‘If This Escalates, My Money’s On India’: Ex-US Fighter Pilot Backs Indian Air Power Post Operation Sindoor

Former US Air Force pilot Dale Stark lauds Indian Air Force superiority, highlights Rafale’s edge over Pakistan’s F-16 and JF-17 amid rising Indo-Pak tensions.

New Delhi, May 8, 2025 –
As India’s Operation Sindoor sends geopolitical shockwaves across South Asia, a former US Air Force pilot, Dale Stark, has weighed in on the rising India-Pakistan tensions, confidently backing the Indian Air Force (IAF) if hostilities escalate.

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“I’ve flown with both Indian and Pakistani fighter pilots during my career. I’ll just say my money’s on the Indians if this continues to escalate,” Stark posted on X (formerly Twitter), referencing India’s precision strikes on terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Stark, a decorated veteran who served in Afghanistan, emphasized that his bet on India wasn’t without substance.

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Rafale vs F-16: India’s Strategic Air Superiority

Experts are already drawing comparisons between India’s 4.5-generation Dassault Rafale jets and Pakistan’s ageing fleet of F-16s and JF-17 Thunders.

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The Rafales acquired by India from France come with 13 India-specific enhancements, making them particularly suited to subcontinental warfare. These include:

• Meteor BVR missiles with unmatched kill range
• Thales RBE2 AESA radar for advanced targeting
• Frontal stealth, superior electronic warfare systems
• Capability to deploy SCALP cruise missiles and HAMMER precision bombs – both used in Operation Sindoor

In contrast, Pakistan’s F-16s, while once formidable, are now operationally restricted by US agreements. These aircraft:

• Can only be used for counter-terrorism missions
• Face maintenance and munitions constraints due to US scrutiny
• Are not permitted for offensive use against India

Pakistan’s JF-17 Thunder, co-developed with China, remains a cost-effective but limited platform, especially in deep-strike scenarios. Even the new Block 3 variant, though upgraded with AESA radar and better avionics, cannot match Rafale’s range, payload, and survivability in contested airspace.

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Air Dominance: More Than Just Technology

Operation Sindoor’s success demonstrated the IAF’s precision-strike capabilities, battlefield awareness, and strategic depth — qualities Stark believes set India apart in the event of full-scale conflict.

As India continues to neutralize threats with surgical airpower and advanced defence systems like the S-400, global military observers appear to be rallying behind the Indian side.

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Operation Sindoor, India Pakistan Conflict, Dale Stark, Rafale vs F-16, Indian Air Force, Pakistan Air Force, JF-17 Thunder, South Asia tensions, Military aviation, Precision airstrikes, OperationSindoor,