Rafale DH/EH of Indian Air Force : News and Discussions

Providing escort coverage for aerial strike packages ain't the same as SEAD/DEAD.
Maybe you do need to do a google search on what SEAD/DEAD actually means.
As @vstol Jockey has already revealed, Rafale failed only because of Hammer's less range. Also the fact that Rafales were locked and fired upon meant that active cancellation didn't work either.

Anyways, Rafale with Scalp EG was still a deadly combo and literally destroyed Pak terror camps with precision. So while Rafale might not be the wonder weapon we all thought, it certainly isn't a pushover either.
 
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And @Optimist will continue to say that the Rafale cannot perform SEAD/DEAD. :ROFLMAO:

As @vstol Jockey has already revealed, Rafale failed only because of Hammer's less range. Also the fact that Rafales were locked and fired upon meant that active cancellation didn't work either.

Anyways, Rafale with Scalp EG was still a deadly combo and literally destroyed Pak terror camps with precision. So while Rafale might not be the wonder weapon we all thought, it certainly isn't a pushover either.

When you are doing actual SEAD and DEAD you need much more sophisticated and powerful jamming,
jamming a relatively smaller (ground based radars are larger) older gen mechanically scanned array radar on f16's(blk15mlu or blk52) is not really An equivalence that demonstrates that rafale can be used in SEAD &DEAD mission against an adavanced and capable foe (China) by just relying on internal spectra suite.


Also because it was locked onto and fired upon from what's most likely chinese air defense systems means jamming against that air defense systems failed to provide desired result.

So yeah, i would still want external adavanced escort jammer pod for rafale.
 

I'd take this nugget of info with a pinch of salt.

Firstly, there's no indication that the MKIs weren't carrying SPJ pods (SAP-518) of their own on such a high risk mission. Plus even if the Rafale isn't capable of providing support jamming, the MKIs giant SAP-14 pods are more than enough. There's a reason why the IAF keeps them around even though they are effin' heavy.

Apart from that there's the Elta-8222/SB which performed well against USAF F-15Cs in Cope India series exercises going back to 2005.

In any case, SPJ+RWR is the standard EW fit in the IAF. (And I don't mean it as a positive. Heck, even RuAF Su-30SM/35S/34 have MAWS these days. The IAF is clearly an outlier in terms of fleet wide maws adoption).

If pilots were flying into harm's way without even an onboard SPJ, I'd say this was criminal neglect.
 
I'm just repeating it, France is saying the Rafale needs SEAD DEAD capability it's currently lacking
It was going to be F4, which was gutted, I think it has slipped to F5, I can't be bothered to google it, Someone else is welcome to

The Rafale SPECTRA is self protection, There is no EW to shield other aircraft, as several other platforms can
 
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I weakened and googled what was happening


The future Rafale F5 will not have a SEAD/DEAD version, but will compensate with nEUROn drones​


The French Ministry of the Armed Forces does not consider necessary to develop a specialized version of the future Rafale F5 dedicated to the suppression and destruction of enemy anti-aircraft defenses (SEAD/DEAD). This capability will be provided by a multiplicity of assets, among which the unmanned combat aircraft nEUROn will play a vital role.
 
I weakened and googled what was happening


The future Rafale F5 will not have a SEAD/DEAD version, but will compensate with nEUROn drones​


The French Ministry of the Armed Forces does not consider necessary to develop a specialized version of the future Rafale F5 dedicated to the suppression and destruction of enemy anti-aircraft defenses (SEAD/DEAD). This capability will be provided by a multiplicity of assets, among which the unmanned combat aircraft nEUROn will play a vital role.
The rafale needs external escort jammers and agm-88er/ngarm integration to effectively pull-off a SEAD/DEAD campaign. Spectra is ineffective against AESA's our resident navy pilot expert @vstoljockey already wrote it a long time ago.
The F-35 is only capable.of SEAD because the apg-81 can itself to jamming and spoofing. The rbe-2xg needs to be able to jam like the APG-81 and captor mk-2 to be an effective SEAD/DEAD aircraft.
In Indian context the rafale needs to be integrated with rudram 1, m-2 and scorpius-G along with drdo NGJ. Spectra is just not self sufficient enough against China and even Pakistan. If the Pakistanis did use satellite targetting it will be a huge problem for us. That means we need to take out Chinese satellites before entering full-scale kinetic war.
 
IAF Rafales Return Dispels Pakistan's May Conflict Shootdown Claims

The return of three Rafale fighters from the Indian Air Force (IAF) — BS-021, BS-022, and BS-027 — for participation in the upcoming Indo-US Exercise Cope India 2025 has effectively countered Pakistan's claims of having shot down these aircraft during the conflict in May 2025.

Earlier this year, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) alleged that it had successfully downed the three Rafales using J-10CE fighters equipped with PL-15 missiles. However, the absence of any wreckage or radar and cockpit evidence to support these claims cast significant doubt on Islamabad's assertions.

Both Indian officials and Dassault Aviation were quick to refute the allegations, with CEO Éric Trappier labeling them as "inaccurate propaganda." Defence sources confirmed that no Rafale was lost during combat, and all aircraft fulfilled their deep-strike missions successfully in Operation Sindoor, leading to Pakistan seeking a ceasefire within 72 hours.

According to open-source intelligence (OSINT) and verified records of the IAF fleet, the Rafales — BS-021, BS-022, and BS-027 — remain active under the No. 101 Squadron "Falcons" based in Hasimara. Their participation in Cope India 2025 definitively refutes Pakistan's narrative.

Defence analysts highlight that the reappearance of these Rafales serves as a symbolic victory for the IAF, reinforcing its credibility and operational strength, while also exposing Pakistan's continued reliance on misinformation to bolster its wartime claims.
 
IAF Rafales Return Dispels Pakistan's May Conflict Shootdown Claims

The return of three Rafale fighters from the Indian Air Force (IAF) — BS-021, BS-022, and BS-027 — for participation in the upcoming Indo-US Exercise Cope India 2025 has effectively countered Pakistan's claims of having shot down these aircraft during the conflict in May 2025.

Earlier this year, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) alleged that it had successfully downed the three Rafales using J-10CE fighters equipped with PL-15 missiles. However, the absence of any wreckage or radar and cockpit evidence to support these claims cast significant doubt on Islamabad's assertions.

Both Indian officials and Dassault Aviation were quick to refute the allegations, with CEO Éric Trappier labeling them as "inaccurate propaganda." Defence sources confirmed that no Rafale was lost during combat, and all aircraft fulfilled their deep-strike missions successfully in Operation Sindoor, leading to Pakistan seeking a ceasefire within 72 hours.

According to open-source intelligence (OSINT) and verified records of the IAF fleet, the Rafales — BS-021, BS-022, and BS-027 — remain active under the No. 101 Squadron "Falcons" based in Hasimara. Their participation in Cope India 2025 definitively refutes Pakistan's narrative.

Defence analysts highlight that the reappearance of these Rafales serves as a symbolic victory for the IAF, reinforcing its credibility and operational strength, while also exposing Pakistan's continued reliance on misinformation to bolster its wartime claims.
 
I'm just repeating it, France is saying the Rafale needs SEAD DEAD capability it's currently lacking
It was going to be F4, which was gutted, I think it has slipped to F5, I can't be bothered to google it, Someone else is welcome to

The Rafale SPECTRA is self protection, There is no EW to shield other aircraft, as several other platforms can
Spectra evolved. It is now fitted with GaN antennas, far more powerfull than previous one. It proved to be efficient. It's not the first time india used french jets to protect others : already made with M2000 during Kargil.
The rafale needs external escort jammers and agm-88er/ngarm integration to effectively pull-off a SEAD/DEAD campaign. Spectra is ineffective against AESA's our resident navy pilot expert @vstoljockey already wrote it a long time ago.
The F-35 is only capable.of SEAD because the apg-81 can itself to jamming and spoofing. The rbe-2xg needs to be able to jam like the APG-81 and captor mk-2 to be an effective SEAD/DEAD aircraft.
In Indian context the rafale needs to be integrated with rudram 1, m-2 and scorpius-G along with drdo NGJ. Spectra is just not self sufficient enough against China and even Pakistan. If the Pakistanis did use satellite targetting it will be a huge problem for us. That means we need to take out Chinese satellites before entering full-scale kinetic war.
and what is RJ-10 missile according to you ?
 
and what is RJ-10 missile according to you ?
RJ-10 missile is a concept at this given point in time and isn't expected to be fielded until 2035 atleast.
Whereas Rudram-1, 2 and 3 all exist having undergone multiple rounds of firing trials.
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Spectra evolved. It is now fitted with GaN antennas, far more powerfull than previous one. It proved to be efficient. It's not the first time india used french jets to protect others : already made with M2000 during Kargil.

and what is RJ-10 missile according to you ?
It's not in service. The F5 will only be real by 2026.