Which Air Force is Best?

[Jessie1987]

While i'd love to do the "politically" correct thing- what are you guys smoking???!!!! The US Airforce is head and tails above almost every world fighting force- The Swedes? okay the Grippen is a hot Aircraft, but why do they buy f-16 Cs? Maybe becuase the F-16 can do all the things that "so-called "air superiority fighter can do, and still bomb ground targets.Pakistanis? They've got f-16s too but are scared as crap to engage that Indian IDF fighter ( which is the equivalent of a  cheap casio watch compared to a rolex) Besides WHAT war has the Swedes fought to prove themselves?- US has far more ACTIVE and former JET FIGHTER ACES,i.e. better training and experience, plus even US RESERVE pilots could match or best the Best that europe and Asia  have to offer (Or did any of you forget that 45% of the flying forces for the USAF were reserves flying OLDER F-16 and F-15 variants???didn't see any Hot Mig 29s  or the SU27s of the Iraqis do anything but turn themselves over to Iran!) Face it, if You want to talk Superior air forces, try this :
1) USAF (period)
2) RAF ( Toranado fighter-bomber jocks have GUTS and those pesky little Harrier Jocks are psychos and will go up against even mach 2 adversaries! When the RAF gets the new Typhoon,they'll give the USAF a run for the bank!)
3) IDF -Isrealis are "alley fighters"-they have PROVEN the deadliness of the F-15 and F-16 time and time again (but they fly lighter ,stripped down versions of their US counterparts) plus be wary of their mixed bag use of older F-4 phantoms,mirage fighters and KFIRS,etc.

4)TIE- France and Germany- France got the Bosnia and Desert storm experience, they have good indigenous fighters( Dassault)
    and the Germans? BEST AGGRESSOR pilots in the WEST-Limited resources and finance hamper them, But Germany flies Tornados,f-16s, older F-4s(very well too,even as interceptors still!) and the hot Mig 29 ,which in my book is a threat to any F/A-18 & F-16 jock over any other euro  "bucket")

5) Canada-YES CANADA!!! Tradition,boyo'! The Canucks fly US metal-F-16s and F/A -18s ( and they also train with the USAF at "red Flag" ace factory and "Top Gun"-believe the HYPE,TOP GUN PRODUCED Randy "DUKE" Cunningham- (3) Mig -17s at close range and (3) Mig 21s!!!)

6) LASTLY-Russia- The former Big "red" fell down and went splat!! Budget restraints mean that the Russkies basically export hot fighters, but  have a tradition of making suprisingly robust goods and their pilots are near suicidal and resourceful in a fight!- the lastest Sukhoi and Migs can hang with Western "rides" ,but then it comes down to training and experience and in a short  "brush" war or political skirmish , France,Isreal or Germany could give'em a "BLACK" eye.

I'm sorry-just had to go there!! I'm originally from Canada (BC) but now live in the US (California) I've visited the former Miramar as well as other local military bases, been to the air shows and even have talked to U.S. Marine Aviators (basic mud movers with dumb bombs, but they can tangle in air to air too!)

Didn't mean to insult anyone 's national pride, but you have to face reality-experience coupled with quantity and quality win out ALL the time! The last true super powers -US And UK , have vast air fleets, can sustain more Battle losses in a slug fest and could out produce even a combined Euro/Asian aggressor force.sadly, I've seen that most here on this site are looking at the"dark yrs" of the USAF during their Vietnam conlfict- what you all are not taking into consideration is that the USAF  had their hands tied behind their back s with a don't shoot until fired upon  doctrine! In air to air battles- NVAF Mig 21s and 17s ran AWAY when confronted by  what was the USAFs/US NAVY's "best" fighter- the F-8 Crusader- the "last gunfighter"-Crusaders had a higher  kill to loss ratio (7:1) than the non- gun F-4s early in the war.US strategy was focussed on BOMBING ,not air to ari combat, so the "crippled orphan" airforce of NVAF had an open hand to hit first and run  away- When the US did show up to fight, NVAF "ran"  like every other bully country runs 2day...just my 2bits ,Boyo's.............
 

[Webmaster]

Sure, USAF is the best. But maybe your list and arguments would differ a bit if you straighten out and update your F-16 operators as well as others.

Sweden doesn't operate F-16s (that would be Norway or Denmark)
Germany doesn't operate F-16s (those are USAFE ones stationed in Germany)
Canada doesn't operate F-16s (dunno why you think that, maybe because of Goosebay or Maple Flag...those are probably USAF fighters, or maybe even Dutch ones  )

Germany "sold" their MiG-29s to Poland for the symbolic price of 1 EUR.

The IDF have already replaced their Mirages and most probably also most Kfirs, also the Phantoms are retired.

Iraq never had Su-27s, those were Su-25 (you know the CAS/attack aircraft) that fled to Iran.

[Viggen]

He he!! Sweden operating F16´s, that was a good one.. Both Denmark and Norway are operating the F16,´s.

The Gripen is a fourth generation fighter, it has not been tested in actual real combat. I belive thats the reason why many choose the F16 over Gripen, but now with Hungarians, The Chez and South Africans operating the Gripen it will probably take over from the F16´s (Speculation). Mark my words, you heard it here first. 

[Webmaster]

Despite all the talk about the Super Hornet, I think Bulgaria will also go for the Gripen if not F-16.

[alyster]

How long is Bulgaria going to keep their MiGs?

[Cobra2]

USAF is best...weve got the best fighter, bomber,  fighter/bomber, multi-role etc. planes.
     And our airforce has very good training and very good pilots. And our stealth capability realy compliments our airforce.
       I do not want to start any trouble but thats what i think and it looks like alot of other think so also.

[Webmaster]

Welcome Cobra2!

Maybe we have to look at it from a value-for-money perspective, or maybe training-only, you know like one thing at a time. Because otherwise, the US will always be on top... but I mean 'dûh' look at their military budget!

[Valiant1]

Sorry to burst your bubble but the Pakistani Air Force is NOT the best air force in the world.  They'd still be flying biplanes if the US hadn't sold them jets. 

[Cobra2]

Valiant, you are so true. If the Pakistani airforce went up against the U.S., Britain, Israel, and other airforces they would all be shot down in a single day. look at what the U.S. did to Sadams planes in the first gulf  it only took like 15 minutes after our planes went out to shoot down there airforce...and i doubt that Pakistan has a better one then them. Sorry but its the truth.

[Webmaster]

Sorry to burst your bubble but the Pakistani Air Force is NOT the best air force in the world.  They'd still be flying biplanes if the US hadn't sold them jets. 

No, of course it isn't, but you are being a bit harsh. Pakistan flies and has flown more Chinese types in recent years than the US jets. And anyway, I think the US wanted every country to have their jets in the early days, we want you on our side, here have some jets, because otherwise they would have picked the Soviet side and gotten MiGs and Tupolev bombers.

[Viggen]

The first Iraqi jet that was shoot down, was made by a Saudi pilot in an F15 Eagle. Then there was not much more air to air combat since Iraq grounded and hid their jets. So its true that US had air-domination, but im still wondering how it would of gone if Iraq had better pilots and choose to take on the US fighters. 

[Cobra2]

The first Iraqi jet that was shoot down, was made by a Saudi pilot in an F15 Eagle. Then there was not much more air to air combat since Iraq grounded and hid their jets. So its true that US had air-domination, but im still wondering how it would of gone if Iraq had better pilots and choose to take on the US fighters. 

  Are you actually serius??? they would go down with more expensive planes is all...like if the U.S. took on...uh..say France, it wouldnt matter really...it would just take a little time to get them all...our F-15s have tons of kills with no losses 
Iraq Af would have got shotdown no matter what.