Indian errors, Chinese arms may both be to blame for jet losses: UK magazine

Indian errors and Chinese weapons may both have played a role in the downing of Indian jets during the recent conflict with Pakistan, The Economist reported.

“Early reports suggested that the decisive factor was the superiority of Pakistan’s Chinese-made J-10 fighters and its PL-15 air-to-air missiles. India does appear to have underestimated those. And China may have also tipped the balance by providing Pakistan with early warning and real-time targeting data,” it reported.

It stated that the bigger problem might have been how India used its own fighters on that first night. “One theory among foreign officials is that on the first day, India did not mount its Rafales with Meteor long-range air-to-air missiles (presumably thinking that they were beyond the reach of Pakistan’s fighters or that Pakistan’s initial response would be less escalatory). Another is that India’s fighters did not have the right electronic jamming equipment, up-to-date software or relevant data to protect them from Pakistan’s new weaponry. A third, and broader, explanation is that India lacked the necessary “mission data” to understand how Pakistan could identify Indian planes, pass data to its own jets and guide missiles to their targets.”

It notes that there are implications, too, for India’s biggest defence deal in years. “It is expected to launch a long overdue tender for 114 fighters this year. And Dassault, the French manufacturer of Rafales, is a leading contender alongside Sweden’s Saab and America’s Boeing and Lockheed Martin. But some Indian military figures have suggested that the Rafales under-performed in the recent conflict. Others complain that Dassault is reluctant to share the source code for the Rafale’s software, preventing India from adapting the aircraft to suit its own needs. Since the conflict, Chinese diplomats are also said to have been badmouthing Rafales to other prospective buyers and urging them to buy Chinese fighters, instead.”

“Dassault executives are anxious to reassure countries that have bought Rafales, including Egypt, Indonesia, Qatar and the UAE, as well as potential future customers. But the company is constrained in what it can say publicly, for fear of angering India. It is also unclear to what extent Dassault has been permitted to take part in India’s investigation into the episode.

“The French government is also under pressure to explain what would be the first confirmed loss of a Rafale in combat. Marc Chavent, a member of France’s parliament, submitted a written question to the government in late May voicing concern that the SPECTRA electronic-warfare system on India’s Rafales failed to detect or jam Pakistan’s Chinese-made PL-15 air-to-air missiles. He asked if newer Rafales would have an upgraded version of SPECTRA and whether France was considering developing a fighter designed specifically for electronic warfare.”