Unquestionably, it is better than helicopters, but we are talking about a scenario with an ever growing proliferation of MANPADS, and not just the crappy old ones like the SA-7 which have shot down a few helos over Iraq and Afghanistan. And that is a scenario in which a nation that is fighting a limited-engagement…

I consider Gawker as a good example of a bad journalism. However, I did like their reports on the Kunduz MSF hospital airstrike, they were straight out, no personal opinions, accusations or allegations; slightly biased, but towards the things that require extra attention.

Seriously, mate? You think that a sluggish A-10 is an order of magnitude better? Are you aware that A-10s have suffered quite a few losses in the Gulf war, mostly from MANPADS and AAA.

I understand and agree with most of that. I don’t think that losses would always make a nation steadfast and resolute to endure and win, it might lead to exactly the opposite results. And we have seen examples of that in the previous decade, not to mention before.

But what if Kiril’s co-pilot is called Natasha?

I don’t want to see anyone get killed in cold blood by some overly religious morons, and what happened to that Su-24 crewman deeply sucks and is undeniably a war crime.

Everyone and their grandma knows that story.

No, no, you got it all wrong; those are Syrian Air Force losses. Russia had lost only a Su-24 and Mi-8. We are discussing the general use of MANPADS in Syria, and those losses themselves are significant, especially since some of them came from the missiles more advanced than the ancient SA-7; the radar guided SA-8 was…

Now this is the sort of stuff I want to see on Foxtrot Alpha!

I agree with that thinking, although, knowing the Russians and the PR reasons they have, they might try to get down and dirty with their helos, and if they do, I hope that some of them get shot down, because, since 2014, I am a bad person and I hate Russia.

Only if it is the part of a current five year plan. Once the planned output of high fives is expended, more provisions would have to be made under a next five year plan, and if the industrial output cannot produce enough high fives, they will have to be imported from Germany.

I remember at least half a dozen confirmed, mostly helicopters, with at least two fixed wing (this recent MIG-21 and a Su-22 couple of years ago).

Oops!

Apparently, they think it improves the crew cooperation.

MANPADS are already in use, not just that MIG-21 couple of days ago, plenty of other helos and fixed wing aircraft were shot down by MANPADS (confirmed sometimes even with video evidence).

On the title photo, Ka-52 looks like one of those weird 1980s Hollywood Hinds.

And there is also a matter of fact that USAF’s F-16s are not really brand new (airframe service life) and that CFTs would only be detrimental to that, given the increased G-loading exerted on the fuselage.

Strap two of them and watch in a mix of horror and awe.

Maybe on Mi-26, but other than that, I can only see it as a marine gas turbine.

While DoD is known for making dumb decisions regarding the various procurements, Tyler sometimes seems to have no understanding (or he doesn’t want to see) of how do military budgets work.