France confirms India’s interest in Rafale F5, potential first export customer

[Guynextdoor]

Didn’t Supa Powa IAF with its Supa Powa budget not outnumber PAF 2 to 1 in May? And what was the outcome prey tell? Turkey shoot no? Guess u guys are slow learners.

PAF won decisively in May



@vasanthm @Vkdindian1 @Thinking

 

[harpy1]

The Super Dassault Rafale F5 Fighter Is Coming

France’s new Dassault Rafale F5 “Super Rafale” adds drones, new sensors, and hypersonic weapons—aiming to keep Paris competitive until FCAS arrives in the 2040s.

www.19fortyfive.com

This is most going to cost 300 million a peice imo
When you factor in the upgrades but more than that new weapons it's carrys and the unmanned wingmen that will fight along side Rafale F5 IE neuron combat drone

Hence India looking at 24 only initially post 2030 alongside the 90 F4 standard

 

[harpy1]

Sorry, Russia: India Just Doesn’t Want Your Fifth-Gen Fighter

India won’t be “quitting” Russia anytime soon, as it still needs Russian military platforms, but New Delhi is all-in on developing indigenous platforms.

nationalinterest.org

This almost guarantees more Rafales after India politely decline su57 offer

 

[Falcon26]

This is just more money in the pockets of the French while India loses strategic capacity to master leading technology.

India should ditch the Rafale, which was totally dominated and rendered irrelevant by PAF in the May 2025 conflict. Instead, it should focus on the Tejas program which is an indigenous program and shift it to a 5th generation program. No need to stack up these 4 gen fighters when India’s neighbor are already moving towards 5th generation in the form of J-20 & J-35.

 

[Tariq Habib Afridi]

This is just more money in the pockets of the French while India loses strategic capacity to master leading technology.

India should ditch the Rafale, which was totally dominated and rendered irrelevant by PAF in the May 2025 conflict. Instead, it should focus on the Tejas program which is an indigenous program and shift it to a 5th generation program. No need to stack up these 4 gen fighters when India’s neighbor are already moving towards 5th generation in the form of J-20 & J-35.

In my opinion the best course for india is to go with russian su-57 with TOT and then start on improving that. this way they can easily develop their indegeneous capability which is crucial for upgrades with time. However, I dont know if they have the same TOT for rafale F4/F5? If so then they are on the right track slowly but eventually they can become on par with next 20-25 years

 

[东风夜放花千树]

China has not smeared the Rafale. China's and Pakistan's J-10C and PL-15 really like the Rafale. The Pakistan Air Force put on a show for the whole world called 'You can't see me, but I asked the PL-15 to say hello to you.'

India must give up the idea of trying to invade Pakistan. Indian pilots' skills and aircraft are already behind Pakistan's. Maintaining peace is the choice that best serves India's interests. India should focus on domestic affairs and, with Russia's help, restore its international standing.

 

[MH.Yang]

India had no choice.

China wouldn’t sell fighter jets to India. America’s fighter jets came with political conditions that India couldn’t accept. RUS’s jets were of too poor quality.

The only three options that India was left with were the Rafale, the EF-2000, and the JAS-39. And the EF-2000 was a interceptor and the JAS-39 a single-engine light fighter. The Rafale was really India’s only.

 

[Tariq Habib Afridi]

India had no choice.

China wouldn’t sell fighter jets to India. America’s fighter jets came with political conditions that India couldn’t accept.’s jets were of too poor quality.

The only three options that India was left with were the Rafale, the EF-2000, and the JAS-39. And the EF-2000 was a interceptor and the JAS-39 a single-engine light fighter. The Rafale was really India’s only.

India has one other and rational option. Lets make peace with china and pakistan and let go these cold war mentality and this idea of akhand bharat. let this side of area prosperous for the people over here and dont become west puppy.

Whatever their genuine concerns are lets sort it out on table. Let China, India and Pakistan sit and like civilized people sort out all issues on table and let south asian people quality of life improve with long lasting peace.

 

[Justin TruDont]

India will start retiring Jaguar and might consider SU-57 and Rafale. Russia offered investment opportunity to India for SU-75 (still under development).

Mig21s are already gone
Jaguars will start retiring in 2028
Their is no OEM support for Jaguars and Mirages
We have to buy retired aircrafts fro. FRANCE and Oman just to maintain them
We have around 50 Jaguars upgraded with Israeli ELTA2052 AESA radars , these aircrafts can fire Israeli Rampage Missiles and European MICA and ASRAAM
These will remain in service till 2035
But still 60 odd un upgraded Jaguars are useless in actual combat

Hence an urgency to buy 60-90 odd foreign jets
Which will either be Rafale or Su57

Or a combination of both of we can find an extra 10 billion USD

 

[Pakistanithinktank]

Mig21s are already gone
Jaguars will start retiring in 2028
Their is no OEM support for Jaguars and Mirages
We have to buy retired aircrafts fro. FRANCE and Oman just to maintain them
We have around 50 Jaguars upgraded with Israeli ELTA2052 AESA radars , these aircrafts can fire Israeli Rampage Missiles and European MICA and ASRAAM
These will remain in service till 2035
But still 60 odd un upgraded Jaguars are useless in actual combat

Hence an urgency to buy 60-90 odd foreign jets
Which will either be Rafale or Su57

Or a combination of both of we can find an extra 10 billion USD

SU-57 make sense since Russia is allowing local assembly.

 

[Justin TruDont]

In my opinion the best course for india is to go with russian su-57 with TOT and then start on improving that. this way they can easily develop their indegeneous capability which is crucial for upgrades with time. However, I dont know if they have the same TOT for rafale F4/F5? If so then they are on the right track slowly but eventually they can become on par with next 20-25 years

Su57 offers the most customization and upgrade options
But an an aircraft design, its low observable at best
Lacks full spectrum stealth.

Russia doesn't mind what India does with Su30mki and Mig29s
They have offered similar freedom with Su57

We have managed to integrate Russian, Israeli , Indian Weapons with them
We are also upgrading them with our own radar and Avionics
India would have integrated the French Hammer LGB and Scalp Cruise missiles with them had the French not been against the proposal.

 

[Justin TruDont]

When it comes to aircrafts numbers
In my opinion
IAF should consider Su57 as a true replacement for Mig29s
We have 58 Mig29upg in service which will be retired in 2035
Buy 60 Su57 directly from Russia
Delivery will start around 2030, we could have a smooth squadron wise transition from Mig29 to Su57
By then Ukraine war would be over and USA would have a Democrats President, so we will avoid any sanctions.

Similarly Rafales should be considered as replacement for Mirage 2000.
Buy 54 Rafales F5s directly from France
Dont go for rafale F4s
54 Rafales will easily replace 48 Mirage2000v5 in a squadron to squadron replacement

That's 114 fighters for 30 billion
Exactly what India MOD has sanctioned
This will strengthen IAF by ensuring faster deliveries

Let the 180 odd Tejas MK1A Replace Mig21s and Jaguars

We should only go for more Su57 with domestic production, if we intend to replace early model Su30mkis with them in 2040s

Otherwise 60+54 formula is enough

 

[MH.Yang]

Mig21s are already gone
Jaguars will start retiring in 2028
Their is no OEM support for Jaguars and Mirages
We have to buy retired aircrafts fro. FRANCE and Oman just to maintain them
We have around 50 Jaguars upgraded with Israeli ELTA2052 AESA radars , these aircrafts can fire Israeli Rampage Missiles and European MICA and ASRAAM
These will remain in service till 2035
But still 60 odd un upgraded Jaguars are useless in actual combat

Hence an urgency to buy 60-90 odd foreign jets
Which will either be Rafale or Su57

Or a combination of both of we can find an extra 10 billion USD

The Rafale has a payload capacity of 9.5t. Apart from the 13.4 ton F-15EX and 12 ton J-16, the Rafale is the third ranked bomb truck among 4G fighter jets.

Considering that it is almost impossible for India to obtain F-15EX and J-16, it is certainly correct for India to purchase more Rafales. Even if Rafale does not undertake aerial combat missions in the future, it will still be a frontline fighter with significant strategic significance.

As for the Su-57, India does not need to make a hasty decision before Pakistan obtains the J-35.

 

[Ali_Baba]

India had no choice.

China wouldn’t sell fighter jets to India. America’s fighter jets came with political conditions that India couldn’t accept. RUS’s jets were of too poor quality.

The only three options that India was left with were the Rafale, the EF-2000, and the JAS-39. And the EF-2000 was a interceptor and the JAS-39 a single-engine light fighter. The Rafale was really India’s only.

India does not have many good options "right now", but there is a chance that India could purchase the GCAP as it has been sighted as a potential customer there, additionally the FCAS if that programme "survives" the French ( though the French may develop a variant of FCAS on their own now that they have taken so much money from the Germans to fund the early stages of it ).

 

[MH.Yang]

India does not have many good options "right now", but there is a chance that India could purchase the GCAP as it has been sighted as a potential customer there, additionally the FCAS if that programme "survives" the French ( though the French may develop a variant of FCAS on their own now that they have taken so much money from the Germans to fund the early stages of it ).

The EU's 6G fighter jets may not necessarily maintain a technological advantage over Russian fighter jets.

Firstly, Russia's military industry is rapidly resurrecting under the stimulation of war orders. The aviation industry is likely to make significant progress.

Secondly, the EU's economy is declining and deindustrialization is accelerating.

Thirdly, the EU has never had high thrust aircraft engines, and even GCAP engines are still medium thrust engines. And Russia has high thrust aircraft engines. Compared to the technological accumulation required for aircraft engines, Russia's disadvantage in the field of avionics makes it easier to make breakthrough progress.