NEW DELHI: China on Friday said the much-talked-about Rafale fighter jets are no match for its J-20 stealth fighter jets, days after the first batch of five French-made warplanes landed in Ambala.
Quoting experts, an article in the Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece The Global Times said: “India has recently received delivery of five Rafale fighter jets, with a former Indian air chief marshal boasting that the French-made warplanes’ capability is superior to China’s J-20 stealth fighter jet.
Chinese experts said that the Rafale is only a third-plus generation fighter jet, and does not stand much of a chance against a stealth, fourth-generation one like the J-20.” Saying that the Rafale is superior to the Su-30 MKI in some aspects, the article goes on to say that the acquisition does not yield a significant qualitative change.
“In some combat performance areas, the Rafale is superior to the Su-30 MKI fighter jets, which are in service in the Indian Air Force in large batches, but it is only about one-fourth of a generation more advanced and does not yield a significant qualitative change,” it said.
Air Commodore (Retd) Prashant Dixit dismissed Beijing’s claims as a bogey. “The very shape of J-20 reveals that it’s more like any traditional aircraft. It is an unproven platform, too. Rafale is a proven platform and with the kind of weapons and missile it is packed with will be an aircraft which will deter any enemy,” he said.
Defence expert dismisses China’s claims as bogey
“The very shape of J-20 reveals that it’s more like any traditional aircraft. It is an unproven platform, too. Rafale (in pic) is a proven platform, says Air Commodore (Retd) Prashant Dixit