Hi there,
It is a true fact that the entire world believes that the US has the best fighter aircrafts in the world, best technology and good pilots. But at times I really doubt. I was exploring the capabilities of Russian and Soviet fighters in Wikipedia.org. It really was impossible to believe what I read. I mean, the US claims that it has the best fighters, but Russian/Soviet fighters like the MIG-21, the MIG-29 and the new Sukhois are much better than F-15,F-16 and the F-18s. (the ones who boast to be the best in the world?). Not only that, in most joint exercises, like with the Indian Air Force and the German Air Force, the MIG-29s used by their pilots defeated the US F-15 and the F-16s in dog fights.The Federation of American Scientists has proved this too.
The MIG-21 started its service back in 1959 whereas the MIG-29 entered in 1977!
So who is the best anyway. The so called best pilots in the world fail in simple exercises??
Can anyone tell me whats happening?
2007-02-14 04:26:00 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Military
The US and Canada had better join together to see what other nations have in their arsennal. You are perfectly right in saying that the soviet MIGS are more equipped and faster than the American jets. In a dog-fight, we would suffer many casualties. I am not a big fan of the soviet premier, but he knows his stuff, and he is less ready to declar war than say Iran of Iraq is. We don't have too much to fear from Putin since they fear the Chinese. Right now Putin would be percieved a fool if he declared war on anybody, and he is definately NOT a fool!
2007-02-14 04:45:16 · answer #1 · answered by persnicady 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
without taking a side i would note that the combat capabilites of US fighters have been proven in combat whereas almost none of the newer russian fighters have been used if a real fight. a lot of the things they are credited with comes from sales agents. the Mig 21 is an old warrior that is no longer considered a front line aircraft.
the FAS is not an unbiased source about anything, i would ignore whatever they say.
the US pilots get far more hours of stick time that any others in the world. they also have access to programs like top gun and red flag that other countries cannot afford. all other things being equal the better trained and more experenced pilot will always win.
2007-02-14 04:55:06 · answer #2 · answered by glen t 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
>>they spend all of their time flying and maintaining the plane. After hundreds of hours with the same plane, the pilots definitely feel like the plane is 'theirs' though.<< UFB. We definitely do not maintain the aircraft...that's what we have maintainers for. We also don't fly in the same jet every time we step either. The dudes at the desk give you your tail number when you're ready to go fly. Yes, sometimes they put your name on a jet out on the line, but that really doesn't mean anything. I know guys that spent a year on station before they ever flew "their" jet.
2016-05-23 22:26:15 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The MiGs are traditionally smaller and more maneuverable, but not necessarily faster. Which aircraft is better, F-16 or MiG-29? I don't know.
2007-02-14 04:43:27 · answer #4 · answered by Sick Puppy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's all theory, Skippy. Let's compare the occasions when they've met, head to head, in real life and death combat. The Israeli Air Force has shot down enough Soviet/Russian iron to fill a large junk yard.
2007-02-14 05:18:39 · answer #5 · answered by Yak Rider 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The MIG series of planes are probably better on paper than ours and are built to out maneuver them. What makes our planes better is metallurgy, our planes, structurally speaking are capable of sustaining much higher G-forces. The banks our planes can easily make will pull a MIG to pieces.
2007-02-14 04:31:54 · answer #6 · answered by Centurion529 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
after post-viet, the u.s. have really buckled down on teaching their pilots to maneuver their fighters better and how to dog fight. both the air force and the navy. they both have special programs where they send their best pilots to. example is the formal special weapons school "top gun". there they teach them how to perfect the art of dog fighting then send them off back to their squads so they can teach the pilots there everything they learned. only a maniac would engage in areal warfare with the u.s. with the marines and naval aviators in their hornets and super hornets and you seemed to have left out the air force's f-22 raptor. they're no jokes either. all in all, we got the best planes, best training, and best pilots. we learned our lesson back in Vietnam.
2007-02-14 04:47:13 · answer #7 · answered by LuvingMBLAQ 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
You read a story on the Internet and you believe it to be all encompassing and fact? Yeah....we've been really pulling the war over the world's eyes, but wikipeida has found us out! DRATS, DRATS, and DOUBLE DRATS!!!
I guess we should just give it all up and join the soviet air force. sigh.....
2007-02-14 04:38:59 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
the facts speak for themselves... there's a few more Russian-built aircraft scattered in pieces on the ground caused by US Aircraft and US pilots than vice versa...
2007-02-14 08:20:51 · answer #9 · answered by The Tin Man 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
i don't know. what i do know is that i wouldn't necessarily take Wikipedia's word for it. keep in mind that anyone can change their information, claiming that they're augmenting it.
go to the department of defense website, or the air force. i'm sure they would have more accurate info on what kind of stuff they use.
2007-02-14 04:33:11 · answer #10 · answered by political junkie 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋