cost, yes, maybe… it all depends on how much development dassault wants to charage once it started selling it to exports.
In the end, the price may be much closer between the two than it is now.
As for the A2A capabilities, no need to be particularily “creative”, the previous exercises set aside (rafale quite surprised navy crews that faced it), the Rafale is rated for higher G-load (standard is +9G, lightly loaded like in demos, it pulls 10Gs routinely, and can pull up to 11 should the need be from what I’ve read) resulting in much tighter turn radius for a given speed, and in the same time it has a lower wing loading (thanks to the delta design) and as good or better T/W ratio (not to speak about thrust to drag ratio, as the SH is all but an aerodynamic success)
I fear you are leaving outside the obvious… this in combination with this. Both of which are non existent with the Rafale.
In BVR, the Sh has some good capabilities (good electronics)
Well, the APG-79 alone can make a whole world of difference, it’s hardly “some good abilities”.
but the Rafale excells there as well, and with an airframe that is “discrete” as says Dassault, which means it has quite a low RCS and is rather hard to detect,
You can’t have low RCS in combination with outside fixed refueling probe and canards. It’s a contradiction in terms. But if Dassault feels nice propagating such a concept… good for them 😀
Other than that, the two aircraft are easily comparable with one being superior to some areas while the other to some other ones. Not exactly the picture discribed as “Rafale making rings around the super Hornet” in my book.
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