Two US F-35 fighter jets attempted to enter Syrian airspace and approach a Russian military base in the Syrian Arab Republic. However, Russian air defense systems at Khmeimim airbase and Russian naval base in Tartus (Syria) detected it. The US F-35 was confident in its superior stealth capabilities, but it was quickly discovered by Russia. Immediately after being exposed, a Russian Su-30SM was dispatched to intercept. The Su-30SM has just had an F-35 interception that scared US pilots. According to information obtained by the AVP news agency, the Russian fighter jet hid by activating electronic countermeasures and approached two US F-35s without being detected. The appearance of the Su-30SM was completely unexpected for American pilots. Despite the overwhelming advantage in numbers, two F-35 fighters were forced to turn around immediately and leave the border area of ​​Syria. “The F-35 pilots panicked and realized their failure. They don’t think long and want to leave the danger zone,” reads a document published in the Baijiahao publication. Up to this point, this is the second incident involving the Russian Su-30 fighter intercepting the US F-35. Russian patrol cars stopped American armored vehicles a few days ago. In recent times, Russia and the United States have frequently encountered each other in Syria. In each of the US violations, Russia reacts very strongly, thereby sending a clear message to Washington. A few days ago, two US and Russian patrol convoys had a tense clash. The voluntary movement of US forces was stopped by the Russian military police and this is also the second time in about 30 days that the two sides’ forces have clashed on a Syrian highway. The unannounced move is seen as an act of US tension in relations with Russia in Syria. With its fierceness, Russia also had a response message. Recently, a published photo shows Russian patrols approaching a US military facility in the east of the Syrian Arab Republic. The published image shows that Russia’s “Steel Leopard” BTR-82A aimed guns at the US command post and armored vehicles. According to the AVP news agency, this close action proves Russia’s superiority and it is also a way to convey the message “all provocations will be quelled”. The photo shows that the US base and armored vehicles are within range of the “Steel Leopard” BTR-82A. In the photo published on the Telegram community, we can clearly see that the BTR-82A armored vehicle’s gun is aimed directly at the US military base. To this day, it is not clear where and under what circumstances this photo was taken. But, before this photo was published, the Russian military convoy stopped the American convoy. “Iron leopard” BTR-82A terrified many enemies on the battlefield. (ARMIES POWER source) It should also be noted that since the beginning of the year, Russia has significantly increased its presence in the territories of Syria. And from Washington’s perspective, some of the areas where Russian forces have increased their presence are already controlled by US forces. AVP source said that Russian military equipment and even military aircraft have appeared more and more often in these areas. Peace (According to AVP)

The Eurasian Times has just published a graphic image of a single-engine fighter, believed to be of a future design, built by Russia based on the Su-57 fighter, in order to overcome the biggest weakness of this aircraft. , which is the lack of stealth. Accordingly, Sukhoi Corporation has embarked on the design of a new fighter, based on the original design of the Su-57, but enhancing stealth to a new level. Information from the Eurasian Times also said that it is likely that the next design of this new fighter jet will be equipped with only one engine. So far, the Russian Su-57 fighter has always been praised for its excellent maneuverability and speed, but to achieve speed and maneuverability, the Su-57 at the expense of invisibility. Although Russia has never acknowledged it, many military experts believe that the 3D vector engine design on the Su-57 is the fighter’s fatal weakness in front of enemy radars. Unlike the engine design hidden inside the stealth cover of the aircraft like the US F-22 Raptor, the engine of the Su-57 fighter is almost completely exposed. The radar-absorbing shell of the Su-57 fighter does not cover the aircraft’s engine parts, which means that, even though the entire Su-57 is invisible, its engine will still be targeted by enemy radars. side caught. The difficulty of Russia is that the engine of the Su-57 has too good performance, generates a lot of heat and is a 3D vector engine. All of these factors will make the Su-57’s engine impossible to fit inside the aircraft, nor can it be covered with a radar-absorbing shell on the outer surface. The US itself has admitted to trading the maneuverability, as well as the speed of the F-22 Raptor and F-35 fighters in exchange for superior stealth, but with the Su-57 everything is different. does not appear to be going in this direction. In addition, information about Russia’s next 5th generation fighter model will be equipped with an engine, also making many people curious and excited. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia has not built any single-engine light fighter. Russia’s lightest fighter today, probably the MiG-29 – is also equipped with two engines, and can be considered a medium fighter. The single-engine fighter, in theory, is not much inferior to the twin-engine fighter in terms of weapon carrying capacity and aerial range. Not to mention, single-engine fighters will have lower production costs, shorter assembly times, and lower usage and depreciation costs. Currently, on the world market, the US F-16 single-engine fighter is still “hegemonic” and has almost no rival. Despite having only one engine, the US F-16 fighter is still capable of carrying up to 7.7 tons of weapons – only 300 kg less than the maximum weapon load of the Su-30. This is currently also the backbone of the US, with 1,300 in service, the most numerous fighter in the world at the moment. The test pilot pushed the Su-57 fighter to the limit of its maneuverability with a series of unbelievable flight maneuvers. Source: Sukoi.

55ZH6M Nebo-M radar station of the Russian military. Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense Yan Noviko, General Director of Almaz-Antey, said at a forum on new technology in Moscow on May 23: “The Nebo-M radar system is the ‘killer’ of stealth technology. Radar can detect F-22, F-35 relatively easily. Mr. Niviko also said that Almaz-Antey is capable of producing about 30 types of mobile multi-purpose radar, thanks to proper investment in research projects as well as new technology. 55ZH6M Nebo-M is the latest Russian radar, designed and manufactured by the Nizhny Novgorod Radio Engineering Research Institute (NNIIRT) of Almaz-Antey. Along with the Container radar, the Nebo-M surveillance station is considered the backbone of the battlefield radar network on Russia’s land borders. So far, 55ZH6M Nebo-M has been deployed in all the most important directions in Russia. The first Nebo-M complex was delivered to the Western Military District in 2017, followed by combat units stationed in Transbaikalia, Khabarovsk and Primorye. A year later, this advanced radar network was deployed in an air defense unit based in Crimea. The portable Nebo-M system can be rapidly redeployed to other locations by land or air. The new Nebo-M series is capable of detecting aircraft and ballistic missiles at a distance of up to 1,000 km, a big step up from the early Nebo radar systems developed under the Soviet Union. This radar station operates on the principle of active electronic scanning, making the 55ZH6M Nebo-M capable of resisting enemy jamming. When specifically installed to track targets at medium altitudes, Nebo-M radios are sometimes equipped with low-altitude radar systems like the Podlet-E. Is it really something to worry about with US stealth fighters? TASS news agency (Russia) quoted Noviko as saying that stealth technology does not cause difficulties for Russia’s new radar complexes. In theory, this is true, because VHF high-frequency radars like the 55ZH6M Nebo-M can identify an F-35 or F-22 in flight. American stealth fighter F-35. Photo: Reuters American experts say that there are many things to confirm in the Russian statement. Identifying a new target is the first step and part of the process of catching and killing the target with many stages. After locating the target, for example the F-35, the requirement for the radar station is to fix the target, track, and “catch” successfully before transferring the parameters to the unit tasked with destroying the target. target. According to General Dan Flattley, a former F-35 pilot of the US Air Force, in order to destroy the F-35, Russia must build a chain of target destruction. This task is usually performed by Russian anti-aircraft missiles, such as the Russian S-400 defense system. Until now, whether the S-400 is capable of destroying the F-35 or F-22 stealth fighters is still a subject of debate. Technically, it is clear that the 55ZH6M Nebo-M watchdog can identify the US 5th generation fighter. But that’s only part of the battle sequence. Locating is one thing, but whether Russian air defense systems can destroy the F-35 and F-22 is another story, because many factors are involved. If “detect” but not have the ability to “precise attack”, the radar’s performance does not make much sense. US stealth technology only needs to overcome the “destroy” limit of Russian missiles to be considered successful.

According to the latest reports, the number of F-35 fighters in service with the US Air Force, now surpassing all other aircraft of this force, rose to second place – after injections. click F-16. Specifically, with a squadron of F-35 fighters up to 283 aircraft, the number of F-35s of the US Air Force has surpassed both the F-15 and F-10 – two types of backbone aircraft of this force. throughout the decades. The single-engine F-16 fighter with the advantage of low maintenance costs and low operating costs is still the most popular fighter in the US Air Force. Specifically, the US Air Force owns 934 F-16 fighters. This number of F-16s will be gradually replaced by F-35 fighter jets in the future. Designed to be a mixed-attack fighter and strike aircraft, the US F-35 is capable of replacing all other fighters currently in service with this force. However, while the F-35 is being finalized and corrected for hundreds of defects, it still cannot become the backbone of the US Air Force at the present time. In fact, the heavy F-15 fighter jets still have a dominant position in the US Air Force’s bombardments if there is a war. The latest version of the F-15 is the F-15EX, which was rushed into service by this force shortly after making its first flight earlier this year. It is expected that until the 40s of this century, the F-15 will still serve in the US Air Force. As for the A-10 fighter jet, this type of aircraft that is nearly half a century old is still considered “without a worthy substitute”. The failure of the US Air Force to develop a serial version of the A-10 is simply because the aircraft is currently too efficient, and effective enough, until the F-35 comes into its own. future. Up to the present time, the US Air Force owns 279 A-10 Warthog attack aircraft in service. However, only about 60% of these are qualified to fight, the rest need constant revolving maintenance. The US Air Force expects the entire A-10 strike group to be phased out gradually from 2032, even sooner if there are serious accidents in the future. By that point, the F-35 would have to be completed to take the place of the A-10. Photo source: BI. The US is producing F-35 fighters at breakneck speed, both for domestic service and for delivery to allied countries as planned. Source: Chosul.

“The MiG-35 has completed the integration test and received a very positive response from the pilot. There are only a few minor defects that need correction before the MiG-35 officially joins. training and combat in the Russian Air Force, “said a representative of the manufacturer MiG. MiG-35 fighter. MiG-35 fighter (NATO designation Fulcrum-F) is designed to operate in all weather conditions. Can strike air, land and sea, whether it’s a static or dynamic target. Recently, the Russian manufacturer announced the development of a new profile MiG-35D. An impressive showcase version but it’s not really a new platform. Because they are only developed based on the prototype MiG-29KR from the Soviet era. “The name MiG-35 is essentially the Russian manufacturer’s clever intent to market to the market because the number 35 makes many people pay attention to the same power as the Su-35 – a product of the manufacturer Sukhoi or Lockheed Martin’s F-35. But apart from the number 35 with the above fighters, the MiG-35 hardly performed much in the Russian Air Force’s tests and exercises, although they were integrated with the most advanced technology. Now compared to fighters of the same generation, “wrote Peter Suciu. The manufacturer equips the MiG-35 with the Phazatron Zhuk active phase array radar, and the RD-33MK engine pair allows the aircraft to reach maximum speeds of up to Mach 2.5. In terms of weapons, this fighter jet is designed with 9 armaments under the belly to help it carry most types of bombs and weapons available in the Russian Air Force including: Kh-31A anti-ship missiles with active radar probes, Kh-31P anti-radar missiles, Kh-29TE missiles and TV KAB-500Kr guided bombs … In addition, the MiG-35 is also equipped with a gun. 30mm high speed cannon. Information about the MiG-35 program has been known since 2007, but due to slow development, it was not until 2013 that the Russian Air Force announced an order for a plane for testing and evaluation before official. buy 37 pcs. But after 3 years, the manufacturer produced 3 more units. Thus, on average, each year MiG produces 1 MiG-35 fighter. At the current production rate, US experts say it is unclear whether the Russian Air Force will continue to pursue the 37-aircraft deal as agreed or not. This is also the reason why Indian customers have expressed special interest in this fighter line for a long time, but no agreement has yet been signed with the MiG manufacturer. The situation also appears to some customers in Africa and Southeast Asia. “A line of fighters produced for the purpose of domestic and export equipment, but this goal is difficult to accomplish with the MiG-35. Until now, no Russian fighter has produced any quality product. So hiu “, the American expert wrote. However, the MiG-35 is still highly appreciated by the Russian manufacturer. MiG affirmed that, although it is only a 4 ++ generation fighter, the MiG-35 fully converges the leading advanced technologies of the world military aviation industry. MiG-35 is highly competitive with the world’s leading fighters such as the Rafale, Typhoon … because MiG-35 dominates in this race because they have many outstanding features. The MiG-35 is more maneuverable, has more arsenal and is cheaper. Their specifications, avionics, electronic warfare equipment and arsenal allow the MiG-35 to compete with any kind of potential foe. With these systems equipped, in theory, it is not unreasonable for the Russian manufacturer to see the MiG-35 as a rival to the F-35.

According to China’s Sina site, owning an air force ready to fight requires the state to pay huge costs, something not every country can do. “Any country that intends to build its own air force must have a solid economic foundation, otherwise they will not be able to maintain a fleet of fighter aircraft,” Sina said. clear. Chinese military experts noted that the Flanker-class fighters were the main foundation of the country’s air force, and they tried to enumerate the factors that influence the cost of the flight. The first indicator to take into account is the fuel consumption, which is influenced by the fuselage weight and the weapon’s weight. Besides, there is also the flight mode (at a lower fuel consumption rate as opposed to tactical maneuvering); engine model (consumption increase is proportional to engine power); pilot skills. The Su-27 Flanker is used as an example. The total weight of fuel carried by the aircraft is 9.7 tons. At the same time an aviation fuel specific gravity of 0.85 will result in a fuel volume of 11,200 liters. “In a normal flight, the Su-27 in cruise mode, excluding maneuvers, fuel consumption per hour is 3,750 liters, its flight time is 3 hours”. If you calculate that with the current jet fuel price of 6,500 yuan per ton ($ 990), the Su-27’s one-hour flight time will cost 63,000 yuan ($ 9,590), “Sina said. just the most economic state “. If we take into account take-off time and the pilot’s tactical actions, fuel consumption increases by at least three times, or about 200,000 yuan per hour ($ 30,400), Sina said. Given this fact, the Chinese newspaper argues that average countries simply cannot have a large-scale Air Force, if one takes into account these factors. In addition to the amount of fuel consumption, the purchase of ready-made fighters abroad requires the payment of tens of millions of dollars per aircraft, possibly hundreds of millions of dollars. After solving the problem of purchasing combat vehicles (including accompanying weapons), it is necessary to continue investing in the maintenance, maintenance, construction of ground infrastructure and pilot training. “The money to maintain a large number of fighters is extremely expensive. But without its own air force, any country in the modern world could be plundered by the opponent”, Sina confirmed. However, the Chinese newspaper also noted that the flight on the Su-27 is not the culmination of costs, as an hour of flight of the F-35 stealth fighter is estimated at $ 36,000, even though it is only a single engine. The aforementioned amount is mainly calculated into the depreciation cost of machinery or the wear and tear of stealth coating, guaranteed weapons, showing that owning the fifth generation fighter is still a dream of many countries.

F-35 fighter jets. Photo: AFP / VNA

After President Biden came to power in January, the US State Department asked to reconsider the deal passed under former US President Donald Trump. Previously, there was a lawsuit asking to block the deal on the grounds that the UAE was involved in a conflict in Yemen and supported General Khalifa Haftar’s forces in Libya. In this regard, the US State Department said it planned to conduct a candid and continuous dialogue with the UAE.

In the statement, the State Department spokesperson stated that the US administration intends to launch the sale of fighter jets to the UAE, along with reviewing the details, consulting UAE officials to ensure said the two sides to understand the UAE obligations before, during and after delivery. The handover deadline will be in the next few years.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks has expressed concern about the deal. According to this congressman, since the handover of the aircraft will not take place soon, the National Assembly will have plenty of time to evaluate whether to proceed with the deal, as well as whether to impose terms or arguments do not have any restrictions.

If the deal is enforced, the UAE will be the first Arab country to receive F-35 fighters, aircraft capable of gathering intelligence, attacking deep into the territory of the target and combat in the air. Under the plan, the UAE will receive 50 F-35s, equivalent to the fleet size of Israel.

Reuters on 14/4 said, a State Department spokesman revealed, the Biden administration has announced to Congress that they are promoting plans to sell more than 23 billion weapons to the Emirate United (UAE), including advanced F-35 fighter jets.

The US government will continue to promote the plan to sell weapons to the UAE, the spokesman said. “We are continuing to elaborate on the use of these weapons and have consulted with UAE officials.”

America’s state-of-the-art F-35 aircraft. Source: Sina.

According to reports, the plan to sell weapons to the Gulf nation was finalized before Mr. Trump left office. Before that, Mr. Biden suspended this plan to re-examine the agreement.

In the months leading up to the end of its term, the Trump administration approved numerous arms sales contracts worth tens of billions of dollars, including plans to sell 50 F-35 fighters to the UAE. .

The report mentions that some US lawmakers have criticized the UAE’s participation in the Yemen war, believing the Yemen conflict has become one of the most severe humanitarian disasters in the world. They fear that the arms sales may violate previous US commitments to secure Israel’s military superiority in the region.

In December 2020, the US Senate tried to prevent the US from selling F-35 fighter jets to the UAE, but ultimately failed due to differing stances between the parties. On January 20, 2021, just about an hour before Mr. Biden took office as US President, Mr. Trump quickly completed the sale of this large-scale weapon to the UAE.

However, at the end of January 2021, the Biden administration announced that it would re-evaluate the project, the UAE said it expected the results of the evaluation and welcomed the two sides to work together to alleviate tensions and re-start. phone area.

A spokesman for the US State Department on April 13 said that if the plan can be carried out on schedule, it is expected that weapons and equipment will be delivered to the UAE in 2025 or later.

It is known that the Trump administration wants to promote the plan to sell weapons to the UAE to help it deter potential threats from Iran. Trump’s real intention is to put Mr. Biden in a “difficult position” in the Middle East, because this plan will inevitably encounter a strong reaction from Israel, because the UAE’s F-35 will imbalance. balance of military power in the Middle East.

Along with that, Mr. Biden plans to return to nuclear negotiations with Iran, the fact that Mr. Trump pushed the plan to sell the F-35 to the UAE will make Tehran “angry” and difficult to accept again if the US do not cancel this plan.

However, the UAE side is showing little “interest” with the US F-35. Recently, the UAE has high expectations about the purchase of stealth fighter F-35 Lightning II, but due to strong opposition from Israel and the attitude of “considerations” of the US, Dubai has warned that it will change to buy Russian weapons if your requirements are not met.

Experts said that, if the Biden administration continues to “consider” this contract, it may bring the UAE back to negotiate with Moscow on the purchase of Russian fighters. Most likely buys 4.5 generation multi-purpose fighter Su-35.

“The UAE expressed extreme dissatisfaction with Washington’s actions and will most likely refuse to negotiate further with the US on the supply of these weapons due to Washington’s constantly changing position, buying a batch of Su. Russian -35 with the same large budget is quite obvious, even Su-57 fighter jets are considered, “the Russian press said.

It is still unclear exactly what the recent actions of US President Joe Biden are, since since after taking office, Mr. Biden’s policy in the Middle East can be said to be very fuzzy, and focused. into the Europe, Indo-Pacific region.

Some Russian experts believe that Biden’s move may be to prevent Russia from further strengthening its influence in the Middle East through arms exports to the region.

It is still too early to talk about the prospect of the UAE buying Russian weapons, as the US is still willing to impose sanctions under the CAATSA Act on the UAE, not to mention that they can offer upgraded versions. of the F-15 and the F-16 feature the Su-35 equivalent as an alternative.

The Joe Biden administration notified the US Congress of its decision to sell a $ 23.37 billion arms shipment to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), US congressional officials said on Monday. April 13.

The deal includes 50 F-35 stealth fighters, 18 MQ-9B armed drones (UAVs), and air-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles.

A State Department spokesperson said the Biden administration would execute the deal while “continuing a detailed assessment and consultation with UAE officials” on how the weapons were used.

The initial negotiated terms indicated that the UAE could receive the first F-35 by 2027.

The Biden administration in late January suspended a series of arms sales initiated under former President Donald Trump, including a contract of more than $ 23 billion with the UAE to review and demonstrate a commitment to “transparency. and good governance “.

The arms deal with the UAE has been opposed by many bipartisan lawmakers, on the grounds that they could be used in the war in Yemen, the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

The US Senate last year tried to block the deal but failed.

The decision also made the UAE the first Arab country and the second Middle East country to own the F-35 after Israel. Israeli officials have repeatedly expressed concerns about the possibility of the US selling the F-35 stealth fighter to Arab countries, saying it would affect the balance of military power in the region.

However, Tel Aviv expressed no objection to the deal passed by the Biden administration.

The F-35 is the fifth generation stealth fighter in the United States, along with the F-22 they are the only fifth generation aircraft to enter service.

Representatives of Russia, China, and Japan are still in the experimental and final stage.

Despite its reputation, training tests show that the F-35s are formidable fighters and have excellent combat prowess.

Against famous fourth-stance fighters such as the US F-15, French Rafale and European Typhoon, the F-35 often wins overwhelming. Currently the F-35 has been produced in numbers in the thousands. with all three versions A, B, C.

The F-35 was developed from the X-35 under the Joint Attack Fighter Project (JSF), which is a single-seat fighter, capable of stealth, multipurpose, real missions include: air support, tactical bombing, and air-to-air combat.

The F-35 was designed and built by an aerospace industrial complex led by Lockheed Martin with other members BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman.

The F-35 made its maiden flight on December 15, 2006, making it the second stealth fighter in the world.

In terms of specifications, the F-35 has a length of 15.67m; wingspan 10.7m; 4.33m height; wing surface area 42.7m2; unladen weight 13,200kg; loaded weight 22,470m2; the largest take-off weight 31,800kg.

The F-35 can reach a maximum speed of 1,930 km / h; Maximum flight range of 2,200km; combat radius of 1,100km; Wing lift 526 kg / m2.

In terms of weaponry, the F-35 fighter has 1 GAU-12 / U 25mm cannon mounted in the F-35A body with 180 rounds or mounted outside the wings as on the F-35B and F-35C versions with 220 bullets.

The aircraft can carry up to 3.5 tons of weapons in stealth mode, while in “monster” mode the F-35 can carry up to 10 tons of weapons including air-to-air, land-to-air and anti-aircraft missiles. ship to bombs.

In addition, it also owns a state-of-the-art electronic warfare system, helping to gain advantage over opponents.

The F-35 has had an impressive performance in Afghanistan and Syria, the fighter’s effectiveness in combat has somewhat defeated but earlier doubts about its strength.

Currently, the US continues to increase capacity of F-35 factories to hand over to customers.

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