🇺🇦⚡️🇷🇺 Part 2 (addressing this analysis) This time no holding back I am gonna tear into this.

Before diving into the analysis, let's address the credibility issue first.

We need to acknowledge that both Russian and Ukrainian sources are prone to exaggeration, especially when reporting air combat. The fog of war is real, and both sides have incentives to control the narrative. Yesterday, there was zero concrete information, and now we’re getting a detailed engagement report? That alone raises questions.

There are a few questions that need answering. Was this even a real engagement and was the SU-35 an upgraded model equipped with an AESA.

If this Su-35 had an upgraded AESA radar, it would change the equation significantly. AESA radars offer faster scanning, better resistance to jamming, and multi-target tracking.

However, Russia has struggled with mass-producing AESA radars, and only a small handful of Su-35s have reportedly been fitted with them.

The standard Irbis-E (PESA) radar is still powerful and can perform mid-course guidance for missiles, so the tactic is possible even without AESA.

The lack of confirmation means this could be pure speculation, a case of “something happened in the sky, let’s make it sound dramatic.”

Air combat in this war has been very methodical and unspectacular. Fighters don’t engage in Hollywood-style dogfights.

There have been very few air-to-air aces or legendary pilots on either side, which is why both are desperate to create a narrative of air combat glory.

"A pair of Ukrainian F-16s were conducting a CAP over Sumy at 16:45 local time."

Ukrainian F-16s have just entered service, and while a CAP over Sumy (close to Russia) makes sense, there has been no reliable confirmation of them flying missions yet.

Ukraine has been extremely cautious with deploying its F-16s. They know these jets are a prime target for Russia, and losing one early would be a huge morale and propaganda hit.

So far, no visual evidence, satellite data, or even leaked radio comms have emerged to confirm these F-16s were even airborne in this area.

The claim comes solely from Russian sources, which raises skepticism.

"A Russian Su-35 flew supersonic over Voronezh to intercept them."

Voronezh is a known launch base for Russian fighter patrols. Su-35s and MiG-31s routinely fly in that sector, so this part is reasonable.

However, the claim of "supersonic" speeds is odd.

Supersonic flight burns a lot of fuel quickly and isn’t ideal for air-to-air missile guidance, which requires stable tracking.

Most BVR (Beyond Visual Range) engagements start at high subsonic speeds, not full afterburner.

If true, this suggests the Su-35 was trying to rush into position, meaning they were likely not well-prepared for the engagement.

"The Su-35 and an S-400 system coordinated an engagement."

Considering the above info this is the most questionable part for me. I analyzed it at face value but after thinking about it for a day I have some issues.

The S-400 launching without using its own radar is highly unusual.

Why? The S-400’s radars are designed to operate in a network. If its radars were off, it means:

They were relying entirely on the Su-35's radar, which is not how SAM doctrine typically works.

The S-400’s missiles still need mid-course updates, and while fighter guidance is possible, it’s not Russia’s standard procedure.

Why would the Su-35 be guiding the missile instead of an A-50 AWACS or ground radar?

Russia has AWACS aircraft for this role, and it would make much more sense for an A-50 to guide the missiles than a single fighter jet.

The fact that a Su-35 had to do this suggests that Russia’s AWACS coverage was lacking at the time. (But this is in conflict with information saying there were AWAC&S present in the sector at the time)

@planenerd

🇺🇦⚡️🇷🇺 Continuation from Above.

"The engagement resulted in a miss."

If true, this is actually bad for Russia.

This suggests one of the following:

1. Missile guidance failed—either due to jamming, poor tracking, or ineffective integration.

2. The F-16s successfully performed evasive maneuvers.

3. The missiles were launched at the wrong moment or with bad targeting data.

Either way, this is not a success story for Russian air defense.

If the engagement happened as described, it actually exposes Russian weaknesses rather than strengths.

They had to improvise an unusual tactic (fighter-guided SAM launch), which suggests they were either testing new methods or struggling with normal procedures.

The missed shots indicate Ukrainian F-16s are harder to hit than expected, which is bad news for Russia’s air defense strategy.


How does this compare globally?

PAF (Pakistan) would not use a fighter to guide a SAM like this. Instead, they’d rely on Erieye AWACS to handle targeting.

NATO and China would prefer a networked AWACS + SAM radar approach rather than an improvised fighter-based method.

@planenerd

Falcon posting

SU-57 doing aerodynamics. I never realized how thin the SU-57 was.

Is the SU-57 the only modern plane with a sliding canopy?

I know back in the day the F-86 Sabre, F-84G ThunderJet and the F9F had sliding canopies as well.

Man the SU-47 was such a sexy plane. I would love to see a SU-57 in black.

⚡️🇵🇰 PAF rehearsals for the 23rd March parade in Islamabad.

@planenerd

⚡️🇵🇰 Sukkur Airport to Launch International Flights

Sukkur Airport is set to begin international flight operations, a move that could transform it into a key aviation hub for upper Sindh. While mainly handling domestic flights, the airport has previously hosted Hajj flights and sees frequent military traffic, including PAF F-16s and transport aircraft.

The airport also plays a strategic role, hosting PAF radar installations that support Shahbaz Airbase in Jacobabad, home to a major F-16 fleet.

With this expansion, Sukkur could see increased connectivity, economic activity, and logistical importance in the region. The city has always been extremely important. As it is the connecting point between North and South Pakistan. It also serves as a link to Quetta. All traffic traveling from Karachi passes through here. Strategically it is one of the most important cities just for transportation reasons alone.

@ThePakistanNews

POV: You think you can hit the sitting ducks that are called “AWACS”