What Aircraft to Replace Vietnam Air Force's MiG-21?

11 Juli 2020

VPAF MiG-21 (photo : Sputnik)

Recently, the Vietnamese media once again questioned the need to replace obsolete military aircraft squadrons in the Vietnam Air Force.

The Russian portal topwar.ru citing VietDefense noted that in this case, the Vietnamese side is in a quite complicated situation: it is not easy to find an appropriate plan to replace the number of expired MiG-21 aircraft. onions. Currently, Russia does not produce single-engine light fighters, but these fighters are still being built in the United States, Sweden, India and China. Theoretically, if purchased, Vietnam will have, but in fact, doing so can become too expensive economically and politically, which is very seriously emerging.

With the support of an experienced military aviation expert, Sputnik tried to explain the situation.
       
What is the F-16?

Last year, at the DSE-2019 Defense Exhibition in Hanoi, the United States introduced one of the newest fighter versions «Battle Falcon», the F-16 Block 70/72 fighter. Indeed, the F-16 is one of the most requested fighters in the world, with a total fleet of more than 4,000 aircraft. This aircraft is serving in the air force of 26 countries around the world (including the United States itself).

Comments to Sputnik, the Reserve Colonel of the Russian Aerospace Forces, Dr. Military Science Makar Aksyonenko noted: 
«F-16 is actively used in local wars and armed conflicts (in particular, to conduct surprise attacks without invading active air defenses or counter-areas) attack of enemy aircraft). But even in such a «sterile guarantee" condition, the loss of F-16 during the entire time of the local war was still nearly 160. Moreover, since the beginning of service, 671 «air combat» aircraft of this type have been recorded, (of which 286 are US Air Force). In the plane damage that was accompanied by the loss of life of more than 200 pilots and nearly 100 people on the ground, present in the area of ​​the plane crash. Thus, reliability and survivability of the aircraft is still a requirement that needs to be improved ». 

F-16V Block 70 (image : Lockheed Martin)

What are the specifications of the F-16?

According to open source data, the revised version of Block 70/72 - the embodiment of the F-16V concept - is equipped with a new radar with active phase array (AFAR), electronic warfare complexes and interference and a host of other improvements made to the aircraft's electronics, which in the opinion of foreign experts, «were virtually identical» to the fifth-generation fighter models - the F-22 and F-35.

Thanks to the data link standard Link 16, F-16V aircraft (Block 70/72) is capable of exchanging tactical information in real-time mode with fifth-generation fighters, with aircraft AWACS long-range radar detection and with Patriot air defense missile system. Thanks to the electronic warfare cooperation groups, the aircraft could improve its «combat viability» in the context of a fight with a strong anti-aircraft force. 

«Modern combat aviation complexes are two-thirds of the electronics that are reliably connected to the nation's air, ground, naval and naval weapon systems. Therefore, if Vietnam buys F-16 Block 70/72, inevitably, it will lead to the purchase of equipment for aviation guidance command control coordination centers, along with compatible air defense systems. a unified information-command school! », - Colonel Aksyonenko continued.

But then the price of the contract will increase many times. And just supplying planes would be pointless. All the advantages from the aircraft's modern electronics complex will be "back" to automatically disable.

It costs a lot of money to the Vietnamese Air Forces

Experienced military pilots warned that the transition to a new type of ammunition for a completely different carrier, to a different combination of ground equipment, would be unavoidable. will require huge material and financial costs.

«In addition, in the period of adapting to the new aircraft complex and transferring the service system, the fighter component of the Vietnam Air Force will be purely not ready yet», - expert Makar Aksyonenko to speak.

Is there any other alternative to F-16?

An alternative counterweight to the "American option" could be the Indian HAL Tejas Mk1. And it seems that India has also proposed a corresponding proposal to greet Vietnam. The Tejas Mk1 is equipped with an American engine (General Electric F404-GE-IN20), an electronic device for the cabin and a driving cabin created with the cooperation of the Israeli company «Elta».

HAL Tejas fighter (photo : Wiki)

HAL Tejas Mk1's tactical specification

In the design of this aircraft model widely used titanium alloy and composite materials. However, from the experts' point of view, in terms of tactical-technical characteristics and weapons combination in general, Tejas Mk1 has no advantage compared to similar models of foreign countries.

The main customer to buy this aircraft is the Indian Air Force , but in parallel New Delhi military personnel often hold tenders to buy foreign aircraft.

According to the latest announcements, the recent serious outbreak of tension in the border conflict with Beijing has prompted New Delhi to urgently buy Russian fighter lots. In addition, most of that shipment is a modernized MiG-29.

Chinese aircraft manufacturers also have single-engine light fighters. For example, Chengdu FC-1 Bao Long aircraft (Chengdu FC-1 Xiaolong, the export code is JF-17). But in the opinion of experts, this is an option that Vietnam cannot accept, for easy-to-understand reasons.

JAS-39 Gripen (photo : Saab0

Swedish Saab JAS-39 Gripen

So, is the only option for Vietnam Saab JAS-39 Gripen of Sweden? This aircraft made its maiden flight in 1988 and since then has been improved many times, now is the main battle fighter of the Swedish Air Force. JAS-39 Gripen has been supplied to Hungary, Czech Republic, South Africa, and Thailand. There have also been efforts to export the aircraft to Bulgaria and Switzerland, while Finland has shown interest.
One of the latest variants is the JAS-39E, which the Swedish Air Force Command proudly calls the "Sukhoi assassin". (Hopefully that is just a trick to compete in the world market!).

The armament of the Swedish aircraft is also quite impressive:

• up to 6 short-range air-to-air
missiles • up to 4 medium and long range missiles or 2 surface-to-
air missiles • 2 cruise missiles or 2 anti-ship missiles
• many various aviation bombs (from 2 to 8
rounds ) • 27 mm (120 rounds) automatic guns.

It should be added that all ammunition is produced by partners in NATO or a similar model of Sweden. Naturally, as is the case with the F-16 Block 70/72, along with the aircraft will have to buy ammunition and airport equipment. Also, the price of a Swedish aircraft is not much cheaper than that of the US plane, while significantly inferior to the actual ceiling and engine thrust.

«In the entire plane route presented to consider rearming the Vietnam Air Force, the fighter model produced in a country famous for peace and not participating in any modern war is difficult. may be at the level necessary to tackle the modern task of gaining and maintaining air superiority », - Colonel Aksyonenko commented.

MiG-35 fighter aircraft (photo : Mikoyan MiG-35)

Is it still one engine?

One of the most important tasks to ensure Vietnam's security is of course still relying on the Air Force's ability to patrol near seas. As a pilot who accumulated a lot of experience flying both on land and at sea, Sputnik experts said that under modern conditions, performing the patrol of the sea area on an airplane is unreasonable and risky. Very big ro.

In this sense, Vietnam must also feel that it should avoid model one engine. At that time, it appeared that the candidate was really fit to replace the legendary MiG-21 aircraft . The name is also MiG, but extremely modern. And was introduced in the «export appearance».

With this aircraft model, there will be no need to re-train pilots and technicians in a holistic way, nor to make significant changes to the existing infrastructure of Vietnamese air bases. The available airport equipment is suitable, the aircraft can use the aviation weapons that the Vietnamese Air Force owns, it will be easy to «find a common voice» with electronic and technical equipment. terrestrial radio as well as with air defense system facilities.

Can MiG-35 replace MiG-21?

«MiG-35, the deep modernization model of the MiG-29, is widely known in the aviation world. This aircraft complex integrated within itself the glorious fighting and technical experience of the glorious «older MiG». The aircraft's electronics and avionics are at the most advanced military technical level. For at least the next 20 years, the MiG-35 can compete equally with foreign "classmates"! But in terms of the ratio of «efficiency-quality», this versatile light fighter is unmatched, unmatched! », - says expert Makar Aksyonenko. 

(VN SputnikNews)