Haavarla
Active Member
Well, I did say small numbers................I would consider ~48-72 as small.
Ok, here we go
I sincerely doubt that..........as production didn't even start until the 1980's and went on for many many years. Further, after the end of the Cold War and the Break-Up of the USSR. Russia hardly had to funds to fly most of them.........plenty of hours left!
You know Crusader, that when these Su-27 begin to show structural stress and corrosion on the airframes like many of the Mig-29's.
There aren't really much you could do with them.
You practicaly need to rebuilt the plane and scrap a whole lot of the old pecies, it would be so costly they woldn't even bother..
Hense, there is only one alternative left!
Order new aircraft.
You know the difference between the
Legasy Su-27 and the SM are BIG in terms of Avionics/radar performance.
Legasy Su-27 have some shortcommings against some of the upgraded
F15/16/18 out there..
In that respect 2 Regiments of SM are not that much..
Hense, there is only two alternative left!
Order new aircraft or/and upgrade.
So 7 Regiment of Su-27 left, that would be 168#.
And i bet some are not in that great shape, so the readyness are maybe at60%.
Hell, there are soon more F-22A than Russian Flankers out there.
Hense, there is only one alternative left!
Order new aircraft.
I suspect that those 24-26 of Su-33 are due for an upgrade soon, their airframe couldn't be that old, and i imagine more powerfull engines are in need for better takeoff performance(more weapons).
(Eighter that or they will be replaced by newer Mig-29K's..)
"The Su-33 first flew in May 1985, and entered service in the Russian Navy in 1994. An air regiment comprising 24 fighters of the type was formed upon the Russian Navy’s only operating aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov."
Thanks
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