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【Military Sub-Plane】Author: Tianlang

On August 14, local time, two French Rafale fighter jets collided in the air in the eastern region, resulting in the death of two pilots. The aircraft involved in the accident was from the French Air Force.3/4 Rafale modified squadron "Aquitaine"The squadron is responsible for transitioning pilots from other aircraft to the Rafale fighter. According to reports, the accident occurred over Colombe-les-Belle, a small town in the Meurthe-Moselle department in northeastern France, when the two aircraft were returning to base after completing a supply mission in Germany.

▲French Air Force Rafale fighter

After the accident, French Defense Minister Sebastien Le Cornu announced on social media that a pilot on one of the planes successfully ejected and had been found, while an instructor and a trainee on the other plane were killed in the accident. French President Macron and other officials also expressed condolences to the families of the deceased pilots.

In fact, this is not the first time that a French Rafale fighter jet has had such a serious accident: in December 2007, a Rafale fighter jet suddenly dived from an altitude of 4,000 meters in southwestern France and then crashed.The investigation concluded thatThe pilot is lost.

In September 2009, two Rafale fighter jets collided and crashed while returning to the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle over the Mediterranean Sea, killing one pilot.

▲French Rafale-M carrier-based fighter

The most recent accident occurred on May 22, 2022, at the 709th French Air Force Base in the Cognac-Chateau-Bernard region of France. At that time, two Rafale fighters suddenly collided while practicing tactical maneuvers. At the time of the incident, the two fighters were performing maneuvering flights, and the canard of one of the Rafale accidentally cut off the other Rafale.Black Tabby“The top of the vertical tail of the fighter was painted, causing the antenna of the electronic warfare system to be damaged and fall off.

The damaged electronic warfare module fell from the sky and smashed into a house in a local village. Fortunately, the owner was out for dinner at the time and no one was in the house, so no casualties were caused. Although both fighters were damaged, the flight control surfaces were not affected. Both aircraft eventually returned successfully and the pilots were not injured.

▲The two Rafale aircraft with painted patterns that collided at the time

Back to this accident, the accident occurred at Saint-Dizier Air Base, which is located in the Haute-Marne department in northern France, about 200 kilometers from Paris. It is one of the largest air bases in France. The base was built in 1951 and carries the heavy responsibility of France's air-based nuclear deterrence. The Rafale fighter jets stationed here not only perform domestic defense missions, but also participate in international military operations, such as air strikes in Mali and Libya.

The Aquitaine 3/4 Rafale modification squadron involved in the accident was established in 2016. It is mainly responsible for the modification and refitting training of the French Air Force's Rafale fighter pilots, and is responsible for the refitting of the French Naval Aviation's Rafale-M carrier-based aircraft. Therefore, when the accident occurred, it may not only involve the Air Force Rafale, but also the carrier-based Rafale-M.

▲There was also an A330 MRTT aerial refueling aircraft in the air at the time of the incident

Although the specific cause of the accident has not yet been determined, there are several possibilities worth exploring based on the available information. First, the French Air Force's A330-243MRTT "Navigator" multi-purpose tanker was also conducting flight training in the same airspace that day. In this case, it is more likely that mixed aerial refueling training was conducted. Aerial refueling training usually consumes the flight hours of training aircraft and tankers. If a collision occurs, it may be caused by improper operation or bad weather during the refueling process.

According to meteorological data, the local weather is cloudy and accompanied by thunderstorms, which increases the risks in flight training, especially after the aircraft enters the clouds, accidental collision may occur due to low visibility.

▲The Indian Rafale fighter jet, which is highly anticipated

The accident not only dealt a heavy blow to the French Air Force, but also had a knock-on effect on Dassault, the manufacturer of the Rafale fighter jet, which is currently being delivered to several countries, including India, the UAE, Indonesia, Egypt, Greece and Croatia.

For India, this accident is particularly concerning. The Indian Air Force has always been known as the "world's first plane crash air force", and the French-made Rafale fighter jets are highly anticipated, but only 6 have been delivered so far, and the rest need to wait in line for delivery... Previously, the Rafale had a serious crash in India. However, with this accident in France, the Indian Air Force may begin to have doubts about the safety of the Rafale.

▲Pakistani TV said that some Pakistani pilots have been "receiving FC-31 training" in China

India originally planned to sign a formal contract to purchase 26 more Rafale fighter jets by the end of 2024. With the occurrence of this incident, it is likely that the contract will be postponed due to the accident investigation by France and Dassault., to preventIf the accident is caused by the manufacturer itself, the production and delivery of new aircraft will be suspended during the investigation of the aviation accident.The mechanical manufacturing and design factors of the aircraft itself may be, the production line will be restarted, andThe investigation of aviation accidents is extremely complicated, and it is common for it to take a year or two...

At the same time, it is rumored that India's main competitor Pakistan has begun training to replace the FC-31 fighter jets in China. This undoubtedly puts additional pressure on India. By the time India's batch of "Rafale" arrives, Pakistan will be using the fifth-generation fighter FC-31. By then, it will really become a "sucker".