hornetfinn wrote:vladimir wrote:Yeah, their missile and avionics technology is so 'backward' that their arms export is the 2nd largest in the world, some 15 billion $ each year.
Like I said, India is free to choose pretty much anything they want from anyone (both Russia and the West), and during the previous 15 years they've chosen to order 464 Russian-built fighter aircrafts Su-30MKI, MiG-29K/KUB/UPG and only 36 Rafales (and now additional 1000 air-to-air missiles for those jets and S-400... and many other stuffs).
Is that why India has been actively seeking I-Derby-ER missile to replace R-77s and ASRAAM to replace R-73 for their Sukhois?
India is NOT seeking I-Derby-ER missile to replace R-77 and SRAAM to replace R-73 for their Sukhois. Those are speculations and fake news, nothing more. No contract was signed for I-Derby-ER or ASRAAM, but the fact is that they are ordering another batch of 1000 R-77 and R-73 missiles, the contract is already signed.
On the contrary, Russian-built R-73s are carried by their French-built Mirage-2000s. Sukhois and MiGs don’t carry non-Russian missiles.
BrahMos missiles will soon be carried by Sukhois and Indian-built Astra air-to-air missiles are basically Russian technology and know-how.
hornetfinn wrote:How about their Sukhois having French and Israeli avionics systems like HUD and EW system?
So what?
It doesn't prove anything.
Don't forget that the majority of avionics in Indian Su-30MKI, MiG-29K and MiG-29UGP is Russian-made and that they have Russian-made N-011M Bars and Zhuk-ME radars. Back in the 2000s the Indians could choose some other radar, but they didn't.
Indian Mirage-2000 has Israeli-made HMD and Russian-made R-73 missiles... so if a French-made aircraft has Russian-made avionics, does it mean that French avionics is 'backward' when compared to Russian/Israeli avionics?
As far as I know, Israeli F-16I has a lot of non-US-made avionics: does it mean that US avionics is 'backward' when compared to Israeli avionics?
BTW, they are also negotiating with Russia for avionics upgrade for Su-30MKI. The first ones where delivered in 2004 and their avionics is now a little bit obsolete.
https://www.janes.com/article/91947/iaf ... h-fightersIAF to upgrade its Su-30MKI fleet and acquire more such fighters
The Indian Air Force (IAF) aims to upgrade its fleet of Sukhoi Su-30MKI multirole fighters by equipping them with advanced avionics, radar, and weapon systems.
“We will upgrade the Su-30MKIs with [modern] radar and weapon capabilities and also tackle their obsolescence management and electronic warfare capabilities,” said Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria during a 4 October press conference, but did not elaborate.
They could choose missiles and avionics from some other country for their Su-30MKIs, but they didn't.
Overall, Russian military-defense industry is highly-developed, they are the 2nd largest arms exporter in the world and their education in engineering, technical, natural sciences (math & physics) is quite good.