Whats the deal with the SU47?, page 4

Dima, Waynos stated correctly. BVR and off-boresight targeting are very different capabilities.

Off boresight targeting is not particularly important in BVR engagements, because the missile using inertial guidance and is getting it's targeting data from the AC via datalink in the first phase of flight. When the target comes within the missile's radar range, it transitions to internal guidance from it's own radar. The current US BVR missile is the AIM120C AMRAAM. The Russian equivalent is the AA-12 Adder.

Off-boresight capabilities become important in close range encounters. This is when you want to be able to launch even when you are not pointed at the target. These missiles are IR guided, with gimballed seekers, and are aimed via a helmet mounted cuing system. the current US version is the AIM-9X, and the Russian equivalent is the AA-11 Archer. These are short range systems, WVR.

A couple other points should be made. First wrt stealth, the SR-71 was not a particularly stealthy AC. What is was was a fast and high flyer. The Russians saw them on the flyovers, they just couldn't do anything about them. By the time an intercept could be scrambled, or a SAM could be launched, the Blackbird was out of range. As the USSR improved her SAM's the US decided that the flyovers were getting too risky, so we stopped.

But I know for a fact that ARTCC radars routinely picked them up in the US. But they were not squawking, so no data was available to the controllers. But when you have a 5-minute vector that goes clear across your radar, you know it's not a passenger plane. Ask any veteran Air Traffic Controller if he's ever seen an SR-71 on his screen.

Dima, another correction-the Cope India excersizes were with F-15C's not E's. They operated without AWACS support and with reduced radar range. They were outnumbered and yes, the AIM120's were restricted to 1/3 range. I posted some detail about this on the Cope India thread. But if you think the excersizes were in any way representative of what would happen in a real engagement, you don't understand DACT.

It does not serve any purpose to compare an F-22 against an SU-47, or any other Russian platform that will not be built. Keep in mind that F-22's will not operate independently, they will have AWACS support and datalinks, so they are not dependent on onboard systems for targeting. AIM120C's have a datalink also, so they can get targeting data from any compatible AC, including the AWACS. One single AC in the squadron can fly out ahead and greatly expand the range of the AWACS operating in the rear. All AC in the squadron will share the same data. So Raptor pilots need not have their radars active to target opposing forces at BVR ranges.

As far as capabilities, in IOT&E testing, a single Raptor took out 5 F-15E's equippedwith AESA radars. The F-22 just went down the line and picked them off one at a time. The F-15's never saw the Raptor. Any Flanker pilot that decides to play with a Raptor will meet the same fate.