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Jagdflieger said:
- really??

Regards
Jagdflieger
Click to expand...
If an F-16 stays above 200mph in a confrontation with a MiG-29, the MiG hasn't got a chance.

Think of the days when the Allies confronted the A6M or KI-43. If you slowed down to fight them, then you're doing so on their terms and you've just sealed your fate.
Keep your speed up and force them to fight on your terms, they're now in trouble.

We can get an authority in here to give better details, though - oh BiffF15 would you mind weighing in on this?
 
GrauGeist said:
We can get an authority in here to give better details, though - oh BiffF15 would you mind weighing in on this?
Click to expand...

I'm damned if I can find it, but there was a discussion about this recently, and a link was posted about US pilots impressions of flying German MiG-29s. A good overall perspective and the differences were as much about ideologies and processes as they were about capabilities of the aircraft of the respective sides.
 
Aha! Found it.

How To Win In A Dogfight: Stories From A Pilot Who Flew F-16s And MiGs

Lt. Col. Fred "Spanky" Clifton is one of the most experienced aggressor pilots ever, having flown the F-15, F-5, F-16 and the notorious MiG-29. He's been in dogfights with pretty much every fighter out there and is a graduate of the prestigious Fighter Weapons School. Now he's here to share his...
jalopnik.com
 
"Overall, the MiG-29 was/is not the 10 foot tall monster that was postulated during the Cold War. It's a good airplane, just not much of a fighter when compared to the West's 4th​-generation fighters."

A contributor on MiGFlug put together a tally board for modern fighters that seen combat. I cant 100% verify accuracy but from what I seen, it looks pretty good. The F-16's air to air combat record for all operators is 76 kills, 2 losses, the US alone had 42-0. The MiG 29 is shown as 6-10. 5 shot down over Iraq, 6 over Kosovo, one by the USAF and one by the RNLAF . There's a lot of consideration that has to be applied here, but if this is half accurate, the MiG-29 doesn't have a great combat record.

Here's another piece about F-16s being compared to MiG-29s

F-16 Vs MiG-29: when the mighty Viper dogfighted with the Fulcrum for the first time - The Aviation Geek Club

F-16 Vs MiG-29: when the mighty Viper dogfighted with the Fulcrum for the first time
theaviationgeekclub.com
 
FLYBOYJ said:
Here's another piece about F-16s being compared to MiG-29s
Click to expand...

That's good stuff, Joe. Lots of good snippets of data there. It confirms the statements about Russian aircraft and their situational awareness, which is roundly criticised by Western pilots looking at Soviet/Russian aircraft. The pilot seems to be supplied with just enough information to fly the aircraft and deploy the weapons. Visibility from Soviet/Russian aircraft cockpits is generally poorer, too.

I've been doing some reading about the First Gen Harrier compared to the Yak-38 and the former was a far more advanced machine avionics wise in the information provided to the pilot. It had a pre-programmable inertial nav-attack system (Ferranti INAS), head up display, one of the first single-seater attack aircraft to be so fitted, and moving map display connected to the INAS, which in practise no one used, apparently, but the Yak pilots had nothing like these things in their cockpit. These things also made the Harrier quite expensive to buy...
 
Jagdflieger said:
- really??

Regards
Jagdflieger
Click to expand...

Yes, really. The onboard avionics of the F-16 are more independent of ground direction, implying fewer support personnel and less infrastructure for command & control.

The -16 seems to have better weapons available for air-to-air (four AMRAAMs vs 2 Alamos for the -29 for medium range, 4 AIM-9s vs 6 Archers for short-range work), and is more capable in CAS, carrying a broad variety of PGMs.

It's also data-link compatible with NATO AWACs craft, which I'm not sure the Polish -29s are up-to-date on given that they haven't seen much recent use.

The supply of spare parts is also much more reliable, especially given current affairs, meaning that the F16s will probably spend more time actually flying.

So yeah, I'd gladly make that swap if I were in charge of the PAF.
 
i tend to agree - you are reciving reliably any needed spares ... 8 months from ordering date
 
Jabberwocky said:
They are. Disentangling Europe from Russian oil & gas imports will take a long time.
Click to expand...
Canada has more natural gas than our tiny population could ever need. This presents an excellent opportunity for the development of LNG infrastructure on both sides of the Atlantic.

BNN Bloomberg – Canada Business News, TSX Today and Interest Rates

Get the latest Canadian business news, TSX updates, interest rates and Bank of Canada coverage. Explore stock market investing and get expert financial insights on investment portfolio strategies.
www.bnnbloomberg.ca

Plus the Germans must return to nuclear power generation - wind/tidal and solar power can help too.

Nuclear power in Germany - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I expect in ten years Europe's energy sources will be quite different, much to Russia's detriment. And shame on Gerrard Schroeder for beholding his country and its energy needs to Putin.
 
Last edited:
XBe02Drvr said:
That's what goody lockers are for. Deployed at sea with a high sortie rate commitment and infrequent UNREPS, they're your survival tool.
Click to expand...

I reckon it's a hell of a lot easier to source F-16 parts even without that sort of investment, especially when we're asking Russia for parts to repair airplanes flying against them. NATO builds the parts in Norway and Holland, no need for stores-ships, no need to beg parts from a Russian government we're fighting to repair the -29s, and the Ukrainians can either fly or cannibalize them as they see fit.

That alone makes trading -29s for -16s look nice. The goddamned F-16s can actually fly? And we can resupply? Sign me up! Give the MiGs to the Ukrainians, backfill with F-16s, it's all good.
 
J_P_C said:
wow!...do you have lockers filled with multiple 100k USD worth spares inside?
Click to expand...
If you have a high sortie rate commitment, such as maintaining a no-fly zone or a full time BARCAP, and you're out of COD range, and the replenishment ships are few and far between, your aviation storekeepers have to get creative. Such as removing a component that still has some life left on it, replacing it with a new one from your latest UNREP, logging the old one as "timed out, discarded", and sticking it in the goody locker for future emergencies. It's now "off the books" and available to bail you out if your "official" stock of spares is depleted and you have to meet the next flight ops cycle. If you're deploying to some godforsaken corner of the world you're going to have to start building up your goody locker about as soon as you weigh anchor. This practice drives stateside bean counters bonkers, and is a court martial offense, but when you're on the bitter end of the chain it keeps the birds in the air. Rare is the squadron Maintenance Officer, Ops Officer, or CO who will write you up for such an offense, as their asses are on the line if your squadron can't meet its commitments.
 
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