Rafale vs J-10 Jet
Pakistani forces electronically jammed four Indian Air Force Rafale fighter jets on the nights of April 29th and 30th, near the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Kashmir region, according to Khawaja Asif, Pakistan’s defence minister.
The incident forced the Indian Air Force to retreat and make emergency landings in Srinagar. Posts on X, citing Asif, claim that the Pakistani Air Force used advanced electronic warfare systems and the Chengdu J-10C jet, manufactured in China, to interfere with the Rafales’ radar and communication systems.
India has not confirmed the alleged incident, but it has caused a lot of discussion about how powerful China’s rapidly improving military technology is and whether it can compete with Western-designed systems like the French-built Rafale.
The claim hasn’t been proven yet and could be propaganda, but it does bring up important questions about how aerial warfare is changing and how electronic countermeasures are getting smarter. The reported meeting happened at a time when tensions were high between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. This was because of the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which killed 26 tourists, most of whom were Indian.
India said that Pakistan was behind the attack, but Islamabad strongly denied this. In the meantime, both countries were playing diplomatic and military games, including skirmishes across the Line of Control. Pakistan’s state media, such as PTV News, said that their air force saw Indian Rafale jets doing reconnaissance near the Line of Control and chased them, making them “retreat in panic.”
Clash Report
According news outlets like Clash Report, Pakistan’s electronic warfare capabilities rendered the Rafales’ advanced systems useless. If this claim is true, it would be a huge technological accomplishment for Pakistan and its Chinese-supplied arsenal.
China’s Chengdu Aerospace Corporation made the Chengdu J-10C, which is at the heart of Pakistan’s claim. It is a single-engine, multirole fighter. The J-10C was first used by the Pakistani Air Force in March 2022. It is a key part of Pakistan’s plans to update its fleet in response to India’s purchase of 36 Rafale jets from France.
The Chinese WS-10B turbofan engine gives the J-10C its power. It can reach speeds of Mach 1.8 and has a range of about 1,250 miles with fuel tanks on the outside. Its active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, believed to be a version of the KLJ-10, facilitates target detection and tracking.
The plane has both air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons, such as the long-range PL-15 missile (which can go over 120 miles) and the short-range PL-10 missile (which has advanced infrared homing). Pakistan announced in December 2021 that it would buy at least 25 J-10C jets as a response to India’s Rafale program. This development shows how strategic competition is driving technological progress in the region.
In this case, the J-10C is different because it is said to have advanced electronic warfare systems built in. Asif says these systems were used to mess up the Rafale jets. China keeps military technology very secret, so it’s difficult to obtain specific information about the J-10C’s electronic warfare suite.
Digital Radio Frequency Memory
Defence analysts believe Pakistan’s J-10C may carry Chinese jammers, like the KG300G or KG600. These jamming systems can disrupt enemy radar and communication, giving the J-10C an edge in electronic warfare.
They will likely use digital radio frequency memory (DRFM) to record, alter, and rebroadcast radar signals to confuse enemy defences. DRFM creates false targets or overwhelms sensors, making it hard for enemy aircraft to distinguish real threats.
These capabilities are crucial when facing the Rafale’s SPECTRA electronic warfare suite, built to counter advanced missile systems. The Rafale, a twin-engine multirole jet, joined the Indian Air Force in 2020 with cutting-edge technology.
It’s known for its flexibility in combat and high-end performance in both air-to-air and ground missions. Powered by two Snecma M88-2 engines, the Rafale reaches speeds up to Mach 1.8 and flies about 2,300 miles.
Its Thales RBE2 AESA radar improves situational awareness and allows tracking several targets at long ranges. The Rafale can launch the Meteor missile, which has a range of over 90 miles for long-range engagements.
BrahMos
For close combat, it uses the MICA missile, designed for agility and precision in short-range dogfights. India stations Rafales at Ambala and Hasimara air bases, both critical for eastern and western theatre operations.
India-specific upgrades include helmet-mounted displays and the ability to launch the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. BrahMos, jointly developed by India and Russia, offers precision strike options deep into enemy territory.
The Rafale also supports real-time data sharing with other platforms, enhancing India’s network-centric warfare capabilities. SPECTRA, developed by Thales and MBDA, is vital to keeping the Rafale safe in hostile environments. SPECTRA stands for “Système de protection et d’évitement des conduites de tir du Rafale.”
It combines sensors, jammers, and decoys to detect, analyse, and neutralise incoming threats before they strike. This system includes both active and passive defences, giving Rafale a strong survival advantage in modern combat.
The system uses complex algorithms to figure out what radar and missile signals are coming in and then uses countermeasures like chaff, flares, or directed jamming to throw off enemy sensors. We closely guard the active cancellation technology in SPECTRA. Customised electromagnetic signals are believed to conceal Rafale’s radar signature, thereby hampering its detection.
People have said that this system is one of the most advanced electronic warfare suites on any fighter jet today because it can fight complex threats like Russian and Chinese radar systems. Pakistan’s claim that its J-10C jets messed up SPECTRA is wonderful because it shows a level of technological skill that calls into question Rafale’s reputation as a platform that is almost impossible to attack.
SPECTRA
Electronic warfare uses electromagnetic signals to weaken an enemy’s sensors, communications, or navigation systems, usually To jam the Rafale, Pakistan’s forces would have had to defeat or bypass SPECTRA’s defences.
Such an effort would have required careful planning and high-tech tools. The J-10C’s built-in jammers might have played a part, but experts think that Pakistan may have also used electronic warfare systems on the ground, like units supplied by China, to improve its airborne capabilities.
These systems could send out strong signals that would overwhelm the Rafale’s sensors. Such an event could temporarily stop radar and communication functions. Several things affect how likely Pakistan’s claim is to be true. The J-10C is a new, advanced platform that hasn’t been used in combat as much as the Rafale, which has been in Libyan, Malian, and Syrian conflicts.
In the past few years, China has put a lot more money into electronic warfare because it wants to catch up to Western powers in terms of technology. Other Chinese planes use systems like the KG600, designed to block radar frequencies over a large area. Such interference could affect AESA radars like the RBE2 on the Rafale.
To get around SPECTRA’s adaptive jamming and active cancellation features, on the other hand, would take a very advanced and targeted strategy, possibly involving real-time signal analysis and putting out a lot of power.
2019 Balakot Airstrike
Without independent proof, like satellite images or intercepted communications, the claim is still just a guess. India’s silence on the issue suggests either a strategic decision to keep things from getting worse or an admission of a small operational setback. If the story is true, it wouldn’t be the first time that electronic warfare has been a key factor in a modern air battle.
India’s Mirage 2000 jets reportedly used electronic countermeasures to avoid Pakistani radar during the 2019 Balakot airstrike. Meanwhile, a dogfight between Pakistan’s F-16s and JF-17s resulted in the downing of an Indian MiG-21.
Electronic warfare is now an important part of military strategy, and countries like the US, Russia, and China are putting a lot of money into systems that can control the electromagnetic spectrum. For example, the U.S. Navy’s EA-18G Growler is a specialised aircraft designed for electronic warfare, equipped with an ALQ-249 Next Generation Jammer that can disrupt enemy radar and communications from great distances. from great distances.
Russia’s Su-35 jets use the Khibiny electronic warfare pod to create jamming bubbles around other planes, providing them with protection. The J-10C demonstrates China’s progress in catching up. It is using its growing industrial base to make cheaper systems that can compete with more expensive Western platforms.
India and Pakistan have traditionally used their air forces as important ways to show their power along the LoC. India’s MiG-29s and Mirage 2000s attacked Pakistani positions from the air during the Kargil War in 1999, but the battles were short but intense.
Geopolitical Trends
Pakistan bought F-16s from the US in the 1980s, and they have been a mainstay of its air force ever since. However, when the J-10C came out in 2022, it marked a shift towards using Chinese technology. This change reflects broader geopolitical trends. For example, the Belt and Road Initiative is helping Pakistan strengthen its military ties with China.
Pakistan’s use of the J-10C as a test bed for Chinese hardware provides useful information about how well it works against advanced enemies like the Rafale. Getting the Rafale was a smart move for India to defend itself against both Pakistan and China. China’s J-20 stealth jets are a long-term threat along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.
The bigger picture of what happened on April 29 and 30 shows how unstable things are in Kashmir. The Resistance Front, a group India connects to Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack. In response, India took several actions, such as ending the Indus Waters Treaty and blocking Pakistani flights from entering its airspace.
Pakistan responded by doing the same thing, which made the diplomatic crisis worse. Multiple reports of cross-border firing along the LoC in late April made things even worse, with both sides accusing the other of breaking the ceasefire.
Whether the alleged Rafale incident is true or not, it fits into a pattern of psychological and informational warfare in which claims of technological superiority are used to boost morale at home and scare off enemies. People should be sceptical of Asif’s claim because claims that haven’t been proven have happened before in the India-Pakistan conflict.
Line of Control
India claimed that Pakistan falsely reported shooting down an Indian Su-30MKI during the Balakot skirmish in 2019. India said that they had in fact only lost a MiG-21. In late April 2025, false social media posts claimed a Rafale was shot down near the Line of Control.
The video used was from a June 2024 Su-30MKI crash in Maharashtra, unrelated to the current conflict. India’s Press Information Bureau quickly debunked the rumour, showing how misinformation spreads rapidly in tense regions.
Asif’s claim, amplified on X, may aim to project strength and pressure India to scale back military actions. The event’s implications go far beyond South Asia, especially for the U.S. defence strategy and global arms competition.
China’s J-10C shows growing capability to challenge Western systems, including the F-35 and Rafale. This development puts pressure on Western defence companies to maintain their technological edge.
Counter Jammers
The U.S. operates over 450 F-35 jets, relying on superior electronic warfare to maintain air dominance. Systems like the EA-18G Growler and the F-35’s Barracuda aim to counter jammers from rivals like China.
Yet, the rapid spread of Chinese systems to countries like Pakistan raises concerns about shifting power balances. China’s defence exports could sway nations in the Middle East and Africa to favour Chinese weapons over Western ones.
That trend would harm U.S. defence exports and reduce influence in key regions. Even without proof, Pakistan’s claim affects perceptions and global discussions on air combat capabilities.If true, the J-10C disrupting Rafale’s systems would mark a leap in Chinese aerospace effectiveness. It could shift how global militaries evaluate Chinese technology’s reliability and battlefield usefulness.
Even if untrue, the claim highlights the growing importance of electronic warfare in modern conflicts. Today, controlling the electromagnetic spectrum can matter as much as firepower on the battlefield. This incident also shows the challenge of verifying claims in a fast-moving, social media-driven world. Posts on platforms like X can shape narratives before anyone fully confirms the facts.
Conclusion
Tensions remain high in Kashmir, and the alleged Rafale incident highlights the need for strong electronic warfare defences across all platforms. India may need to rethink how it uses Rafales and ensure their systems are prepared for modern electronic threats.
Whether the J-10C’s success is real or exaggerated, it deepens Pakistan’s strategic bond with China. This bond makes Pakistan even more valuable to China’s wider geopolitical ambitions in the region.The incident reminds global defence experts that the technology gap between China and the West is shrinking rapidly. Electronic and cyber warfare domains may determine the outcome of future wars, not firepower alone.
Could this be a turning point in the race for air superiority between rival nations? Or is it just another case in the long history of unverified claims between India and Pakistan? Perhaps the public release of evidence and the final settlement will reveal the truth.
References
- Clash Report – X
➤ https://twitter.com/clashreport - Pakistan Defence Forum – Facebook
➤ https://www.facebook.com/groups/pakistandefenseforum - PTV News – State Media
➤ https://www.ptv.com.pk - Defense News Today
➤ https://www.defensenewstoday.info - Khawaja Asif – Official X (Twitter)
➤ https://twitter.com/KhawajaMAsif
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