A Su-35C fighter © Vitaliy Ankov / Sputnik
RT: Russian pilot: We were always ‘on the tail’ of US-led coalition planes during Syria encounters
Russian pilots always managed to get behind the opponent’s plane when they encountered US-coalition fighter jets in the Syrian air, a Russian ace said after receiving a state award from President Putin at the Kremlin.
“When meeting our partners from the Western coalition in the air, we always found ourselves ‘on their tails’ as the pilots say, which means victory in a dogfight,” Russian Airspace Forces major, Maksim Makolin, said.
The so-called ‘lag pursuit’ when the nose of an attacking plane points at the tail of the opponent’s aircraft is considered the optimum location in an aerial fight. It allows the plane at the back a range of options, from increasing or maintaining range without overshooting to freely attacking, all the while remaining concealed in the blind spot behind the defending aircraft.
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WNU Editor: I am sure that the U.S. planes permitted them to do this during their missions .... and I am also sure that these U.S. pilots are watching very closely what these Russian jets are exactly doing on each "encounter".
Getting on the opponents 6 oclock has been the obession of fighter pilots since WW1. Often at the exclusion potentialy more effective
ReplyDeleteactivities, than taking out the opposition one plane at a time.
You'd think that by 2017, airforces would deploy highly effective
rearward facing and fireing weapons as a soultion to this idiocy.
WNU Editor,
ReplyDeleteWhat would lead you to think that the US pilots "permitted them to do this." Why would US pilots allow Russian pilots into their blind spots where essentially they are sitting ducks for the Russian pilots? Very respectfully this makes no sense.
With the Russian pilots in the blind spots of the US pilots how exactly were the US pilots going to watch "very closely what these Russian jets are exactly doing on each encounter." They would have been unable to see them let alone watch very closely what they were doing. Very respectfully this makes no sense either.
One of two things might be at work here. 1.)The American pilots were ordered to essentially surrender to the Russian pilots essentially leaving themselves vulnerable to anything and everything the Russians might want in order to avoid potential conflict with the Russians. In other words, commit suicide should a Russian pilot decide to shoot them down. 2.)The Russian pilots and their planes are better than the American pilots and their planes. At a minimum, the Russian pilots are simply better than the American pilots.
Scenario 1 seems extremely unlikely as no sane person is going to put themselves in a suicide position to please a bureaucrat/politician. There would be mass mutiny if such orders were given. As such, scenario 2 is likely the case.
Across the US military morale is low, training is poor, leadership is substandard, and equipment is substandard compared to a "peer." Much of this has been brought about by a series of unending and fruitless military operations around the world that do nothing to advance US security or economic interests and do much to undermine them.
While we cannot "know" the outcome of any military conflict until it actually happens and I sincerely hope I am wrong, I suspect if Russian and American pilots ever did get into it over Syria or anywhere else it would end very badly for the US side with most if not all of the US air assets destroyed or neutralized very quickly with only minimal to no loss for the Russian side. The evidence against the US as some sort of "super power" just continues to pile up. Yet some, likely for ideological purposes, continue to ignore reality. As for the US military once we get past the "military porn" that is marketed to the world, there really isn't much "there" there.
Yesterday you had posted on the growing problem of homelessness in CA. It is very bad in the Houston, TX area where I live, as it is bad all over America. The best description of America right now is "Potemkin Village." The leaders of such nations probably don't need to be squandering precious resources challenging Russia in Syria/Ukraine or China in the South China Sea. Such nations as ours need to be focused on addressing our very serious domestic problems. The sooner leaders and others face up to reality the sooner we can begin to constructively address these things.
The amount of training and the calibre of training u.s pilots receive over their Russian counterparts makes WNU conclusion conclusion the most likely.
DeleteLet's not forget they are probably still blissfully unaware of the f22 shadowing them."
ReplyDeleteB.Poster,
You forgot to mention Scenario 3, which is the RT article is a load of crap. The yanks had F-22's in theatre for gods sake. Btw the article quotes a Russian "ace" which we all know haven't existed since WW2 or maybe Vietnam war.
There's also something called de-escalation. Plus it is smarter to let your adversary believe he/she is better. Why give them free training?! Let them get behind quickly ...and then if there's a war, oh the surprise. ..watching TopGun videos didn't prepares you for war with the US at all, did it? Damn. ..my bad, Ivan.
ReplyDeleteFazman,
ReplyDeleteYou may well be correct. After all I was careful to point out that we cannot "know" the outcome in advance. Now IF I'm right and I believe I am and I'm POTUS US policy will need to be adjusted accordingly.
As evidence to support my position a number of reports have suggested simulator time and training hours have been cut to save money, corners have been cut on equipnent maibtenance and oversight to keep the limited amount of equipment in the field, trained flight personnel have been leaving the military in droves for private sector jobs because they are sick and tired of being ground to powder during fruitless operations that not only don't advance American interests but actually undermine them and they need to feed to feed their families, and pilot trainers have been pulled off of training because there are to few pilots to fly actual missions. Additionally morale is low accross all branches of the military. Of this I have firsthand knowledge. The antics of the leadership don't help.
I would also add to "allow" someone to humiliate you as the Russians did here is spectacularly bad policy. It may embolden a potential adversary leading him to try something bolder later which would increase tensions and increase the risks of hot war. This would be a bad idea in and of itself. Additionally you further sap the morale of our military forces. While I generally detest game analogies when talking about matters as serious as war, there's nothing that hurts the will of a team more than the coach saying don't give it your all. To sum up, such an approach increases the risks of war and would be stupid.
While I have much respect for both you and the editor, I find no evidence that that the US would "let" such things happen, to do so puts our people in grwve danger, raises the risks of hot conflict as a potential adversary is emboldened, and it seems dubious that our people would allow their leaders to live very long if they gave such orders. Such a claim would need extraordinary proof. Duch proof is lacking.
Anon,
Why is RT "crap?" Can it be any worse than the NYT? Not likely. So you don't like the message. Be very careful not to shoot the messenger.
The claims made in the article, while perhaps inaccurate, have merit. See my response to Fazman. F-22, more military porn and without properly trained crews it's no good anyway. I'm pretty sure the Russians aren't real worried about them.
Is there a lack of Russian "ace" pilots? Maybe there are. With that said the Russian military has performed extremely well in conflicts like Georgia, Syria, and Ukraine. In fact, they've performed better in these conflicts than American forces have in similar conflicts, so much so in fact that Col. Ralph Peters was forced to admit this in the Georgian conflict.
As such, the orginal analysis still stands. Hopefully I'm wrong. US leaders and DJT included seem he!l bent on a conflict we don't need, our prospects of victory are dubious at best, if we did "win" we'd gain nothing of real value, and there's much potential gain from cooperation with Russia along with no real downside. Perhaps American and "western" leaders have gone stark raving mad.
B Poster there is absolutely zero evidence that these events actually occurred, and perhaps are statements designed for domestic consumption.
DeleteYes they do fear the f22,every nation does, just as the su35 and 37 are feared.
Anon # 2,
ReplyDeleteI adressed just the issue you raised in my reply to fazman and Anon # 1. The editor has not posted it yet.
If you allow your adversary to think he is "better," he is more likely to get himself killed doing sonething stupid or worse you get killed because you "held back." Such actions will not lead to "de-escaltion." They will only lead to escalation of conflict which we should want to avoid.
It's best to let a potential adversary know straight away what he's dealing with and messing with you will end badly for said adversary. War is NOT Poker. War is NOT a card game and it is definitely NOT a Top Gun video.
Top Gun Video?!!? Seriously?!!? Actually by using such an analogy you reveal you are not a serious person. Serious people do not make war plans or analysis based upon such things as Top Gun.