Rafale exposes J-16 weakness. But China tested more than a fighter
Chinese J-16 fighters trained against Egyptian Rafales during Eagles of Civilization 2026, and the most important new element is no longer just the fact that the two aircraft met in the air. According to recent reports, Chinese pilots themselves acknowledged that the Rafale had an advantage over the J-16 in close air combat. This matters because it breaks the earlier information narrative suggesting that the Chinese fighter had dominated the French aircraft. But the real meaning of the exercise is broader: China did not send only fighters to Egypt. It deployed an entire airpower package and tested how the People’s Liberation Army Air Force can operate far from Asia against Western-built combat aircraft.
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