As impressive as the Rafale’s maneuverability is, maneuverability doesn’t count for much in the BVR (beyond-visual-range) dogfighting conditions that comprised the dogfight between India and Pakistan.

India also has a long-standing policy of refusing to allow foreign mediation when it comes to the status of Muslim-majority Kashmir - a disputed region claimed by both India and Pakistan in its entirety - which has been at the center of the latest conflict with Pakistan and which India regards as a strictly internal matter.

Sign up for the India Edition newsletter by Menaka Doshi – an insider's guide to the emerging economic powerhouse, and the billionaires and businesses behind its rise, delivered weekly.The recent conflict between India and Pakistan is prompting a reassessment of Chinese weapons,