Dassault’s fighter jet, Rafale, has often been called an owner’s pride and neighbour’s envy. It’s recent deal with Ministry of defence, India, had earned it the ire of many other companies functioning in the defence industry, and also of a few politicians, both within the Indian sub-continent and outside it.

Representatives of Indian Airforce will arrive in UAE to witness Rafale’s finest performance in May 2020, as during this time of the year temperature can surge as high as 50 degrees Celsius in the desert. Every vehicle that runs in such extreme conditions in the deserts of middle east, has to be modified so that the high temperatures do not effect the vehicle’s performance—same is also true for the fighter jets flying in the region.

Rafale had earned it reputation as a raptor killer in the deserts of UAE during an exercise in the year 2009. The exercise had run into a controversy when American pilots denied that Rafale was successful in killing the fearsome Raptor during a mock dogfight held at Al Dhafra air base in UAE.

Pitched at quarter billion dollars, Lockheed Martin made, F-22 Raptor, is not just pricey but is considered a technological marvel for its speed, maneuverability and stealth. It is pitched as one of the best fighter jet that America has to offer. During the exercise held in November 2009, Brtitish Fighter jets Typhoons had also participated along with Rafale and the F-22 Raptors. American pilots had during an interview claimed that they had shot down Rafales in six one-to-one mock dogfights during the exercise. A month after the exercise a video posted by a French website, contradicted the American pilot’s version and that plummeted the Raptor’s reputation as a fighter jet with formidable air dominance capabilities.

India has signed a deal with the French Fighter jet company according to which Dassault is ostensibly supposed to deliver 36 Rafales to India by April 2022. This deal had run into controversy when certain politicians in India had accused the ruling party of buying the fighter jets at exorbitant prices. But with this news of Rafale being a raptor killer pushes the fighter jet much ahead of its competitors and justifies the price (which is also subject to the top notch missiles the fighter jet is armed with).

The video of Rafale and F-22 Raptor’s mock dogfight can be watched here.

Article by Levina