USAF F-15 pilot describes engagements with Indian Su-30MKI fighters during Red Flag 2008
The cliff notes version? Jamming between aircraft nullified the radar missiles and allowed the aircraft to come into the merge. The Indians tried to use their post stall maneuvering (i.e. “air show tricks”) early and often. The US pilots had learned to counter such moves through mock ACM with the F-22. They used the tactics they had developed to easily move in behind the Flankers when they started “sinking” and to quote the pilot, “drilled their brains out with guns”.
We also learn what most of us already know through Colonel Fornof’s lectures: The Su-30, though able to perform similar maneuvers during air shows, isn’t anywhere close to being in the same league as the F-22 in reality.
He does go on to state that once the Indians truly learn how to “fight” their Flankers, then they should start winning more than they lose against standard F-15C and F-16C models. But the Su-30 doesn’t even begin to approach the Raptor. And it also sounds like he is hinting that upgraded Eagles with AESA radar may also prove superior. Obviously, in a close-in dogfight, the F-15 in it’s current state is more than capable of fighting against the Su-30 and winning as long as it is being operated by quality crews.
At any rate, I just found those videos interesting when I watched them last night. I figured I might as well post them up this morning for anyone who may not have seen these. Pretty interesting insight from someone “in the know”. While good, obviously the Su-30 isn’t quite the invincible machine many people have tried to make it out to be in recent years. In fact, it appears it only achieves parity at best with a design 20 years older than it is!
F22 is still undergoing testing and has not been deployed anywhere for active missions as far as i know.