Two Rafale warplanes collided during a combat maneuver in northeastern France, resulting in the deaths of two fighter jet pilots, according to the French military. The incident occurred near Colombey-les-Belles in the Vosges region. One pilot managed to eject from the aircraft and suffered minor injuries.
The Defense Ministry stated that the two pilots who lost their lives in the crash were an instructor and a trainee participating in a training mission. Following the tragic event, military and judicial investigations have been launched to determine the circumstances that led to the accident.
Although one of the Rafale pilots was swiftly located alive after the collision, a search operation conducted by gendarmes in the wooded area was necessary to discover the bodies of the two other pilots involved in the incident.