The Rafale Export Dilemma

In this episode of WorldView with Swasti, Dr Swasti Rao, Consulting Editor and Foreign Policy Expert, speaks with Gregory Priolon, former Intelligence Analyst at the French Air Force and Expert at “Intelligence Online”. The discussion uncovers risks of military technology leakage as global air-to-air warfare evolves. From expansion of the “Rafale Club” to the role of Pakistani pilots accessing Rafale’s EW suite through countries like Qatar, the discussion highlights the dangers of cross-cutting defence value chains. This episode dives deep into the vulnerabilities surrounding the Rafale ecosystem and its electronic warfare suite, Spectra, through sales to countries that are detrimental to India’s interests. The conversation highlights why Rafale exports to certain countries like Qatar and potentially to Bangladesh should raise red flags for India, how Qatari training programmes could expose sensitive systems to Pakistani pilots and the growing challenge posed by Turkey’s expertise in reverse engineering. With Rafale central to both France’s nuclear doctrine and India’s frontline fleet, the episode closes by stressing why New Delhi must demand stronger guarantees in the next Rafale deal (MRFA) and build more sovereign countermeasures to safeguard its technological edge. #rafale #operationsindoor #pakistan #france #china #trump #defense