Rafales are 'overhyped', Rafale is no 'game-changer' - Former indian airforce Air Vice Marshal

[Shah_Deu]

After various PAF sources already mentioning several times that Rafale is no game changer in the subcontinent, a retired air vice marshal of the IAF has finally conceded that Rafale is no game changer in air warfare in the region and that the capabilities that Rafale brings along already exists with the other IAF jets.

Air Vice Marshal Arjun Subramaniam (Retd) is a fighter pilot, scholar and author who retired from the Indian Air Force after 36 years in uniform. He is an experienced fighter pilot with command, staff and instructional experience. A P.h.D in Defence and Strategic Studies and currently a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Asia Center and aNon-Resident Senior Fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Power Studies in Washington D.C.

With this concession, one wonders how brazenly the indian media is made to befool their masses to further their hindutva agenda. Even the PM Modi once mentioned that had rafales been there on ill-fated day for IAF on 27.02, the results would have been completely diffferent. Now with this coming directly from a top retired IAF man, one wonders how the indian public is made to believe that rafales would be the end to all the IAF sufferings.

Since this has already been mentioned several times by the PAF Air Marshal (R) Shahid Latif, AVM (R) Shahzad Chaudhry and others in interviews before, the question that arises here is that if the Rafales are no game changer in the region and if they dont offer anything special over what the IAF SU-30MKI's have to offer, isn't the fate of these Rafales bound to be the same like their Mig and Sukhoi counterparts what happened on 27th Feb?

 

[Jugger]

Well one thing is sure, IAF was capable enough to go deep inside Pakistan and drop bombs without any resistance from PAF.
Hence rafael adds to these capabilities rather than being a paradigm shift in capabilities.

Replace Mig 21s with Rafaels ASAP...!!

 

[Areesh]

Well one thing is sure, IAF was capable enough to go deep inside Pakistan and drop bombs without any resistance from PAF.

And kill one crow, 8 trees in return

While PAF didn't even cross LOC and made you shot down your own chopper, kill 6 of your own and also got a POW on camera as bonus

 

[bolo]

Arjun Subramaniam you don't know jack about the capabilities of Rafaele

 

[HalfMoon]

Well one thing is sure, IAF was capable enough to go deep inside Pakistan and drop bombs without any resistance from PAF.
Hence rafael adds to these capabilities rather than being a paradigm shift in capabilities.

Replace Mig 21s with Rafaels ASAP...!!

Any fighter in Indian hands is bound to fail.

 

[Dalit]

If Rafale was truly a game-changer all notable air forces around the world would be buying them left and right. Rafale was ignored for a very long while by many air forces. It is very expensive and the French aren't the most reliable. Recently it has had some success with Middle Eastern countries and India.

 

[Trango Towers]

Well one thing is sure, IAF was capable enough to go deep inside Pakistan and drop bombs without any resistance from PAF.
Hence rafael adds to these capabilities rather than being a paradigm shift in capabilities.

Replace Mig 21s with Rafaels ASAP...!!

Yes its also capable of running away as soon as PAF came on the scene and shooting their own helicopters. Whag happen to your airforce when we shot down abinandhan

 

[A.P. Richelieu]

The key unknown about the Rafale is the SPECTRA. Rafale has not engaged in real Air to Air combat ever, so noone knows how well it will do. Dassault has plenty of information about the F-16 which can be used for Electronic Warfare configuration of SPECTRA. It is unlikely that PAF has such information on Rafale. It is well known that the Rafale can attack ground targets with impunity, without beeing detected.

 

[HalfMoon]

The key unknown about the Rafale is the SPECTRA. Rafale has not engaged in real Air to Air combat ever, so noone knows how well it will do. Dassault has plenty of information about the F-16 which can be used for Electronic Warfare configuration of SPECTRA. It is unlikely that PAF has such information on Rafale. It is well known that the Rafale can attack ground targets with impunity, without beeing detected.

Pakistan has access to Rafales through Qatar & Egypt.

Pakistan pilot have flown Rafales.

 

[Max]

Dassault has plenty of information about the F-16 which can be used for Electronic Warfare configuration of SPECTRA. It is unlikely that PAF has such information on Rafale

PAF may or may not but i am sure like Dassault, Lockheed martin would also be aware what Dassault engineers were doing in late 80's and what improvement they were planning.

 

[Jungibaaz]

Well one thing is sure, IAF was capable enough to go deep inside Pakistan and drop bombs without any resistance from PAF.
Hence rafael adds to these capabilities rather than being a paradigm shift in capabilities.

Replace Mig 21s with Rafaels ASAP...!!

One thing internet Indians won't understand is that even if you were tomorrow given F-35s and we had to respond with F-7s and Mirages, you might have in that case a huge tactical superiority, but your provocation would still not go answered, nor would you be immune to the consequences we decide to exact from you. But that is even if the situation was way more lop-sided, unfortunately for you, it isn't.

Indian air force came in the early hours of the morning in darkness, launched their SOWs from some distance, used diversionary tactics in other sectors. Granted then, India can target Pakistan with standoff weapons and conduct some degree of incursions and probing. But this confident fantasy of dominating our skies, deeper incursions into our airspace without being intercepted, is ill-founded.

In response to your strike. We entered your airspace, used SOWs and captured strike footage, we suppressed your local air defenses and shot down your interceptors. Our display was also undoubtedly more impressive. Both airforces displayed the capability to strike deep into enemy territory. Nothing has changed.

 

[Marker]

Well one thing is sure, IAF was capable enough to go deep inside Pakistan and drop bombs without any resistance from PAF.
Hence rafael adds to these capabilities rather than being a paradigm shift in capabilities.

Replace Mig 21s with Rafaels ASAP...!!

PAF extends open challenge to IAF to explore the sky of our motherland with their "game changer" Rafales. If IAF dares then their are two possibilities. Either PAF pilots will shoot down incoming Rafales or force IAF Rafale pilot to land-tea for the pilot and captured Rafale goes to PAF Museum parked in front of IAF Gnat.

 

[The Maverick]

Rafale has the lowest RCS in South Asia
The best most lethal BVR in Meteore
The best HMD in dash 5 from
The most advanced crystal blade next generation twin engines
THE MOST advanced EW suite in spectra

So yes RAFALE x 4 planes

4 mirage2000-5

& 8 su30 mki

WILL BE DEADLY PACKAGE OF 16 FIGHTERS

one WORD WOW

 

[Zapper]

Rafales in the IAF fleet are definitely a potent addition but not a game changer unless procured in significant numbers

 

[Marker]

View attachment 668687

Rafale has the lowest RCS in South Asia
The best most lethal BVR in Meteore
The best HMD in dash 5 from
The most advanced crystal blade next generation twin engines
THE MOST advanced EW suite in spectra

So yes RAFALE x 4 planes

4 mirage2000-5
View attachment 668689


& 8 su30 mki



View attachment 668690

WILL BE DEADLY PACKAGE OF 16 FIGHTERS

one WORD WOW

An Indian ad for French Rafale.
If an IAF Rafale crashes, it means $95 millions gone down the drain.