The rafale orders for 36 more was a open secret .............. Its just timing
As for rafale taking a decade to arrive .......... our neigbours still swear by 50 year old mirages and 20 years old agosta subs
So pretty good reputation
THIS WILL HAPPEN
76 Rafale
123 Tejas mark1a
all aesa equipped stand off weapons by 2028
I TOLD YOU SO
I still think the 2028 mark is very optimistic and 2030 or even post is far more realistic in this threat assessment. Dont forget the bhangee air force took 15+ years to come up with 4 Rafales.
Also realistically speaking by then the PAF will have 175 Jf17 block 3/4, 125 Jf-17 MLU, 60 J-10C/D, and 60 J-31/AZM all equiped with aesa as well at a minimum. Not even taking into account the likelyhood that 80 F-16s will also eventually have to be upgraded. There is a reason why the pakistani military is very quickly rising in the top 10 of the worlds best.