India’s Operation Sindoor has brought South Asia’s air power competition into the spotlight with fresh vigor. During its counter-terror strikes in terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-held Kashmir, the Indian Air Force used its advanced Rafale combat aircraft armed with Scalp missiles (Storm Shadow) and HAMMER precision-guided bombs. As tensions escalate, any military retaliation by Pakistan would tend to employ its frontline F-16s, which are provided by the United States.”
This face-off brings to mind fundamental questions: how do these warriors stack up on technology, weapons, stealth, and operational preparedness? And more importantly, can Pakistan’s older, limited fleet compete with India’s state-of-the-art, unfettered Rafales?
Operation Sindoor: Why This Matters Now ?
India launched Operation Sindoor as a counter to the recent terror attack at Pahalgam. The operation struck nine locations in Pakistan and PoK: Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bahawalpur, Rawalakot, Chakswari, Bhimber, Neelum Valley, Jhelum, and Chakwal.
India employed its Rafale aircraft, which were armed with Scalp missiles and Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range (HAMMER) bombs. These are designed for deep penetration and precision attacks—perfect for targeting well-protected terror camps. The operation is the Rafale’s most aggressive deployment since induction, leaving Pakistan on high alert.
Jets: Rafale and F-16 Origins
India’s Rafales are French manufactured and produced by Dassault Aviation. They are a 4.5-generation aircraft famous for multirole capability and versatility.
Pakistan’s F-16s, named Fighting Falcons, are fourth-generation jets. They were developed by General Dynamics and now produced by Lockheed Martin.
Rafale has twin engines, providing it with increased thrust, stability, and survivability during combat. F-16 has a single engine, which makes it lightweight and agile during dogfights but less adaptable in high-threat scenarios.
Weapons and Electronics: Superiority in Systems
The airframe of Rafale, being semi-stealth, has reduced detection by radar. Its RBE2-AA AESA radar can target multiple objects and directs its precision weapons with speed and accuracy.
The plane has 13 India-specific upgrades. One of them is the Meteor BVR (Beyond Visual Range) missile, which has a huge 120-km range and an unmatched ‘no-escape zone.’ This implies that a target acquired by a Rafale has little opportunity to evade or survive.
Rafales are also fitted with Scalp (Storm Shadow) missiles and HAMMER bombs—for accurate, distant attacks. In addition, SPECTRA electronic warfare suite to jam hostile radars and spot threats in real time.
X-Guard fiber-optic towed decoy system of the aircraft allows Rafales to repel air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles—essentially impossible to catch.
In contrast, Pakistani F-16s have AIM-120C5 AMRAAMs and JDAM bombs. Although the AMRAAMS used to pose a threat for India, their arrival of Rafale changed this. Meteor superior to AMRAAM in reach as well as kill probability.
BVR Edge of Combat: Meteor vs AMRAAM
Rafale has an advantage in BVR combat. Rafale’s Meteor missile not just has a larger reach than that of AMRAAM, it also provides barely any window of opportunity for evading the attack to the target.
AMRAAM has an effective range of approximately 100 km. Meteor is 120 km and has the capability to attack high-speed, maneuvering targets.
That is important because most modern aerial combat takes place beyond visual range. Whoever fires first tends to win. The combination of Rafale’s AESA radar and Meteor provides India with that first-shot capability.
Close Combat Potential
The F-16 excels in close combat. Its lightweight structure and high thrust-to-weight ratio make it responsive in dogfighting. But getting to that range is the problem.
Rafale’s advanced radar, stealth, and long-range missile system allow it to attack before the F-16 closes in. If the engagement becomes protracted, Rafale’s two engines, electronic warfare, and decoys give it a critical advantage.
Fleet Sustainability and Future Readiness
This is where India gains ground with a longer-term advantage. Pakistan has approximately 75 F-16s. But the maintenance is becoming increasingly difficult. US limitations impose that these fighters can be deployed only for defense missions. There are also economic difficulties in making spares and upgrades available.
India, conversely, is not so held back. Rafales are younger, entirely Indian-controlled, and supported by continual French aid and spare parts stream. This autonomy difference might be crucial in a long or multi-fronted conflict.
Aside from hardware, there is geopolitics. Pakistan has long depended on US military assistance and equipment. But with the US stepping back after Afghanistan, Pakistan’s leverage and support are waning. India, on the other hand, has diversified vendors—from France to Israel—and established a more self-sufficient military-industrial agenda.
This airborne standoff is not merely a strategic comparison. It’s a photo of how every nation is positioning itself for the next decade of war.
Rafale Flies Higher, But Look to the Skies
The Rafale undoubtedly dominates long-range combat, technology, and survivability. Pakistan’s F-16s remain biter close in, but fleet age limits, external dependency, and evasion from radar make them susceptible.
As tensions build in the subcontinent, eyes will be on these jets—not only for their military roles, but as emblems of national power, readiness, and strategic vision.
