This reminds of a story I read about Italian pilots fighting the British in WWII. The Italian pilots believed in superior flying skills to vanquish their opponents so when they began to meet British pilots they flew precise aerobatics so as to gain an advantage. The British pilots merely waited for the Italians to complete their loops and rolls and then shot them down. I don't know how true the story is but it does illustrate that the days of relying on maneuverability as the deciding factor in air combat went out the window during WWI.

Technology has always been important but pilot experience has proven to be the number one factor in victory. Couple experience with a system of air control and I don't care how spectacularily the SU-30 twists and turns - Ivan will get swatted out of the sky in seconds.

As noted above, air combat is not a one on one conflict but application of a system of air domination against an adversary. Some of the components of this system is superior technology such as stealth, others are communications, radar coverage, real time data info and probably a couple more that I could not ever imagine. Then there are the more intangible elements like pilot training, maintenance and spare parts. The most superior and awe inspiring jet in the world is useless if it has a flat tire with no one knowing how to change it.

The SU-30 may weave and bob impressively but how stealthy is it? Can it detect a F-22 before being detected itself? Can Russian ground radar detect a F-22? How good is he pilot of the SU-22? Does he train often enough to be proficient in his aircraft AND with other pilots and ground control? Are missiles available to arm the SU-30 with? Will the missiles even work (chronic problem with many Soviet weapons)?

One SU-30 may be able to beat one F-22 via maneuverability, then again maybe not. But two F-22s backed by all the capabilities of the USAF can probably take on a dozen SU-30s and prevail. It is not the individual aircraft of the USAF that makes it so deadly and dominating - it's the science of air superiority that is applied in an overwhelming fashion.

Other countries can, of course, develop the same technology and skills. But there are two obstacles to overcome. One is time. It takes time to develop stealth, train pilots, build the supporting infrastructure, etc. The other obstacle is money. Technology is not cheap. The military is not cheap. Combine the two and I don't care how rapidly an economy is growing or how much oil revenue is being brought in - an equivalent air superiority system is just not affordable.

The USAF will remain on top for at least the next ten years if not twenty. After that, who knows. But I wouldn't worry about the SU-30. But it sure can do some incredible moves and I'd love to see one at an airshow!

Desclaimer: I'm not trying to imply that USAF pilots are better than Russian pilots. However, currently USAF pilots receive more training and this does lead to more effective pilots. I have no doubt that a Russian pilot receiving similar training would be just as good. Any pilot who can successfully fly a 30 ton fighter, whether from Russia, China, Cuba, or Japan has far more skill and aptitude than I could ever hope to muster and has earned my respect.