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Sunday, October 6, 2024

Pakistan’s J-10C vs India’s Rafale: A comparison

The J-10C is powered by China’s homegrown engine, which replaced the Russian AL-31 engine used by previous variants. It employs the PL-15, a dual-stage BVRAAM with a range of 200 kilometers or more. In contrast, the Rafale is a twin-engine fighter that can operate from either an aircraft carrier or a land base. All combat aviation missions can be carried out by the fully adaptable Rafale

For starters, J-10CE is the export variant (E for export) of the J-10Caircraft which is the third improved variant of the Chinese J-10A which in turn is a copy of the Israeli fighter IAI Lavi. It is a single-engine, lightweight, multirole combat aircraft with decent performance but nowhere near to that of Rafale.

The J-10C has an empty weight of 8,850 kg against Rafale’s empty weight of 9,850 kg. The Rafale is heavier by one ton when empty but has a far greater thrust coming out of its engines. The two M88 engines of Rafale churn a thrust of 100/150 kN (dry/afterburner) against 79/125 kN (dry/afterburner) thrust of the J-10C.

Read more: India slaps heavy fine on French missile firm for delays in Rafale deal

Is Rafale a superior aircraft? Let’s find out!

Quantitatively, Rafale has 20% more thrust and only 11% more weight than the J10C. This means that Rafale has a much better thrust-to-weight ratio than the J10C for the same fuel and gun weight. This means greater agility and higher energy, which are the determinants of WVR combat. But what is really important here is that the Rafale short-range missile (MICAIR) is many generations ahead of the J10C’s PL8 / 9 missile. MICAIR has an imaging infrared (IIR) viewfinder as opposed to the PL8’s infrared (IR) viewfinder, which also has a much higher range, off-bore shooting capability, G resistance, and kill probability.
Beyond-Visual Range (BVR) Combat: In BVR combat, the two devices are of paramount importance. An excellent radar that sees the enemy before it sees it, and an excellent BVR missile that can reach far and attack the enemy. Radar: The J10C has a Chinese AESA radar (active electronically scanned array) with a 1,200 T/R module (transceiver). This is a huge number, but the J10C’s single AL31 motor isn’t powerful enough to power all 1,200 T / R modules. Therefore, radar operates with less power.
The Rafale radar is an RBE2 AESA radar with an 838 T/R module. All T/R modules are functional and technically superior radars. Both the J10C and Rafale have a similar radar cross-section of 1 m2, but Rafale has a greater advantage in detecting the J10C due to the higher detection area of ​​Rafale’s RBE2. For other tasks like air-to-ground, RBE2 has better modes and higher reliability.

The J-10, which has been called a “Firebird” by NATO, is a single-engine, light multirole fighter that can fly in all weather conditions. It was designed for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force to carry out strike and air-to-air combat operations.

Read more: France’s Macron gears up for UAE Rafale fighter jet deal

The J-10 has a large delta wing

it also has two canards right behind the cockpit for increased maneuverability. The armament is identical to that of the MiG-29 and F-16, according to National Interest, with three weapon pylons on each wing and three on the belly.

The J-10C variant, on which the FC-20E is based, is powered by the indigenously developed WS-10 Taihang engine.

In contrast, the Rafale is a twin-engine fighter that can operate from either an aircraft carrier or a land base. All combat aviation missions can be carried out by the fully adaptable Rafale, including air superiority and air defense, close air support, in-depth strikes, reconnaissance, anti-ship strikes, and nuclear deterrent.

The J-10C is powered by China’s homegrown engine, which replaced the Russian AL-31 engine used by previous variants. It employs the PL-15, a dual-stage BVRAAM with a range of 200 kilometers or more, for long-range interception. The PL-15 is also used by the JF-17 Thunder; hence, the J-10C doesn’t add anything new to the table, experts believe.

Read more: India’s Rafale jet deal faces new controversy

One major difference between the two aircraft is that, unlike the Rafale that has been used in combat missions in Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, Iraq and Syria, the J-10C has not faced a real combat situation. Thus, Rafale is not only a battle-tested but also battle-hardened fighter aircraft.