India’s Operation Sindoor, executed in the early hours of May 7, 2025, marked a significant escalation in the country’s ability to conduct precision, stand-off strikes against high-value targets deep inside hostile territory.

In response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian Air Force (IAF) deployed its most advanced assets, notably the Rafale fighter jets, which have been described as “super fighters” due to their technological edge and multi-role capabilities. The operation targeted nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, using a combination of Rafale, Mirage-2000, and Su-30MKI aircraft, each chosen for specific mission roles.

The Rafale’s effectiveness in Operation Sindoor was amplified by its integration with advanced weaponry, especially the Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM). While the Rafale fighters in this operation were primarily armed with SCALP cruise missiles for ground strikes—capable of hitting fortified targets up to 250 km away—the underlying deterrent and air superiority role was underpinned by the Meteor missile, often referred to as a “monster” in air combat circles.

The Meteor’s unique ramjet propulsion allows it to cruise efficiently and accelerate to Mach 4.5 in the terminal phase, maintaining high energy to engage manoeuvring targets at ranges exceeding 150 km, with a no-escape zone (NEZ) of 60–80 km—2.5 to 3 times greater than most contemporary missiles.

This combination gives the IAF a “first-shot, first-kill” capability, allowing Rafale pilots to detect, engage, and destroy enemy aircraft from well outside the effective missile range of adversaries such as Pakistan’s F-16s (armed with AIM-120C AMRAAM) and JF-17s or J-10Cs (equipped with Chinese PL-15 missiles).

In a contested airspace, the Rafale-Meteor duo acts like a sniper: it can neutralise threats from stand-off distances, leveraging stealth, advanced AESA radar, and the SPECTRA electronic warfare suite to dominate the aerial battlespace and reduce the risk of counterattack. Pakistani analysts have acknowledged the Meteor’s superiority, expressing concern over its ability to outclass their best air-to-air missiles in both range and NEZ.

During Operation Sindoor, Rafale jets were tasked with striking the most fortified terror camps in Pakistan’s heartland, using SCALP missiles for deep-penetration precision attacks, while their presence—backed by the Meteor—ensured air dominance and deterred any potential aerial response from the Pakistan Air Force.

The operation was conducted without crossing the Line of Control, relying on verified intelligence and precision-guided munitions to minimise collateral damage and civilian casualties. The coordinated use of advanced platforms and munitions in Operation Sindoor showcased the transformative impact of the Rafale-Meteor combination on India’s strategic and tactical air power, reinforcing deterrence and providing a qualitative edge in the region.

The Meteor missile, developed by MBDA in collaboration with several European nations, is an advanced beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) that stands out due to its exceptional range, speed, and lethality. Unlike traditional solid-fuel missiles, Meteor employs a solid-fuel, variable flow ducted ramjet engine, enabling it to sustain speeds over Mach 4 and maintain high energy throughout its flight envelope.

This propulsion system grants Meteor a "no escape zone" significantly larger than any of its contemporaries, meaning that once a target is within this zone, evasion becomes nearly impossible. Its range is officially stated as over 100 km, with estimates suggesting it can exceed 200 km, and it can engage highly manoeuvrable targets such as fighter jets, UAVs, and cruise missiles even in environments saturated with electronic countermeasures.

Meteor’s guidance system is equally advanced, featuring inertial navigation for mid-course updates via a two-way datalink, which allows for real-time targeting information from the launch platform or third-party sources.

In its terminal phase, Meteor switches to an active radar seeker, making it highly resistant to jamming and capable of autonomous target engagement. The warhead is a blast-fragmentation type, equipped with both impact and proximity fuses, maximising its kill probability against a wide range of airborne threats. Its compact design and compatibility with multiple launch platforms, including the Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, and Gripen, make it a versatile and highly effective weapon in modern air combat.

In scenarios where networked warfare and sensor fusion are optimised, even the best platforms can be vulnerable if outmatched in systems integration and tactical coordination. Nonetheless, the Meteor missile’s monstrous performance characteristics, combined with the Rafale’s superlative combat capabilities, set a new benchmark for air-to-air combat effectiveness, making them a dominant force in the skies.

The Meteor missile’s “monster” reputation and the Rafale’s “super fighter” status were validated in Operation Sindoor, where their integration enabled India to conduct precise, high-impact strikes while maintaining overwhelming air superiority—a capability that fundamentally alters the balance of power in South Asia’s aerial domain.

IDN