The Rafale’s platform, airframe, and engine are undoubtedly superb.
However, the MRFA deal must be on our terms—it cannot be a repeat of 2016.
The French Air Force has little to no experience with large force engagements; they are living in their own la-la land.
The best aircraft for us would be the F-15EX or the F/A-18 Block III, but geopolitical realities won’t permit that.
So, the best option beyond the U.S. is actually the Rafale—but it must come equipped with our own systems: the Virupaksha EW suite and indigenous weaponry. With the advent of Astra Mk3, even the Meteor is becoming redundant. If Dassault doesn’t allow this, then restart production of the Su-30MKI and produce 200 upgraded units instead.
By the way, no one is asking why we haven’t fired a Meteor yet.