Malaysian AF or F/A-18 vs MiG-29 and Su-30

[Katmandu]

It came to my attention that Malaysia is flying both Western and Russian jets in its air force. It also imploys US and (I assume) Russian pilots as instructors. Does anyone have any info like youtube clips and interviews where simulated dogfights between rival aircraft are discussed?

This interview has the briefest of mentions, but at least it proves that evaluation dogfights did take place.

 

@6:33

 

 

 

Would be cool to watch and read (a lot more) about this.

 

EDIT: Found this article https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/hornet-v-mig-5996629/?page=2

 

The Hornet and MiG rocketed past each other at a combined velocity of nearly 1,000 mph, granting each side a clear, albeit fleeting, view of the opposing jet. Both fighter pilots banked hard, each trying to maneuver into position first and stay there long enough to make the other one fall victim to an air-to-air missile or a volley of cannon rounds.

 

The MiG went nose-high, its pilot relying on the Fulcrum’s superior thrust-to-weight ratio to vertically outrun the Hornet. Anticipating this, Shipley had pulled the Hornet’s nose up and torqued the jet inside the trajectory of the MiG, a maneuver generating 6.8 Gs. Fifteen seconds and two high-G turns later, with the tail of the MiG directly ahead and the distinctive squeal in his headset telling him the infrared seeker in one of the Hornet’s missiles had a lock, Shipley squeezed a red trigger on his control stick, sending a signal to fire. Forty-five seconds into the engagement, the Hornet’s mission computer confirmed a simulated kill.

 

The U.S. aviators come to Kuantan realizing that because they fly more often than the Malaysians, they are more seasoned, particularly since almost all have actual combat experience. But Air Warrior focuses on air superiority sorties, which the Marine pilots have typically flown only against other U.S. aviators and aircraft. “I’ve trained against Air Force F-16s, F-15s, even the F-22 Raptor, but this is the first time with the Fulcrum,” says Shipley, the executive officer of 225 and a former Blue Angels demonstration pilot. “It is just a phenomenal experience for us to see how a MiG actually performs.” The experience might one day be critical for U.S. pilots, given that the MiG-29 is flown by various U.S. adversaries, including Syria, Iran, Cuba, and North Korea.

 

all engagements begin the same: After takeoff, the MiGs and Hornets climb to 15,000 feet. Traveling at 350 knots (about 400 mph), they maintain a separation from each other of about a mile. The agreed-upon “hard deck” lies 5,000 feet above ground level; if a fighter flies below 5,000 feet, it has “crashed.” The two sides split, and once out of visual range, the high-G dance begins: Each turns toward the other, with each pilot trying to get a tactical advantage over the other, putting his aircraft in position to fire its weapons. (The U.S. fighters are equipped with Sidewinder missiles stripped of motors and warheads. The MiGs are flying “slick,” without their usual array of air-to-air missiles.)

While each engagement evolves uniquely, both sides follow the same approach: Work the aircraft for all of its advantages over the other, and try to deny the opponent from working his advantages over you. Since the MiG-29 and F/A-18 are fairly evenly matched, victory usually boils down to pilot skill.

 

“The Americans have better radar, better weapons, so we try to get in close,” says Major Patricia Yapp Syau Yin of the Malaysian air force, recounting a one-on-one engagement she had against a Hornet. “Try to defeat their radar capabilities by doing aggressive moves—zooming in. We have to try to roll in behind them, not roll in front of them. Weapon-wise, software-wise, they are one up. But power-wise, we are one up.” The MiG-29N that the Malaysians fly has a top speed of Mach 2.3 and a climb rate of 65,000 feet per minute; the F/A-18D’s maximum speed is Mach 1.8 with a climb rate of 50,000 feet per minute. The Hornet, however, is a more maneuverable aircraft, with a fly-by-wire control system and more advanced avionics and cockpit displays.

By the end of Air Warrior, the Marines had won virtually all of the air-to-air fights (with a few draws). But the Malaysians say they appreciate even the losses. “Every year we learn something new from the Americans,” says Major William. “With the limited number of assets, we can train only so much. Everything that we can take from the Americans, we will take.” The Hornet pilots too value the experience. “Training here is looked at the same way as training back in the States,” says Peter McArdle.

Edited October 29, 2019 by Katmandu

[Teknetinium]

Nice pictures, Yes, Malaysian Pilots know what they are talking about ;)

[Keks]

There are some hornet vs 29 articles out there from when germany still had 29Gs (modified A) and was testing those against the swiss hornets or doing aggressor stuff in the US

[Weta43]

Interesting, but not really very insightful into the actual WVR combat qualities of the two aircraft, given that the

"US aviators come to Kuantan realizing that because they fly more often than the Malaysians, they are more seasoned"

, and the Malaysians say that:

"With the limited number of assets, we can train only so much..."

[Boogieman]

AFAIK the Malaysians are no slouches. Their MiG29 + R77 + R73 + HMD combo gave our (RAAF) A Model Hornets serious problems back in the 90's. From what I've heard it was this experience that provided momentum for the RAAF HUG program and saw our bugs upgraded to the latest C/D standard (with ASRAAM instead of 9X). This tended to tilt things back the other way.

 

The feedback has generally been that the Fulcrum is a rocket ship when it comes to acceleration, and potent in a two circle rate fight. The Hornet tends to have the upper hand in the low speed regime, where it can impose a one circle radius fight. They are both extremely potent BFM machines when played to their strengths.

 

EDIT: Some relevant testimony (1:00:40):

l1X4IYYYDVk

Edited October 31, 2019 by Boogieman