A French Rafale ‘virtually shot down’ an U.S. F-35 during NATO Exercise in Finland.
Helsinki — NATO’s Atlantic Trident 25 exercise in Finland brought together allied air forces to strengthen cooperation and test joint procedures. But beyond the official goals, a simulated close-range duel between a French Rafale and a U.S. F-35 stole the spotlight.
More than 270 French personnel took part in the exercise, alongside six Rafale jets deployed from the Mont-de-Marsan air base in southwestern France. In one engagement, a French pilot succeeded in locking a Rafale’s targeting system on an American F-35 during a simulated dogfight, effectively scoring a “virtual kill.”
France’s Air and Space Force later released images confirming the maneuver. Aviation enthusiasts and young pilots compared the Rafale’s agility to that of a seasoned athlete facing a heavier-armed opponent.
Military experts stressed that the purpose of such exercises is not to declare a winner, but to expose both strengths and limitations in complex combat scenarios. Still, the Rafale’s simulated victory carried symbolic weight — especially after a French Rafale had been destroyed just weeks earlier during a combat mission in India.
The matchup also highlighted two very different design philosophies. The Dassault Rafale is renowned for its maneuverability and versatility, capable of switching seamlessly between air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. In close combat, it relies on its 30 mm cannon and agile handling to outmaneuver opponents.
By contrast, the Lockheed Martin F-35 represents the U.S.’s fifth-generation approach, prioritizing stealth and long-range detection. With a radar cross-section as low as 0.005 m² compared to the Rafale’s estimated 0.05–0.1 m², the F-35 can detect adversaries at much greater distances and launch missiles before visual contact.
The simulated Rafale victory therefore does not diminish the F-35’s technological edge at long range. Instead, it underscores the complementary strategies of NATO allies: one aircraft built for electronic dominance and pre-emptive strikes, the other excelling in adaptability and close-quarters engagements.
As NATO faces evolving threats, exercises like Atlantic Trident 25 remind member states that airpower is strongest when diverse capabilities are integrated into a common defense strategy.
