On July 2, Dassault of France announced that six Rafale fighters numbered RB001-006 had flown from Saint Dizier Air Force Base to India with the assistance of tankers. India ordered 36 Rafale fighters in 2016, with a total contract value of US$8.7 billion. It is reported that these 6 Rafale fighters are directly piloted by Indian pilots. A group of Indian Air Force pilots are receiving training in France to learn to fly this advanced fighter. France Dassault expects to deliver 36 Rafale fighters by the end of 2021.
Rafale is a dual-engine, medium-sized all-around fighter, carrying almost the same amount of ammunition as a heavy fighter (9.5 tons), capable of performing air combat, ground attack, anti-ship, electronic interference, and suppression air defense For missions such as position and reconnaissance, except for the lack of stealth capabilities, the Rafale’s other performances have reached the level of the fifth-generation aircraft. The Rafale fighter ordered by India is still a "high-end version", equipped with active electronic scanning array radar, "spectrum" electronic countermeasure system, and omnidirectional ultraviolet warning device. The overall performance is more than the Su-30MKI heavy fighter currently equipped by the Indian Air Force.
India spent US$8.7 billion to purchase 36 Rafale fighters. It was once questioned that the procurement cost was too high, but the US$8.7 billion also included personnel training costs, part of the technology transfer, and integration of new weapons. cost. India can obtain the technology of the M88 engine from the French company Dassault, and the Rafale fighter purchased by India has integrated the "Meteor" long-range air-to-air missile, which has a stronger beyond-horizon combat capability. The Meteor Air-to-Air missile uses a solid rocket ramjet, which can still maintain a high energy at the end of the range, ensuring a hit rate within the maximum range. The flying speed of this missile exceeds Mach 4 and the range reaches 150 kilometers. Effectively destroy air targets in this environment.
In the opinion of the Indian Air Force, Rafale fighters can completely suppress the F16 and Xiaolong fighters equipped by the Pakistan Air Force. Even in the face of the fifth-generation stealth fighters, they still have some advantages, 8.7 billion. The US dollar is good value for India. In addition, the Indian Air Force was previously equipped with Dassault’s Mirage 2000 fighters. The pilots had a very high evaluation of the Mirage 2000 and had high hopes for more advanced Rafale fighters. Due to its duck-type aerodynamic layout, the Rafale has a strong short-range take-off and landing capability, so it can be deployed in the front airport instead of being deployed in the rear air base like the Su-30MKI.
From the comparison of paper data, the performance of Rafale fighter is more advanced than Xiaolong fighter. Even the Xiaolong BLOCK3, which is also equipped with active electronic scanning array radar, cannot match it. compared to. But the Rafale fighter is too expensive for India, and the number is very limited; while Pakistan has been able to produce its own Dragon fighter, occupying an absolute advantage in terms of number. In addition, Xiaolong BLOCK3 will be equipped with the Thunderbolt 15 air-to-air missile in the future, and the ability of air combat beyond visual range is not weaker than that of the Rafale fighter.
