PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - F-35 Cancelled, then what ?
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Old 31st Mar 2013, 19:17
  #1521 (permalink)  
Milo Minderbinder
 
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Stuffy
the Chinese are just learning how to run a ship
the Russians have taken their carrier out of service and are completely rebuilding it in preparation for the delivery of their Mig-29K fleet. Their ski-ramp SU-33 fleet have been (or are in the process of being) withdrawn. They were big aircraft and the suggestion is they were too big to fly from the deck loaded.
Theres even a rumour that when (if?) Kuzetsnov reappears it may have catapults. It probably depends on what the Indians discover.
India are getting their Mig-29K's first. The big question is whether they can be flown with a payload. These are smaller and maybe capable of STOBAR with a payload. However the Indians haven't sent them to sea yet as their Russian built carrier is not yet in service.
But....all the videos I can find of the Mig-29K prototypes flying from russian ships shows them unarmed.

And.... the fact that only a year or ago India were still discussing Sea Griffin and Seaphoon suggests all may not be well with the Russian aircraft.
There isn't a STOBAR aircraft in service which has shown it can launch with a payload
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