Refurbished Bulgarian Mig-29s getting 4000 more flight hours added to their service life. You know Mig and aftermarket companies can profit quite a bit on rebuilding these aircraft to be competitive with other late model 4th Generation fighters. The Mig-29 is an astonishingly good airframe and with modern avionics is still a capable bird. For ~$10,000,000-$15,000,000 each you could easily have a fighter that would be comparable. If MIG can make sure they can handle such upgrades in volume and in a timely manner then I think they have a strong platform.

What's still amazing is that as many of these planes are still in front line service considering the decade long neglect and poor service in the absence of the Soviets. I think that these planes get a bad rap based on wars like Allied Force where many of the MIGs critical avionics were degraded or inop due to parts shortages.

-DA 

I believe we have achieved economies of scale in production of the F22 that we have not achieved in the F35. The next F22 purchased today is less than half the cost of the next F35 since the F35 is still a custom built aircraft at this point. If they extend the F22 build another 60 airplanes the savings will go up marginally higher, for the reasons you have already agreed with. Yes I am familiar with the terms & I think a good case has already been made to meet the USAF's requirements.

 

The decision to not purchase the 60 extra aircraft was political, as all such decisions are, and what ever savings we achieved by limiting production further actually went to our obscene federal spending programs, including nationalizing our auto industry to the benefit of a few union bosses, supporting a corrupt political action organization that would make the "brownshirts" of old proud (ACORN), and a $900,000,000.00 bonus to Hamas to keep up the good work firing rockets into Israel and generally trying to murder western leaning leaders in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon.

 

Perhaps this would appear to be a better decision if our Gov't was actually saving the money in order to pay down debt and limit the deficit.

 

Check Six

 

Rocky

The point would be that the Russians can't do with their own aircraft what can be achieved by other competent air forces. The Indians have kept their Mig21's viable through the use of western technology. We all remember the comments on the RedFlag excersize where the briefer was dismissive of the French but had strong cautionary language towards the old -21's which were updated & flow by competent aggressive pilots who understood their limitations.

 

I think the evidence is that the Russians see the Sukoi platform as their future, they intend to let the Mig line whither on the vine. They simply don't have the resources to keep two major platforms in service.

Check Six

 

Rocky

I couldn't care less about the availability rate of MIG-29's...I just get tired of endless debate OFF TOPIC.

 

I also weary of YOU discussing people's "qualifications"...since we don't know YOURS who are YOU to question anyone else's?

 

Sure, Stratege is going off the deep end talking about 1000 sorties per day for the AdA OUTSIDE France ...However, this has nothing to do with whether or not he's "qualified"...Heck he could have a PhD...he's just WRONG, not "unqualified"...Truth to tell, I find YOU "unqualified" when you comment on MacArthur or Halsey...unless you've been to C&GS School, or the Navy War College, or the Army War College or you have a PhD in History...do you?  And can you "prove it?"  How could you?

 

So I'll stop "thread jacking" with this post and see what you all have to say about the MiG-29.

I believe we have achieved economies of scale in production of the F22 that we have not achieved in the F35. The next F22 purchased today is less than half the cost of the next F35 since the F35 is still a custom built aircraft at this point. If they extend the F22 build another 60 airplanes the savings will go up marginally higher, for the reasons you have already agreed with. Yes I am familiar with the terms & I think a good case has already been made to meet the USAF's requirements.

I think it is a good decision in its own right as you just don't need the extra aircraft, though I do agree that the savings are  wasted if it is blown on something else stupid.