Quote:
Originally Posted by unstable bob gable
Things were so much better when the Russians were the enemy. They never hijacked passenger flights and flew them into our buildings like a bunch of pussies. They had honor and strength in their military, and deserved props for it. Plus they make a dayum good wodka!
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The problem that faced the Soviet Union during the Cold War is the problem thats building for us. They spent so much on military spending, that they ignored domestic issues and bankrupted their country. It's actually a good thing they did in terms of the arms race, because their aircraft were vastly superior to ours, and still are. Their Su-37 Terminator came out twelve years ago, and is much more maneuverable than our F/A-22 Raptor that is just reaching service now. The main reason we 'won' the arms race is infrastructure. The US had, and still has, the best military training program in the world. The Soviet Union couldn't create and maintain a pilot and maintenance training program to provide enough qualified pilots and maintenance personnel. They simply couldn't get all of their planes in the air.
There has also been a lot of talk about Sukhoi getting the contract to build Russia's next air superiority fighter. I'm guessing it'll be airborne within the next three years.
Here's a quick vid of the Su-37. Its a pretty sick plane.
http://www.strategypage.com/military...742333043.aspx