(LibertySociety.com) – Two French fighter pilots were killed when their Rafale fighter jet collided with another jet over northeastern France on August 14 during training exercises. The pilot of the second jet safely ejected after the collision and suffered only minor injuries.
According to the French Defense Ministry, the two jets were conducting combat maneuvers near the town of Colombey-les-Belles in the Vosges region. The two pilots killed in the collision were a trainee and an instructor.
The third pilot who ejected from the second Rafale jet was quickly found after the crash. However, law enforcement searched for several hours before finding the bodies of the other two pilots.
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that the two pilots killed were Captain Sébastien Mabire, the instructor, and trainee pilot Lieutenant Matthis Laurens from Air Base 113 in Saint-Dizier. Macron expressed his condolences to their families in a post on X.
The Armed Forces Minister of France Sebastien Lecornu thanked the armed forces and local law enforcement for helping to quickly find the surviving pilot and mobilizing to search for the bodies of Capt. Mabire and Lt. Laurens.
Minister Lecornu also expressed his condolences to the families of the two pilots.
A resident who witnessed the collision said the jet exploded and caught fire before crashing in the woods. She said she could see the plume of black smoke after the jet crashed.
Colombey-les-Belles deputy mayor Patrice Bonneaux said there was a loud “percussive” noise at about 12:30 p.m. and it was assumed that two planes collided.
Crashes involving the Rafale supersonic jets are rare. Since it was first introduced in 2001, there have only been two crashes, in 2007 and 2009.
The French military ordered roughly 230 additional Rafale jets, 42 of which are expected to begin production in 2027.
The French-made fighter jets are also used by the militaries in Croatia, Egypt, Greece, India, and the United Arab Emirates.
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