At clueless Indians, J-20 is a stealth fighter. Rafale isn't.
The Japanese recently chose to buy F-35s. The logic is simple. Non-stealth fighters are useless against the PLAAF. How come the Indian government isn't as smart as the Japanese? (See
Japan, U.S. may Sign F-35 Purchase Contract Next Month)
Why are you buying old last-generation non-stealth fighters for potential combat against an enemy with stealth fighters (which will be inducted around 2018)?
See citations below. Satisfied now?
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Australia Air Power: J-20 is a "genuine Very Low Observable design"
J-20 Mighty Dragon is a "genuine Very Low Observable design" except for round engine nozzles, which can be fixed.
The Chengdu J-20: Peace in Our Time?
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This study has therefore established through Physical Optics simulation across nine radio-frequency bands, that no fundamental obstacles exist in the shaping design of the J-20 prototype precluding its development into a genuine Very Low Observable design.
Above: L-band RCS, below X-band RCS head on, both in PCSR format (M.J. Pelosi).
Engineers and Scientists who work in ‘stealth’ (AKA ‘Low Observable’
designs have a way for explaining it to lay people: ‘Stealth’ is achieved by Shaping, Shaping, Shaping and Materials (Denys Overholser).
The F-22A is clearly well shaped for low observability above about 500 MHz, and from all important aspects.
The J-20 has observed the ‘Shaping, Shaping, Shaping’ imperative, except for the axisymmetric nozzles, and some curvature of the sides that smears a strong, but very narrow specular return into something of a more observable fan.
The X-35 mostly observed the ‘Shaping, Shaping, Shaping’ rule, but since then, to quote a colleague, ‘hideous lumps, bumps, humps and warts’ have appeared on the JSF to disrupt the shaping imperative, forcing excessive reliance on materials, which are at the rear-end of the path to ‘Low Observability’.
While discussing ‘rear-ends’, both the F-35 and the J-20 have large signature contributions from their jet nozzles. However, the difference is much like the proverbial ‘Ham Omelette’: the F-35 Pig is committed, but the J-20 Chicken is a participant.
If the Chinese decide that rear sector Low Observability is tactically and strategically important, they are at the design stage where they can copy the F-22A nozzle design for the production configuration of the J-20."
[Note: Thank you to HouShanghai and 蓝胖 for the picture.]
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French Rafale is a very non-stealthy 4th generation fighter
Mr. Somnath picked a terrible example in the French Rafale when he attempted to illustrate a perceived deficiency in the J-20 Mighty Dragon canard design. The French Rafale is not to be emulated in any way in the design of a 5th generation stealth fighter. The round shielding to hide the canard gap is far less stealthy than the J-20 canard elegant back-end to deflect radar.
In this photograph of the French Rafale, I have incompletely labeled only 17 non-stealth features. The actual list is at least 21 non-stealth features. For example, the round engine nozzles, non-canted vertical stabilizer, non-saw toothed wheel bay doors, and lack of continuous curvature for the fuselage behind the cockpit are additional French Rafale non-stealth features.
