By, Harrison Kass

Washington, May 13 (National Interest) – As impressive as the Rafale’s maneuverability is, maneuverability doesn’t count for much in the BVR (beyond-visual-range) dogfighting conditions that comprised the dogfight between India and Pakistan.

The recent dogfight between Indian and Pakistani air forces is the largest dogfight to have taken place in a generation—and is currently the biggest story in global news. The dogfight was full of takeaways—for example, the success of Chinese-made Pakistani J-10 fighters, and the downing of one or more French-made Indian Rafale fighters.

Much ink has already been spilled on the J-10—and comparatively less on the Rafale, a sophisticated fourth-generation-plus aircraft that may well be the most capable fighter in the Indian inventory, while trying to determine exactly how many Rafale aircraft were shot down. 

India Lost at Least Two Dassault Fighter Aircraft Last Week

Pakistan has claimed to have shot down five Indian aircraft and one drone in aerial engagements with the Indian Air Force during the two countries’ four-day war. However, “in a review of more than a dozen images and videos posted online in the aftermath of the strikes,” The Washington Post “verified debris consistent with at least two French-made fighter jets flown by the Indian air force—a Rafale and a Mirage 2000.” Specifically, one image showed wreckage of what appeared to be the vertical stabilizer of a downed Indian Rafale. “The word “Rafale” is stenciled in white on the vertical stabilizer…alongside the letters “BS 001” and an Indian flag,” The Post reported. “The markings matched those on the vertical stabilizer of an Indian air force Rafale seen in images posted online in 2021.”

So India is certain to have lost at least one Rafale—a bruise to the ego, given that it first procured the Rafale in 2019 as a heavy investment meant to modernize the air force and gain parity with China. Once verified, this loss will represent the first-ever Rafale fighter lost in combat. 

The Rafale is a versatile, multi-role fighter, known for its ability to conduct a wide variety of missions, including air superiority, ground support, and interdiction. France bills the Rafale as a “4.5-generation” aircraft—a term often used for fourth-generation aircraft that have received software upgrades placing them roughly on parity with fifth-generation aircraft. Essentially, a 4.5-generation aircraft, like the Rafale, will have software or avionics consistent with a fifth-generation aircraft, but lack the structure of a fifth-generation fighter—characteristics like stealth, thrust vectoring, internal weapons bays, and supercruise ability—which cannot be easily added to an existing plane.

The Rafale is regarded for its high agility, as most canard/delta-wing configured aircraft are. Indeed, the Rafale was designed to be inherently unstable and hence highly maneuverable, requiring constant input from a digital fly-by-wire system just to maintain stable flight. Yet as impressive as the Rafale’s maneuverability is, maneuverability doesn’t count for much in the BVR (beyond-visual-range) dogfighting conditions that comprised the dogfight between India and Pakistan.

The Rafale is not a stealth aircraft, although it was designed to keep its radar cross-section (RCS) and infrared signature reasonably low. For example, the Rafale’s tail fin was reduced in size, while the engine’s air inlets were tucked beneath the wings. Composite materials were used throughout the airframe, while the trailing edges of the wings and canards were built with serrated patterns. Still, the stealth-mimicking efforts of the Rafale’s design don’t appear to have been effective enough to have evaded detection from Pakistani aircraft and/or ground missiles.

About the Author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the U.S. Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/how-did-india-lose-a-rafale-jet-against-pakistan

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