Comments by "Thetequilashooter1" (@Thetequilashooter1) on "F-16V vs Rafale - Which would win?" video.

I would think that the Rafale is the better of the two as it’s a much newer airframe. The latest block F-16 has superior avionics. The USA has been fielding AESA radar in its fighters for around two decades. Even during the MMRCA tender India’s Air Chief stated that the USA had the best weapons, radars and systems, but at that time the Meteor was not around, which is a huge game changer for BVR combat. All and all, it would come down to pilot skill, which fighter has a better support system, and obviously some luck. One thing for certain is that they’re a deadly team.
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Depends on which version of each fighter that you’re talking about, and of course pilot skill. The latest block F-16 has superior radar. The USA has been at the forefront of AESA radar, having it in service for over twenty years. The Rafale is France’s first fighter with AESA. At dogfighting it really comes down to pilot skill and some luck as both fighters are incredibly agile.
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@Stephano.MBravo1 I have a lot of respect towards the Rafale, especially after how it humiliated Su-35s in Egyptian exercises. I can say the same argument to you, go and read about the latest Viper, the F-16V. Here’s a blurb about its AESA: The APG-83 AESA radar enables greater detection and tracking ranges, multiple target track (20-plus target tracks), high-resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) maps for all-environment precision strike, interleaved air-to-air and air-to-surface mode operations for improved situational awareness, operational effectiveness and survivability; and robust electronic protection for operations in dense radio frequency (RF) environments. The APG-83 also provides greater overall system reliability and availability—three to five times that of legacy MSCAN radars. Another key feature of the F-16V configuration is the new Center Pedestal Display (CPD), which provides critical tactical imagery to pilots on a high-resolution 6”x 8” screen. The high-resolution display allows Pilot to take full advantage of AESA and Targeting Pod data. The new CPD enables color moving maps, larger and easier to manage air-to-air Situation Displays, zoom functionality with the ability to switch information among displays, and digital display of Flight Instrument Data. The CPD is also compatible with the Night Vision Imaging System (NVIS).
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@antefran238 I agree for the most part. It’s why the Rafale won the tender in India. However, I do think that the F-16 can hold its own in certain areas, and that in the end it would come down a lot to pilot skill. During the MMRCA tender India’s Air Chief stated that the USA had the best weapons, radars and systems, and the the US wasn’t even offering its best. I do realize that weapons and systems have been upgraded through the years, but that applies to everyone. If I had my selection, I would pick the Rafale too. It’s a much newer airframe with more potential for growth, which are some of the reasons why both the F-16 and F-18 lost in the tender. In the end, it really doesn’t matter to me. Both fighters are on the same team, and both are superior to their adversaries warplanes. Just recently France got an additional order from Egypt for more Rafales, and it’s because the Rafales were able to jam their Su-35’s radars. Nothing is more pleasing to my ears to know that the US’s allies can take care of themselves and possible adversaries know it.
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@Stephano.MBravo1 The latest model F-16’s AESA is top notch, but I am not putting down the Rafale’s avionics by any means. It’s just that the USA has been fielding AESA for over twenty years and has it in thousands of aircraft, while France just recently started putting it in its Rafales.
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