On 15 Dec 2003 00:17:29 GMT, (BUFDRVR) wrote:

Hmmm, okay Mary what would a 5th Generation fighter be? They are using that
term fairly regularly when discussing the Su-30 family.
I've heard 4th+ for them for the most part but haven't seen any
Flanker called a 5th generation.

Hmm, I haven't heard the term; "4th+". I haven't had the time to do a Google
search, but there must be some kind of standard on what equates to a 3rd
generation fighter, 4th generation etc, etc.


BUFDRVR

"Stay on the bomb run boys, I'm gonna get those bomb doors open if it harelips
everyone on Bear Creek"

Well, some people call the latest iteration of the F-16 as "fourth generation.".
I did a google, but all that came up was either "sales brochures" of sites
that have an (obviously) biased view. The way things are going in this discussion
I expect Airbus to referred to the A-380 as a "tenth generation" passenger jet.
The next 7X7 will undoubtedly be "eleventh generation".

Seriously, the things that make a fighter effective and unknown regarding
Russia's "new" aircraft, and even the F-35 is unknown to the public in such
areas of sortie rate, actual level of stealth, avionics performance, etc.

I suppose the final determination is up to the observer. If you want to call
a F-104 a "sixth generation fighter", then it is. At least to you.

Al Minyard