The first batch of five Dassault Rafale jets will finally touch down today in Ambala after a 7,000km journey. The arrival of the jets to their new home in the Indian sub-continent has been four years in the making, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi inking a Rs 59,000 crore deal with France for the procurement of 36 Rafale aircraft in 2016, as part of the drive to modernise the Indian Air Force. The Rafale, an omni-role combat aircraft, is believed to be significantly superior to the current aircraft that make up the IAF’s fleet including the Russian-made SU-30MKI.
Following testing, the five Rafale aircraft are, reportedly, set to be immediately deployed near the border in Eastern Ladakh, as both, China and India continue disengagement procedures at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Tensions between the two nations have escalated in recent months culminating in a brutal clash at Galwan Valley in mid-June that claimed the lives of 20 Indian Army personnel. Given the precarious nature of Sino-Indian ties, the induction of the Rafale aircraft into the IAF could not have come at a better moment. But how does the French-made jet compare against China’s most superior aircraft, the Chengdu J-20?
Head to head
According to the limted information available, the Chengdu J-20 is a multi-role combat aircraft that China has claimed is a fifth-generation aircraft, compared to the Rafale, which is categorised as 4.5 generation aircraft. However, some defence experts have noted that the J-20 still uses a third generation engine.
The J-20 is capable of carrying out a range of missions including air-to-air attack, air-to-surface attack, reconaissance, suppression of enemy defence, anti-ship attacks, interception and nuclear deterrence. Dassault has stated that the Rafale, as an omni-role aircraft, has the capacity to “go beyond the needs of each type of mission,” having been developed to replace seven different combat aircraft models in operation by the French Air Force.
The J-20 is the heavier of the two aircraft with a, reported, empty weight of 19,000kg to the Rafale’s 10,600. The J-20 is also believed to have a maximum take-off weight of just over 37,000 kg to the Rafale’s 24,500kg meaning that both aircraft are suitably able to carry large amounts of fuel and ammunition. However, the Rafale has an edge over the J-20 in the distance (3,700km) it is able to travel during a single sortie. The J-20, reportedly, has a maximum range of 2,000km.
While China has not provided much information regarding the J-20’s radar system, it is believed to employ an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) – the same system used by the Rafale and one of the most technologically advanced in the world. However, where either gains an edge depends on how these radar systems are optimised and configured. The Rafale also integrates the SPECTRA electronic warfare suite making it extremely difficult to detect and shoot down. China has claimed that the AESA radar integrated into the J-20 gives its pilot 360 degree coverage of the battle environment.
Unlike India’s other aircraft, the Rafale can comfortably go head-to-head with the J-20’s firepower. Its BVR Meteor and SCALP missiles enable it to carry out long-range air-to-air or air-to-surface attacks in ways that the IAF has never been capable of doing before. The METEOR missile, in particular, is believed to be a real gamechanger with some defence experts claiming that it can destroy a target even before the target knows it has been detected and locked onto.
The METEOR is easily comparable to the J-20’s PL-15 missile, known to be the most capable air-to-air missile in China’s arsenal. Although the PL-15 has a slightly higher range, the METEOR is designed for precision and capable of striking much smaller targets than the PL-15 is able to, including Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
As a stealth aircraft, the J-20 is, supposedly, modelled off the US’ F-22 Raptor. Although the Chinese have made large claims about the J-20’s superior stealth capabilities, it is worth noting that India’s SU-30MKI fighters alone have been able to spot the J-20 in the past. The Rafale has also been able to detect an F-22 Raptor.
Where the Rafale gains its real edge over the J-20 though, is its experience. For over 13 years, the Rafale has been in operation, having been deployed in Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Mali and Iraq, showing remarkable proficiency. The J-20, on the other hand, has extremely limited war experience, forcing one to rely solely on the claims of China to evaluate the aircraft’s performance. As far as actual combat goes though, there are several other factors that come into play, most notably the training, experience, tactics and skill of the pilots engaged in an aerial brawl.
Source:Times Now
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