So in your opinion, after considering Rafale's reduced RCS, canard-delta layout, Spectra EW suite, phased array radar and the MBDA Meteor, PAF is better off with buying more F-16?
Look at it this way...What is the SR-71's greatest attribute: Speed. Because of that the aircraft's role is limited to recon and R/D missions. The US needed the SR-71 because the US have global interests. Does Pakistan have a need for such highly specialized systems? The SR-71 is an extreme example but it illustrate the point about having multi-role aircrafts. These aircrafts offer great flexibility as situations demands and even more important if the need is mainly for territorial defense.
But every time an aircraft is either purposely designed to be multifaceted or discovered to be so capable, there is going to be compromises in
ALL aspects of aircraft performance. Put on missiles and bombs on the SR-71 and there is no way that aircraft is going to cruise at Mach 3+. Likewise, remove missiles and bombs from the F-4, install a few cameras and there is an RF-4 that can, in critical situations, dash at a higher speed than its cousins. The core differences between the RF-4 and its fighter-bomber cousin will be practically nil. For territorial defense, multi-role aircrafts is far more of a need than highly specialized systems like the SR-71 or even the F-14, which is mainly an interceptor.
That said...since we know that multi-role aircrafts will have compromises in aircraft capabilities, the important question is does the Rafale, which is a multi-role platform, offer a higher level of performances than the tried-and-true F-16? Remember, it has to be superior to the F-16 in
ALL areas and by at least %10, in my opinion, to realize what businesses call Return-On-Investment (ROI). If Pakistan feel that the Rafale does offer such a superior platform, then by all means spend the money and the changeover.
