Nope, too big to be a MiG-21 center-line drop tank. More likely to be a F-16 drop tank as seen here on a PAF F-16. Also fin-less.

Too big to be a PTB-800? You seem very sure about that.
Well I’m like 99% sure that it isn’t an F-16 tank. But I guess everyone sees what he wants to see.

With all due respect. I do not care what Pakistani sympathisers and or citizens/western media who supports Pakistani position have to say. Concurrently that is the position taken by Government of India as well and its about time. Good day.

That is an article from India Today. Not an official statement. If that is indeed the position of the Indian gov., link to the official statement please.
The article only mentions “top sources” without ever naming a source. I.e. it is B.S.

You may or may not believe it. Its absurd to expect Pakistan to show evidence of an F 16 going down on their side.
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I believe the Indian Air force’s version of events their story doesn’t have any plot holes.
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​​I think more information will be revealed once WC Abhinandan is debfiefed.

How about Pakistani AF dropping their fuel tanks in the desert and certain posters claiming it as Indian strikes.

I suggest you post actual, official Indian Air Force statements then. None exist? No story, nothing to post.
Then we can discuss, and there’s hopefully less need to believe, and more to know.

This tabloid stuff is useless at best.

I’m going to say that KSA would still have won the air war due to having US supplied AWACS and F-15Cs. I know one KSA pilot got 2 kills.

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/controversial-kills-scored-saudi-f-15s-operation-desert-storm/

although in strike /CAS role would they press their F-15 into service ? as they had only 25 tornado IDS in 1990

They did. Picture shows a Saudi F-15C, ex-USAF, armed with 3x Mk 84.
[ATTACH=JSON]{“data-align”:”none”,”data-size”:”full”,”title”:”saudi_f-15c_fast_pack.jpg”,”data-attachmentid”:3854175}[/ATTACH]

Anyway, no ignore function anymore on this or is the Rafale thread a toxic pool of unreadable garbage from now on?

Click on your user name at the top right > User Settings > Account
Scroll down, last point “Ignore List” – add username to ignore.
Works fine for me. 😉

Rafale has been in production for what, 20 years now? With NGF deliveries starting in 2035 at the earliest, it’s a safe bet to say it won’t have replaced all jets in the inventory before 2050. 2060 for the last NGF delivery and last Rafale out of service for a production run of 25 years is not unreasonable.

What about the placement of those conformal GaN radar panels? Is the shown configuration on p.27 of that Thales presentation final or just for show? I ask because any ordnance or fuel tanks carried under the wings will block those side radars, at least partially.

On another note, comparing Nimrod MRA4 with Rafale is of course completely ridiculous, that’s almost Scooter level of ridiculousness.

How many MICA IR, MICA EM, and Meteors can the Rafale be fitted with? I don’t think I’ve ever seen the forward underfuselage pylons fitted or the centerline pylon(s) fitted with anything but an external fuel tank

It seems the French don’t have a requirement for more than 6 AAMs.
AAMs on the centerline are not cleared afaik, neither are AAMs on innermost wing pylons. That means 8 AAMs is the maximum at the moment, if you use the outer underwing pylons, which the French don’t. Like so: https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HA0sLZfRD-Y/TeGao29B-uI/AAAAAAAABLo/Eru4IZmerEM/s1600/strike-GBU-24.png
2 Meteors can be carried under the fuselage, 2 more under the wings where the GBU-24s are in the above pic, but again the French only seem to use the 2 underfuselage stations.

The centerline is being used for other stuff than fuel quite often. Esp. on Rafale M.
Exocet: http://www.malaysiandefence.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/exocet.jpg
Reco NG: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__A2VG2LiIPk/TQq5vpEirGI/AAAAAAAAAaY/4XCEZGXHC2U/s1600/le-pod-reco-ng-sur-rafale-1.jpg
GBU-24: http://www.portail-aviation.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Rafale-M02-%C2%A9-Sebastien-Rande%CC%812.jpg
Scalp: https://www.forcesdz.com/images/ext/e2d95ff55b88d167000d2d973cbca5ea
Refuelling pod: http://tpe-rafale.e-monsite.com/medias/images/rafale-super-nounou.jpg
ASMP: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4e/77/a4/4e77a4f4bbcd783461143f5c17762d45.jpg