Why are most Russian fighter jets bigger and heavier than American jets?

anatta

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https://www.quora.com/Why-are-most-Russian-fighter-jets-bigger-and-heavier-than-American-jets

Russia has indeed opted to focus on bigger and heavier aircraft than the US. While the US has opted to concentrate on smaller designs like the F-16, F/A-18 and F-35, the Flanker family is currently the backbone of the Russian Air Force. Flankers are roughly equivalent in size to the US’s F-15 and F-22, which were only procured in comparatively small numbers.

Russian defense planners believe that airbases are becoming increasingly vulnerable to stand-off munitions like cruise missiles. Fighter aircraft are indisputably one of the most powerful classes of systems on the modern battlefield. As such, in a conventional war an emphasis would be placed on knocking out the other side’s fighters in the first hours of combat. Fighters can be particularly vulnerable, because they spend most of their time at fixed bases. The location of these bases is generally known to the other side. These bases are easy targets for modern precision-guided weapons like cruise missiles.

To mitigate some of this vulnerability, the Russian Air Force has focused on acquiring fighters with longer ranges. This allows Russia’s fighters to base outside the range of many stand-off munitions. Additionally, it increases the probability that any munitions fired against a base will be intercepted before they manage to reach their target. It also increases reaction time. If the fighter pilots know an hour in advance that a strike is coming, they might be able to get their planes in the air, avoiding the destruction of their aircraft.
 
As a rule of thumb, in order to increase an aircraft’s range, it has to be made larger. As a result, Russia has decided to focus on acquiring heavy fighters. There are other advantages associated with these types of planes.
They can carry a larger payload. Their ability to carry more missiles increases their effectiveness in an air-to-air, because all things considered the more missiles they send down range, the increased probability of a hit. Additionally, fighters with larger engines generate more electrical power, allowing them to house more powerful radars and other sensors.

Nevertheless, larger aircraft like the Flanker are also more expensive. The US ultimately opted to focus on smaller aircraft to allow them to buy more of them. However, the Russian military found that light fighters like the Mig-29 were not that much cheaper than heavy fighters like the Su-27 to make up for the lost capabilities.
 
Ever watched Harriers taking off? They were so loud even I could hear them.
not in person. Jet engines are generally LOUD. People dont realize how loud weapon systems are

I went to a live fire demonstration at Edgewood Proving Grounds (Maryland)

There were tanks (targets) and a Apache Attack Helicopter swooped in (I was sitting in a grandstand) and leveled off and fired Hellfire down range. then lit up the target with Gatling guns (cannon?)
 
I first watched an harrier taking off at an air show. That was in 80's when I was a teenager. Imagine the sound. I could feel the wind and the vibration. And mostly importantly... hear it.


My uncle is an officer at LAFB. I asked him about Harriers. He was like MEH. Them F-16s or something else were better.

The irony is? I was required to wear a hearing protection headphones. I was like dude uncle I am deaf. He be like dude them's the rules.
 
Scary paragraph:

Close in, the JSF does not have the maneuverability of the Raptor––or even a F-16 or F/A-18. If forced into a dogfight, an American F-35 pilot’s superior skills and experience might be the only factor that might save him or her from being shot down. The fact is that an F-35 in stealthy configuration armed only with internal weapons cannot currently carry the AIM-9X high off-boresight missile. If the AIM-9X were one day integrated into the weapons bays, it would come at the cost of an AIM-120 rail—which is arguably a better weapon for an aircraft like the F-35. Basically, an F-35 pilot should avoid a close in fight at all costs.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/russian-fighter-jet-threat-america-1-reason-81866
 
Wasn't at that time but it's the general idea. Despite the distance, it was so loud you could feel it at the distance.

F-16 taking off at LAFB.

 
Course you can guess why I (me people) like the military jets and rock groups. Can you? I forgot about the Harley Davidsons.

 
main-qimg-6109ab64ca2ecfe74ba4b8371701708f

https://www.quora.com/Why-are-most-Russian-fighter-jets-bigger-and-heavier-than-American-jets

Russia has indeed opted to focus on bigger and heavier aircraft than the US. While the US has opted to concentrate on smaller designs like the F-16, F/A-18 and F-35, the Flanker family is currently the backbone of the Russian Air Force. Flankers are roughly equivalent in size to the US’s F-15 and F-22, which were only procured in comparatively small numbers.

Russian defense planners believe that airbases are becoming increasingly vulnerable to stand-off munitions like cruise missiles. Fighter aircraft are indisputably one of the most powerful classes of systems on the modern battlefield. As such, in a conventional war an emphasis would be placed on knocking out the other side’s fighters in the first hours of combat. Fighters can be particularly vulnerable, because they spend most of their time at fixed bases. The location of these bases is generally known to the other side. These bases are easy targets for modern precision-guided weapons like cruise missiles.

To mitigate some of this vulnerability, the Russian Air Force has focused on acquiring fighters with longer ranges. This allows Russia’s fighters to base outside the range of many stand-off munitions. Additionally, it increases the probability that any munitions fired against a base will be intercepted before they manage to reach their target. It also increases reaction time. If the fighter pilots know an hour in advance that a strike is coming, they might be able to get their planes in the air, avoiding the destruction of their aircraft.

i guess because russians like to be third best when it comes to having the best fighter jets and pilots. Some experts have them ranked above the Israelis.
 
not in person. Jet engines are generally LOUD. People dont realize how loud weapon systems are

I went to a live fire demonstration at Edgewood Proving Grounds (Maryland)

There were tanks (targets) and a Apache Attack Helicopter swooped in (I was sitting in a grandstand) and leveled off and fired Hellfire down range. then lit up the target with Gatling guns (cannon?)

Turbine engines are loud, but the AV8 Harrier is very loud.

The Apache has a 30mm chain gun. It's very good against vehicles and buildings.
 
I first watched an harrier taking off at an air show. That was in 80's when I was a teenager. Imagine the sound. I could feel the wind and the vibration. And mostly importantly... hear it.


My uncle is an officer at LAFB. I asked him about Harriers. He was like MEH. Them F-16s or something else were better.

The irony is? I was required to wear a hearing protection headphones. I was like dude uncle I am deaf. He be like dude them's the rules.

The AV8 has a close air support mission for Marines. The F-16s are primarily light fighters. Different missions require different aircraft.
 
The jet fighters are primarily props.
Even in the Soviet era, there was never going to be a hot war between the the USSR and the USA.
That would mean millions perishing from nuclear warfare.

The cold war was a convenient ploy to help BOTH sides persecute domestic dissidents.
On our side, we had McCarthyism and the House Unamerican Activities Committee doing it.
The Russian went bigger with gulags and assassinations.
Nobody, obviously, had clean hands.

Russia is now doing better dealing with us than the Soviet Union ever did.
They've got 74,000,000 American traitors openly operating for them.
They couldn't achieve that with communism, but adopting fascism did the trick.
 
The jet fighters are primarily props.
Even in the Soviet era, there was never going to be a hot war between the the USSR and the USA.
That would mean millions perishing from nuclear warfare.

The cold war was a convenient ploy to help BOTH sides persecute domestic dissidents.
On our side, we had McCarthyism and the House Unamerican Activities Committee doing it.
The Russian went bigger with gulags and assassinations.
Nobody, obviously, had clean hands.

Russia is now doing better dealing with us than the Soviet Union ever did.
They've got 74,000,000 American traitors openly operating for them.

They couldn't achieve that with communism, but adopting fascism did the trick.
lol.. DA RUSSIANS!! that is soooo fucking passe' . up your villains .. The CCP are bad boys
 
The jet fighters are primarily props.
Even in the Soviet era, there was never going to be a hot war between the the USSR and the USA.
That would mean millions perishing from nuclear warfare.

The cold war was a convenient ploy to help BOTH sides persecute domestic dissidents.
On our side, we had McCarthyism and the House Unamerican Activities Committee doing it.
The Russian went bigger with gulags and assassinations.
Nobody, obviously, had clean hands.

Russia is now doing better dealing with us than the Soviet Union ever did.
They've got 74,000,000 American traitors openly operating for them.
They couldn't achieve that with communism, but adopting fascism did the trick.

You're beyond insane!
 
.
The Russians are developing new drones including a 20 tonne one to carry weapons improving the standoff capability of the Su-57. The UK and Sweden plan something similar with Tempest, a sixth gen. fighter. The F-35 is beginning to look like a flying dodo.

It always was.
 
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