Túlio escreveu:Very intersting. Here we thought the 'victories' belonged to MiGs and Sukhoys...
# Cope India 1 (2004) also known as Cope India'04:
The MiGs and Sukhois also had their victories, the Sukhois apparently winning almost all their engagements with the F-15s.
At the end of the day, Cope India -04 exercise results were thanks to tactics, tactics, tactics and overconfidence from the USAF side. They did not come in expecting that they would find a competitive AF. At the end of the day, it was bad mission planning from their side.
What our guys did was "embed" our Bisons (MiG-21 Upg) with the strike package, so when the F-15s would try to attack the strike group (MiG-27s), they would suddenly get Bisons coming out and taking BVR shots at them.
We did not repeat tactics that failed, had some 2-3 plans before hand, and which would be changed once the pilot called an "audible" (strike leader gave a command).
The Su-30 Ks acted both as escort (using IRST some times for passive attacks) and also as long range radar outposts for the Bisons/ MiG strike package.
The Mirage 2000's also escorted the strike package/ were part of the strike package, so they also had a fair share of "wins".
What I meant was that the Americans really publicized the role of the Sukhoi and the Bison but the Mirage 2000's role went "silently" - the French would have loved it, if it got as much publicity.
One disadvantage for the US side in the first exercise was that they simulated Sparrows while we simulated fully active AAMs, so that really added to the "unfair" scores.
But even then, they too took part in deciding the exercise rules of engagement and overall, most of the Avionics on the US F-15C were superior to all the IAF fighters taking part, the N001 radar equipped Su-30 K, the RDM equipped Mirage 2000 H (oldest model), N019 equipped MiG-29, Kopyo equipped MiG-21 Bis.
So they really failed in the mission planning bit and were "out fought".
# Cope India 2006
Next exercise, they came with a full detachment of F-16CJs to India for Cope 2006 and with an AWACS also.
This time, to avoid the media glare, the IAF and USAF both split their groups into "Red and Blue" with mixed USAF-IAF as good guys and bad guys both. So the US media would not play this up again.
But even the AWACS had problems tracking the MiG-21 Bisons (very small aircraft).
"Unofficially", the word was again the IAF had "no problems" and "could manage well".
Indian Su-30 MKIs took part for the first time in 3-4 sorties but WVR only, versus the F-16. Officially nothing released, but when book on Su-30 squadron was released, it had a picture of a F-16 "caught" in the gun camera (HUD Display) of a MKI
# 3: Exercise versus Singapore
The Su-30 MKI were finally "unleashed" (chain taken off the dog
) against Singapore AF at the same airbase (KKD - KalaiKunda - hard to pronounce, its Bengali language, in the state of West Bengal - India has over 30 regional languages and many sub variations).
In engagements versus the RSAF F-16 Block 50/52 equipped with Elta jammers, ELBIT Helmet Sight and new generation WVR missiles, the IAF fielded MiG-21 Bison, Mirage 2000H, MiG-29, and finally, the Su-30 MKI.
Results: MiG-21 Bisons did not do so well as against USAF - IAF had to now work out new tactics to figure out "why", MiG-29s and Mirage 2000's did "ok" which means good or equal ratio of wins and losses, but Su-30 MKI won ALL 9/9 engagements, BVR and WVR, with Bars radar used in "training mode".
#4 Exercise versus Royal Air Force (Indradhanush)
Next set of exercises versus RAF- Royal Air Force - with Su-30 MKIs and other usual aircraft versus Tornado F.3's and AWACS. Again, RAF used AWACS to full advantage and set up some successful BVR traps, but overall, the Su-30 MKIs dominated WVR, BVR. Again, Bars in training mode.
Royal AF commander: "This (Tornado) is XWing, your MKI is a Death Star"...talking in terms of Star Wars (movie).
Some more interesting details are there on Su-30 K versus Mirage 2000 RDY (not RDY2) in France, and Mirage 2000H versus Cheetah C in South Africa.
The Su-30 MKI versus EF in UK was a "no show" with both sides keeping their secrets close.
Very intersting again: we aparentelly are in the same mess with the French: the costs (i'm talkin' 'bout Rafales)...
France, items are good cost is always very high.
Nice for you, no tech comparisons between M2000 and Rafale, i suppose.
Problem is as we discovered in France, even Su-30 K can "match" some aspects of Mirage 2000. Its a huge risk to buy such expensive planes and discover that new Chinese J-11 (Chinese version of Su-27) is equal or even better than them in some areas.
We should exchange some of our leaders for a year, you will ask us to take them back and even give us half of Rio De Janeiro as bonus.