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OURCE : WANTCHINA TIMES
The Dassault Rafale multi-role fighter jet that India recently ordered from France has been a major weapon for the French Navy and Air Force but it did not attract foreign buyers’ attention until it proved its mettle in airstrikes in Libya, Mali and Iraq, writes China’s state newswire Xinhua.
India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, announced on April 10 that the country wants to buy 36 Rafale fighters as soon as possible to bolster its air power. The aircraft, which has entered service with the in French Navy in 2004 and the French Air Force in 2006, can function in air defense, reconnaissance, air-to-ground and air-to-sea attack roles and also conduct nuclear strikes.
New Delhi has been in talks with France since 2012 to buy 126 Rafale fighters but a sticking point was the the Indian government’s wish for 108 of the aircraft to be built in India. The country now has a pressing need for the fighter since half of its existing fleet will be decomissioned by 2024.
The fighter established its reputation until with airstrikes against targets in Libya in 2011 when it proved capable of carrying out a mission lasting a total of nine hours and 35 minutes with an in-flight refueling. In 2013, the fighter’s twin engines proved they could withstand the heat of the Sahara when France attacked rebel camps in eastern Mali. The aircraft has also been outstanding in reconnaissance and precision bombing in Iraq, where it is one of the main aircraft used in airstrikes against the Islamic State.
This performance led to the first export order in February when Egypt ordered 24 Rafale fighters.
Xinhua said the aircraft’s aerodynamic design, avionics and engines are superior to its Chinese counterpart, the Chengdu J-10, which has entered service with the PLA. What makes the Rafale fighter stand out from other fighters is its ability to carry the ASMP-A, a cruise missile that can be fired as a warning shot before a nuclear strike. Both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers but the means to deploy nuclear weapons is crucial in establishing a credible deterrent.
Manohar Parrikar, Indias’ defense minister, said it may take two to two and a half years to take delivery of the first Rafale fighter India ordered from France since the aircraft needs to be tailored for the Indian military and the two countries have yet to agree the price.
The Dassault Rafale multi-role fighter jet that India recently ordered from France has been a major weapon for the French Navy and Air Force but it did not attract foreign buyers’ attention until it proved its mettle in airstrikes in Libya, Mali and Iraq, writes China’s state newswire Xinhua.
India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, announced on April 10 that the country wants to buy 36 Rafale fighters as soon as possible to bolster its air power. The aircraft, which has entered service with the in French Navy in 2004 and the French Air Force in 2006, can function in air defense, reconnaissance, air-to-ground and air-to-sea attack roles and also conduct nuclear strikes.
New Delhi has been in talks with France since 2012 to buy 126 Rafale fighters but a sticking point was the the Indian government’s wish for 108 of the aircraft to be built in India. The country now has a pressing need for the fighter since half of its existing fleet will be decomissioned by 2024.
The fighter established its reputation until with airstrikes against targets in Libya in 2011 when it proved capable of carrying out a mission lasting a total of nine hours and 35 minutes with an in-flight refueling. In 2013, the fighter’s twin engines proved they could withstand the heat of the Sahara when France attacked rebel camps in eastern Mali. The aircraft has also been outstanding in reconnaissance and precision bombing in Iraq, where it is one of the main aircraft used in airstrikes against the Islamic State.
This performance led to the first export order in February when Egypt ordered 24 Rafale fighters.
Xinhua said the aircraft’s aerodynamic design, avionics and engines are superior to its Chinese counterpart, the Chengdu J-10, which has entered service with the PLA. What makes the Rafale fighter stand out from other fighters is its ability to carry the ASMP-A, a cruise missile that can be fired as a warning shot before a nuclear strike. Both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers but the means to deploy nuclear weapons is crucial in establishing a credible deterrent.
Manohar Parrikar, Indias’ defense minister, said it may take two to two and a half years to take delivery of the first Rafale fighter India ordered from France since the aircraft needs to be tailored for the Indian military and the two countries have yet to agree the price.
