SOURCE: AFI
In the complex arena of global geopolitics and defense procurement, narratives can be as potent as weapons. Recent reports from Russian Times (RT), a state-backed Russian media outlet, have stirred controversy by amplifying unverified claims about the French-made Rafale fighter jet’s alleged poor performance in a supposed India-Pakistan aerial clash.
These reports, which align closely with Pakistani narratives, have fueled doubts about Indonesia’s $8.1 billion deal to procure 42 Rafale jets from France’s Dassault Aviation. Simultaneously, RT has been promoting Russia’s Su-57E, a fifth-generation stealth fighter, as a superior alternative for nations like India and potentially Indonesia. This raises questions about RT’s motives: is it a neutral observer or a strategic player pushing Russian interests under the guise of journalism?
Indonesia’s ambitious $8.1 billion agreement, signed in 2022, aims to modernize its air force with 42 Rafale jets, with deliveries scheduled to begin in early 2026. The deal, one of Southeast Asia’s largest defense contracts, includes advanced weaponry, simulators, and infrastructure upgrades, positioning the Rafale as a cornerstone of Indonesia’s air defense strategy. However, reports emerging on May 7, 2025, from Pakistan’s military and amplified by RT, claimed that three Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafales were shot down by Pakistan’s Chinese-made J-10C jets, armed with PL-15E beyond-visual-range (BVR) missiles, during an aerial skirmish over disputed territory. These claims, which also alleged the downing of a MiG-29 and an Su-30MKI, have sparked significant debate, particularly as India has not officially confirmed any such losses.
RT’s coverage, including a widely shared post on X stating, “Indonesia may scrap $8.1 billion Rafale deal after combat performance doubts,” has added fuel to the fire. The outlet cited unverified reports of the Rafale’s ineffectiveness, aligning its narrative with Pakistan’s claims and casting a shadow over the jet’s combat reputation. This has prompted Indonesia’s Ministry of Defense to reportedly initiate a review of the Rafale’s operational credibility, a move that RT has prominently highlighted.
The claims of Rafale losses remain contentious and largely unverified. India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) and French experts have dismissed Pakistan’s assertions as propaganda, pointing to a lack of credible evidence such as verifiable wreckage or satellite imagery. For instance, an image purportedly showing a downed Rafale near Bahawalpur was identified as a 2021 MiG-21 crash in Punjab, while another video claiming a Pakistani attack on Srinagar Airbase was traced to unrelated 2024 clashes in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A French expert further noted that a fuel tank found in Wuyan, dated to 1984, likely belonged to a Mirage 2000, not a Rafale.
Moreover, the Rafale’s advanced Thales RBE2AA radar and MBDA Meteor missiles, with a no-escape zone of 60 kilometers, make it a formidable platform in air-to-air combat. Analysts, including Carnegie’s Ashley Tellis, have suggested that even if one Rafale was lost, it could have been due to an ultra-long-range engagement or pilot error rather than a systemic failure of the jet. India’s silence on the matter, coupled with its proactive debunking of Pakistan’s visual evidence, suggests confidence in the Rafale’s performance during Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory airstrike targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
RT’s amplification of Pakistan’s claims and its simultaneous promotion of the Su-57E as an alternative for India and other nations raise suspicions about its motives. The Su-57E, Russia’s export variant of its fifth-generation stealth fighter, has been pitched as a counter to Western platforms like the Rafale and the U.S.-made F-35. RT’s coverage, including an article titled “[EXCLUSIVE] Su-57E Spearheads Russia’s Power Projection in Southeast Asia’s Airspace Battlefield,” portrays the jet as a game-changer for regional powers seeking to bolster their air forces.
This narrative aligns with Russia’s broader geopolitical strategy to maintain influence in Asia, particularly in countries like India, a long-standing buyer of Russian military hardware, and Indonesia, which operates aging Russian Sukhoi jets. By casting doubt on the Rafale’s capabilities, RT appears to be undermining a key Western defense platform while promoting Russian technology. This tactic is not new: RT has a history of selectively framing narratives to align with Moscow’s interests, often amplifying disinformation to sow discord among Western-aligned nations.
The timing of RT’s reports is also noteworthy. The rapid dissemination of unverified claims about Rafale losses, echoed by American media outlets like Reuters and CNN, has led some observers to speculate about a coordinated effort to tarnish the Rafale’s reputation. Posts on X, such as one by user @atifshahstating, “USA defense companies are using it to its fullest advantage to kill Rafael market and sell their F35 to India,” suggest that RT’s coverage may inadvertently or deliberately align with U.S. efforts to promote the F-35 in India’s $15 billion fighter jet market.
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