'Dogfight at 9Gs': How a French Dassault Rafale Shot Down an F-22 Raptor
In a 2009 training exercise in the UAE, a French Dassault Rafale fighter reportedly outmaneuvered and "shot down" a more advanced American F-22 Raptor, leading to controversy.
What You Need to Know: In a 2009 training exercise in the UAE, a French Dassault Rafale fighter reportedly outmaneuvered and "shot down" a more advanced American F-22 Raptor, leading to controversy.
-The U.S. Air Force denied the claim, but the French leaked gun camera footage confirming the event. The Rafale pilot used unconventional tactics, pushing the aircraft's limits to achieve this victory.
-Despite the F-22's dominance in most engagements, this incident underscored the importance of preparing for unconventional strategies that adversaries might employ, especially as U.S. forces face the prospect of near-peer competition in the future.
When a French Rafale 'Shot Down' an American F-22: The 2009 UAE Dogfight
France’s Dassault Rafale fighter jet is a multi-role warplane that has proven itself to be highly effective at nearly every aspect of its variegated mission set. It can carry a heavy armaments package, that includes air-to-air missiles as well as ground-attack munitions. However, a 2009 training exercise conducted between the French Air Force and the United States Air Force pitted a Rafale against an F-22 Raptor. The result was entirely unexpected. The older French-built UAE warplane knocked out the more advanced, newer American F-22.
The event occurred in the United Arab Emirates.
In the mock dogfight between the US and UAE elements, the F-22 was shot down. Although, the US Air Force denies that their prized bird was shot out of the sky by the French plane. Upset with the American reaction to their pilots effectively knocking out the F-22, the French Ministry of Defense leaked the gun camera video.
The Incident
Indeed, the French pilot admitted that he had to engage in unconventional tactics and push the capabilities of the older French plane to its limits to keep up with—and get a lucky shot against—the more advanced American plane. At one point, the French pilot of the Rafale was “even pulling 9Gs,” according to Stavros Atlamazoglou. The Americans huffed about these details and refused to acknowledge the French “win.” But it was a win. And the Americans should have learned the lessons better.
Just remember, this incident wasn’t the only time the French military upstaged the Americans in an exercise. This was around the same time that the US Navy and French Navy engaged in a wargame testing how US aircraft carriers did against French subs. The French submarine, which was an older platform, sank the American carrier, much to the Pentagon’s chagrin (this incident was but one of many incidents in which supposedly weaker submarines sank US carriers in wargames).
Similarly, the lavish F-22 was upstaged by an older French system pushing the limits of its operational capabilities. The Americans didn’t like it. Yet, this was the time for the Pentagon to see what the weaknesses of the F-22 were.
Yes, the F-22 is the single-greatest, most advanced stealth warplane in the world today. No, these incredible birds are not invincible. Now that the Americans have prematurely discontinued the F-22 production line, these birds are limited in number—and they’re aging.
Getting Ready for Real War
As the prospects of a major war with a near-peer competitor on the horizon, the Americans need to understand how adversaries might engage in highly unorthodox and innovative tactics to overcome America’s obvious military superiority. In the 2009 exercises between the French Dassault Rafales and American F-22 Raptors in the United Arab Emirates, the US Air Force was given a preview of just what American rivals have in store for their best systems.
Of course, almost every wargame where the F-22s are deployed against near-peer adversaries—notably adversaries utilizing fourth-generation warplanes—the F-22’s presence fundamentally alters the balance of power in the engagement in favor of the American side.
It is likely that this is what will happen in a real fight.
But the fact that F-22s are limited in number and can be overwhelmed in unique circumstances of the kind that the French exploited in 2009, should prompt US Air Force leaders to embrace countermeasures rather than complain about how mean the French were (it’s the French, after all).
Author Experience and Expertise: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is due October 22 from Encounter Books. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
All images are Creative Commons or Shutterstock.
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