That's the point, because that part is only comparing to the French / Nato scenarios and not to the actual Indian scenario. Our opponents are much more capable than anything NATO has dealt with in the last decades and they are already ahead in the AWACS scenario, that's why we can't achive superiority in that field unless we actually get a game changer and that can't be current gen fighters, be it the Rafale or the MKI. Only FGFA will be able to actually change the game, because it has the capability to counter the AWACS capability of our opponents.
AESA btw is not a game changer, it adds to capability, but far more important than that are modern passive EW sensors with 360° FoV and reduced RCS that the upgraded MKIs and the new Rafales will have.
You need to understand that the author is mentioning about the air policing role perhaps . He beleives that usually 2 rafales are used
to that mission for france if any case a greater threat arises then it can call for back up .
Just like the police do patrolling in the city when the threat is easy then can take it out but if the threat is dangerous/ riot happens then
they call for backup .You dont need to use all your assets for routine patrolling that would be very costly
If that the case then france would have only made 1 squadron of rafale for themselves & india would have not order 126 planes at the
1st place
Regarding
1st bold part
Thats why i had mentioned earliear that Rafale air superiority depends upon the threat which it is facing & what kind of mission the plane have been configured to carry how many no of it's BVRAAMs (meteor & Mica IR)
for instance your are facing against a plane without aesa radar & is not stealthy then absolute air superiority is posssible for eg
JF17/J10a /F16
BUt if your facing a non stealthy plane with AESA radar J11b /J15 /J10b then absolute air superiority depends upon rafale's EW suite & passive detection capabilty plus BVRAAM (meteor + MICA IR) 1st detect/1st shoot& 1st kill scenario
But against a stealth plane with AESA radar j20 /j31 then absolute air superiority becomes very difficult it have to rely on Passive detection /active cancellation tech + BVRAAM 's Kp against those platforms .
Regarding AWACS threat/SAM threat / Aerostat /airborne Electronic attack plaforms threat appropiate counter missiles & strategy is required to take them out
a) AWACS killer missile Ks 100 novator as mentioned by the author is a solution against AWACS
b) Rafale has to get a proper ANTI radiation missile with long range to do SEAD missiions against more greater threat LIBYA was slighly
easiear
c) AErostat are easier to take out with BVRAAMs or anti radiation missiles
d) against Airborne Electronic attack platforms Rafale's passive detection advantage with IRST would be very handy You gonna take them
out with MICA IR or any heat seeking BVRAAM
2nd BOLD PART
I agree AESA is not the only game changer others are also required
But AESA radar with long range capabilty would be very crucial becoz it can help other planes to target enemy planes through mini awacs
concept from standoff distance meanhile other planes such as Rafale can be in passive mode
France has to rely on rafale's RBE 2 aesa radar /or their awacs to do that thing but we have SU 30 MKI with an AESA radar which range
is far greater than RBE 2 aesa radar itself plus own AWACS are also there
PAssive detection has it's limitiations & Rafale & MKI both are not 5th gen planes like stealthy, so AESA radar would still remain the primary sensor for aerial combat plus the BVRAAMS which each platform it would carry
Of course it's not good for France and export interests, but not in case of India, because there is hardly a scenario, where India would end up getting against NATO interests and that's the point with Russia today, which led to this decision or the srapping of many European JVs Russia.
Actually, I wonder more about the US now thinking twice about selling high techs to India (close ally and supporter of Russia), than that France would restrict any sales to India. For instance, the follow on deal for Palcon AWACS with Israel, is based on the same Russian A50 platforms we already use and if the US / NATO is strict about not allowing NATO and their partners to deal with Russia on arms and techs in any way, they actually must stop Israel from putting their radar on a Russian aircraft. But that obviously will upset India, so that will be a very tricky issue.
I do 2nd that bold part
becoz if you see india's nuclear test scenario the india's bring the china card scenario to defencd themselves plus India is a crucial ally
&market for west companies
India dont have any hostility with european & USA until & unless pakistan joins NATO
so the sanctions were not stringest & France was among the few countries who had supported india at that time without any sanctions
But france international reputation as a reliable weapons supplier is at stake if they do it it can hamper their export potentials
& USA is doing clever job also
1 arrow & 2 targets
1) french international crediblity as a reliable weapon supplier sullies in the international weapons market
2) Rafale deal would be indirectly affected pyschologically from indian point of view
CHEERS