 'inning at that1K A0out the engines* he said: <Fi%stl&* the "u/ansk& engines a%e ve%& susce)ti0le to FLD Afo%eign o0?ect da/ageD1 No' the %eason that=s a 0ig deal is 0ecause the& asked fo% a one+ /inute s)acing 0et'een take offs1 At Red Flag 'ith nea%l& H +6 ai%c%aft su))osed to take off* if &ou have one )e%son 'ho 'ill 'ait one /inute 0et'een each take off to launch these si( ai%c%aft111 &eah1111 %ight* the& can go find so/e othe% )lace to fl&1K And he added: <"he& 'e%e ve%& conce%ned a0out FLD and ho' Russian engines a%e not nea%l& as %elia0le as A/e%ican AonesD1K Playing to the gallery $ol Fo%nof is an F+8H )ilot and the Di%ecto% of the Re9ui%e/ents and "esting office at the United States Ai% Fo%ce :a%fa%e $ente%* Nellis AF21 "he video 'as of a )%ivate 0%iefing da&s afte% Red Flag 2 ! to a g%ou) called the Daedalians 4 a g%ou) of %eti%ed A/e%ican /ilita%& )ilots1 :hile it is t%ue the colonel 'as involved 'ith Red Flag 2 !* 3a&u Ae%os)ace Revie' sa&s his co//ents should not 0e taken too se%iousl& 0ecause the%e is a )ossi0ilit& he 'as )la&ing to the galle%&1 <His co//ents a%e note'o%th& since he is an o)e%ational )ilot 'ith the USAF 0ut he ce%tainl& cannot cove% the enti%e e(e%cise and has no inside kno'ledge of the 'a& IAF Mfought=1K In fact* $ol Fo%nof is /istaken on seve%al counts1 Fo% instance* the Su+, -.I does not have a "u/ansk& engine 0ut %athe% an N#L+Satu%n )o'e% )lant1 He is '%ong again a0out the -iN+28 2ison having Is%aeli %ada% 'hen in fact it has a Russian scanne%1 He=s '%ong on /ost counts and in fact econo/ical 'ith the t%uth in so/e )laces1 From the frontlines A/ong the o0se%ve%s 'ho had f%ont %o' seats to the dogfights 'as senio% Indian ?ou%nalist 3ishnu So/1 Ahtt):BB'''1livefistdefence1co/B2 !B88Blivefist+colu/n+vishnu+ so/+fi%st+hand1ht/lD Acco%ding to hi/* cont%a%& to the )ictu%e )ainted 0& Fo%nof* the IAF and its Sukhois /o%e than /ade a /a%k du%ing thei% stint in the United States1 <Fo% sta%te%s not a single Su+, -.I fighte% 'as shot do'n in close ai% co/0at /issions at -ountain Ho/e AF21 In fact* none of the Sukhois 'e%e even close to 0eing shot do'n in the 8 +odd one on one so%ties 'hich 'e%e )lanned fo% the fi%st t'o da&s of the e(e%cises at -ountain Ho/e1 "hese one on one engage/ents featu%ed USAF ?ets such as the F+8H and F+86 in close ai% engage/ents against the Su+, -.I1 "he /a?o%it& of the kills clai/ed in these engage/ents 'e%e g%anted to the IAF 'ith the %e/ainde% of these 0eing no+%esults1K So/ adds 0& the ti/e the e(e%cises at -ountain Ho/e had /atu%ed the IAF had g%aduated to la%ge fo%/ation e(e%cises 'hich featu%ed doIens of ?ets in the sk&1 In one of these e(e%cises* the 0lue fo%ces* of 'hich the IAF 'as a )a%t* shot do'n /o%e than 28 of the ene/& ?ets1 -ost of these Okills= have 0een c%edited to the IAF1 Bad PR #ush)inda% Singh $ho)%a* edito%* 3a&u Ae%os)ace Revie'* 0elieves the A/e%icans do'n)la&ed the Sukhoi=s ca)a0ilit& 0ecause the alte%native 'ould 0e to ackno'ledge the IAF had s)ooked the USAF &et again1 <-ission achieve/ent %ate 'as in e(cess of ; )e% cent*K he sa&s1 <"he d%o) outB/ission success %ates of all othe%s* inclusive of the USAF* 'e%e significantl& lo'e%1 "his is of

/a?o% significance conside%ing the fact that IAF 'as sustaining o)e%ations 2 * k/ a'a& f%o/ ho/e 0ase 'hile the USAF 'as at ho/e1K In fact* the eight Sukhois fle' so/e !H hou%s du%ing the de)lo&/ent* 'hich is e9uivalent to fou% /onths of fl&ing in India1 Fratricide bogey $ho)%a sa&s 'hile the IAF did shoot do'n so/e f%iendlies and that 'as assessed and att%i0uted to the IAF not 0eing net'o%ked1 Ho'eve%* 'hat $ol Fo%nof did not 0%ing out 'e%e the t'o essential %easons fo% this1 <Fi%stl&* this occu%%ed /ainl& 'hen the A:A$S 'as not availa0le Aunse%vicea0leD and cont%olling 'as done 0& g%ound cont%ol1 -o%e significantl& it ha))ened du%ing e(t%e/el& )oo% cont%olling 0& thei% o)e%ato%s* this fact 0eing ackno'ledged du%ing de0%iefs and the cont%olle%s 0eing ad/onished acco%dingl&1K :hat $ol Fo%nof left out 'as the F+8H$ and othe% USAF fighte%s had the sa/e nu/0e% of f%at%icides as the IAF1 <$onside%ing the& a%e 'ell net'o%ked* &et thei% )ilots shot do'n the sa/e nu/0e% of f%iendlies1 "his 'as not onl& a /a?o% conce%n 0ut also tu%ned out to 0e a /a?o% sou%ce of e/0a%%ass/ent as the USAF had eve%&thing 4 Link 86* IFF -ode @ etc and the IAF had nothing1K Gone in 60 seconds "he IAF insisted on a 6 +second inte%val fo% a ve%& valid %eason1 :hen a ?et takes off* the %esulting tu%0ulence can kick u) fo%eign o0?ects f%o/ the %un'a&* 'hich /a& get sucked into the engines of the ai%c%aft taking off 0ehind it1 No'* the Su+, -.I engines a%e se%viced in Russia1 :hat the Russians do 'hen a da/aged engine a%%ives f%o/ India is the& send a 0%and ne' Mcou%tes&= engine as %e)lace/ent 'hile the old one is 0eing %e)ai%ed o% se%viced* in o%de% not to i/)act the IAF=s %eadiness1 :hile at Nellis* the IAF had a0solutel& no 'a& of getting a ne' engine had a Sukhoi engine got da/aged1 #lus* the Russians 'ould have 0een decidedl& cage& a0out shi))ing one of thei% to)+of+the line )o'e% )lants to an A/e%ican add%ess1 Flanker vs agle Acco%ding to $ol Fo%nof* 0eating the Su+, is not a )%o0le/ fo% an F+8H )ilot1 <:eJve 0een fighting the AF+22D Ra)to%* so 'eJve 0een going oh dude* this is eas&1 So as 'eJ%e fighting hi/* all of a sudden &ouJd see the ass end kick do'n* going )ost stall + 0ut no' he sta%ts falling f%o/ the sk&1 "he F+8H 'ouldnJt even have to )ull u)1 slight )ull u) on the stick* engage guns* co/e do'n and d%ill his 0%ains out1K If onl& %eal co/0at 'as that eas&1 "he colonel '%ongl& assessed the Sukhoi=s %ate of tu%n at 22+2, deg%ees 0ut he also /ade the sta%tling %evelation that the Ra)to%=s 'as 2! deg%ees1 Did he un'ittingl& %eveal classified info%/ationE At an& %ate* the Sukhoi=s %ate of tu%n 4 'ith th%ust vecto%ing 4 is conside%a0l& su)e%io% at ,H deg%ees1 It is ackno'ledged in aviation ci%cles the Flanke% is a class a0ove the F+8H1 In Fo%nof=s o'n vie' a 'ell+flo'n F+8H can t%ou0le an F+22P so a )%o)e%l& flo'n Flanke% can )otentiall& kill a Ra)to% in a knife fight1 As $ol Fo%nof hi/self said a0out the IAF* <"he& 'e%e e(t%e/el& )%ofessional 4 the& neve% fle' out of the ai%s)ace 'hich 'e 'e%e ve%& conce%ned a0out1 "he& had Ie%o t%aining %ule violations1 And that in itself 'as inc%edi0le1 :e 'e%e ve%& i/)%essed and thanked the/ so /uch 0ecause the& 'e%e ve%& ve%& )%ofessional1K "he 0est outco/e of Red Flag 2 ! 'as that it 'as a uni9ue e()e%ience fo% Indian )ilots 'ho 'e%e keen to o0se%ve the USAF=s Net+$ent%ic :a%fa%e o)e%ations1 <Qou cannot

su%vive toda& fo% long against a good adve%sa%& 'ithout N$: ca)a0ilit&*> said then IAF vice chief Ai% -a%shal #131 Naik1 As fo% the A/e%icans* the& also got a chance to get %ides on the Flanke%* <a th%illing o))o%tunit& es)eciall& fo% the local )ilotsK acco%ding to the /ilita%& aviation 'e0site* -ilavia* Ahtt):BB'''1/ilavia1netBs)ecialsB%edflag !+@BD