BladeLWS

Even though it has no relevance to this topic, I'll entertain ya. *pulls out Brassey's World Aircraft and System's Directory*. Lets see, ok here it is. Manufacturer: NIIP. Designation: N-011/N-011M (multirole) Type: Unknown Antenna Type: Flat slotted. N-011M is phased array derivative Operating Modes AA: TWS, LD/SD Operating Modes AG: Ground mapping, TFR Tracking capability: 15 Engagement Capacity: 4-6 Max range: 43-54 miles (80-100 km) fighter head on, 16-21.5 miles tail on; 108 miles in surface to surface mode Comments: Coverage 85 degrees in azimuth, 55 degrees in elevation But in comparison to other radars its range is pretty small. The current radar used on the Eagle's the APG-70 has a 100+ mile range, and the Tomcat's APG-71 has a range of 115+ miles.

Because if you knew jack about ECM and jamming that with the APG-77's freq jumping it's almost unjammable. It changes freqs so fast that ECM's can't lock on and jam it, and if it does lockon the freq changes a millesecond later. This is compared to the F-16's four frequencies with the APG-66. What the Raptors radar does is that it beams all of its radar energy directly at its target, scrambling all of its electronic sensors with so much data it overloads them.

Because the APG-77 changes frequencies 1,000 times per second and it has the capability to overload the sensors of any other aircraft, effectively blinding them.

The Raptor has no AOA limiters and its capable of manuvering below stall speed, so in essence its AOA is unlimited. Basically if the pilot wanted to he could flip the Raptor on a dime, if he didn't black out first... and the put on the brakes and let him blow past from Top Gun, seems like it might work with the Raptor. ;)

No it's not, check this pic. http://www.danshistory.com/images/f14_tomcat_02l.jpg That pod infront of the foward landing gear door is the IRST. I believe it was put on the Tomcat for shooting down cruise missiles approaching a carrier fleet.

The Tomcat has had an IRST system for years. I'm not sure about other fighters though, the Raptor may be the first US fighter since the Tomcat to have one, let alone two of them.

Manny the F-117 has been around since 1982, it was designed in the 1970's, so yea its stealth capabilities are outdated. The Raptors radar changes the shape, power, and direction of the radar beam continuously making it hard to track. Anyways it doesn't always need to use the radar all the time, since the Raptor has two IRST systems, one in each wing behind faceted windows.

Neither would I, because I wouldn't know it was there until an AMRAAM went into terminal guidance mode on me. But saying that the F/A-22 is ugly and that it has no soul, thems fightin words... Come to think of it with the Raptors 35,000lbs thrust engines and high altitude capabilities it may be able to fly above the missile envelopes of current Russian fighters LOL. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/images/f-22-weaps-mg27.gif Oh and guys, if it carries external pylons it can carry EIGHT AMRAAM's externally along with the six internally (along with two sidewinders in the waist bays) in the ferry config. That would be quite the pucker factor there with 14 AMRAAM's pointed in your face... even though the stealth characteristics would be shot, I don't think anything could survive that missile load. And those'll probably be AIM-120D model's with 50% more range than the Charlie model.

So what you're saying is that Russia is fielding aircraft at the same tech level of aircraft that the US fielded in the late 80's right? :rolleyes: And like someone else said earlier, the US has more F/A-22's in active combat squadrons ready for deployment right now then Russia has SMT's or SKM's. Russia is lagging behind the US in modern combat aircraft by 15 years or more, because of its financial situation, and no one can make an argument against that. Also the Patriot has been upgraded numerous times since the Gulf War, I think its on its 3rd series now? This is whats going to replace it come 2011, the THAAD http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/thaad.htm

ehem, you can't really compare one aircraft to another when one has 104 confirmed kills (including 8 MiG-29 Fulcrums) and zero losses (worlds only jet fighter with a perfect combat record) compared to an aircraft with no combat record... :icon_roll