Why India's Rafale fighter jets are superior to Pakistan’s F-16, China's J-20

The Rafale fighter jet is India’s biggest military acquisition in years. The first batch of five fighters arrived earlier today in India.

The supersonic fighters touched down at the Ambala airspace in Haryana. The five planes will take the IAF’s squadron strength to 31. The Rafale is a game changing acquisition for the Indian Air Force as it can carry out a variety of missions.

The Rafale can be used for ground and sea attacks and can undertake electronic warfare, air defence, ground support and in-depth strikes. The biggest asset of the Rafale is its weapon carrying capability. It has the meteor air-to-air missile. It can shoot down an enemy aircraft even if its more than 100 kilometers away.

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The Rafale will also be equipped with the scalp long range missile which can hit a target that’s more than 300 kilometers away. The Rafale is the most potent aircraft in South Asia. It can detect threats well in advance and neutralise them.

The fighter jet is much more capable than Pakistan’s F-16 aircraft or China’s J-20 - an aircraft that is yet to see combat. The Rafale’s acqusition is a significant boost for India’s defences against China.

Recently, the Indian Navy conducted drills off the coast of Andaman and Nicobar.Now, the Indian Navy is stepping up its surveillance. India has reportedly reached out to its neighbours in the Indian Ocean region. Indian officials have spoken to the Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles and Madagascar in an attempt to stop China from expanding its footprint.

After the bloody clash in Ladakh, China’s claims cannot be taken at face value. Indian officials are yet to confirm if the disengagement is complete or not until thenIndia is matching Chinese aggression.