France Rafale: F-35 fighter jet of US proved to be dwarf in front of Rafael, know why it is good for India

France’s Rafale fighter Jet was overshadowed by the Rafale Fighter Jet American F-35 Stealth Fighter in Trident Atlantic-25 military exercise held in Finland. During this time, Rafael locked F-35 with his IRST (Infrared Search and Track) system and scored a ‘kilt score’ in Basic Fighting Manuvar (BFM). Although it was not a real war but part of training, it means that Rafael defeated F-35 within the visual range.

This incident proved that the 4.5th generation Rafael is still capable of challenging the 5th generation F-35. This becomes especially important when F-35 is considered to be the strongest symbol of modern stealth technology.

🇫🇮 Pour La 1ère Fois, L’Execice Trilatéral #ATLANTICTRADENT S’est Tenu En #FinlandeNouveau membre de l ‘#Otan Depuis 2023.
Objectif: Renforcer l’ANFORERABILITE Entre Les Forces Aériennes 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇫🇷 face aux défis de la haute intensesité.
Pour en savoir +: https://t.co/cxeozcp7al pic.twitter.com/5ETQ97AQ8V

– Armée de l’air et de l’espace (@armee_de_lair) August 20, 2025

Impact on global weapon market
Both Rafael and F-35 are part of the world’s major arms export programs. The US is constantly selling its F-35 to NATO colleagues and Asia-Pacific countries, while France presents its Rafael as a strong option. After this practice, Rafael’s credibility can increase even more. In the export market, those countries which do not want to depend on stealth technology, they can now give priority to Rafael. This incident is especially a positive sign for India, as the Indian Air Force is already using Rafale.

France and America rivalry
Although both the US and France are NATO partners, they are rival to each other in the export market of fighter aircraft. France is promoting this incident and creating an atmosphere in favor of its Rafael. Significantly, this is not the first time Rafael defeated American jet ‘. In the 2009 practice in UAE, a French Rafael scored a killer on the American F-22 raptor.

What does this development matter for India
India has bought 36 Rafale Jets from France. In such a situation, this incident will further strengthen the confidence of the Indian Air Force. India considers Rafael its strategic edge in front of the aerial strength of neighboring countries China and Pakistan. Also, this incident may inspire India to consider more advanced variants of Rafael in future.

Also read: First CM Nitish Kumar or PM Narendra Modi will pick up whose phone Tejashwi Yadav? This shocking answer given