Framed within the activities of Exercise Falcon Strike 25, which was organized in Italy, Rafale fighters from the French Air and Space Force trained alongside F-35 Lightning fighters to demonstrate their combat capabilities between November 3 and 9. This was a major air exercise that brought together hundreds of personnel from countries such as France, Greece, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with the Amendola Air Base serving as the main deployment hub.
According to the official statement released by the Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace, the exercise was conducted with the objective of strengthening NATO’s air presence within the airspace under the control of its partners, sending a message of deterrence to potential threats, and demonstrating the ability of elements from different nations to operate jointly as part of a single force. In that sense, it was indicated that a crucial part of the exercise was to train pilots and maintenance personnel in common operational procedures, as well as in the use of advanced technologies being incorporated to increase troop familiarity with them.
As mentioned earlier, the operations also aimed to showcase the allies’ deterrence capabilities, in line with NATO’s collective preparedness approach. In the words of Commander Alexis, director of the exercise: “The French presence demonstrates our commitment to the defense of our allies’ security and the maintenance of the Alliance’s operational credibility throughout the territory.”
On the day-to-day side of the exercise, the French Air and Space Force also noted that the tactical scenarios designed for each day sought to create a realistic air combat environment for pilot training, with participants attending pre-flight briefings alongside their allies to understand their mission objectives and parameters. The intention behind this, as stated, was to facilitate the exchange of practices among participants to approach operations with greater efficiency.
On the other hand, as reflected in previous exercises such as Atlantic Trident 2025, these types of activities represent an opportunity to assess the combat capabilities of fighters designed with radically different approaches. On that occasion, a French Rafale managed to carry out a simulated shootdown of a U.S. F-35 during close-range combat maneuvers, showcasing its superior qualities even against a later-generation design; of course, the Lockheed Martin-built aircraft stands out more in long-range attack missions that make use of its stealth capabilities. The combined use of these platforms is a virtue in itself, as it allows for the complementary characteristics of each to be leveraged.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that the activity also stood out for the participation of the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales as it makes its way back to base after months of deployment in the Indo-Pacific, contributing a total of 24 F-35 fighters from its deck to the exercise. This is a remarkable event, as it represents the largest number of aircraft ever seen aboard a Queen Elizabeth-class carrier, marking an important step in shaping the United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike Group attack capabilities.
*Image credits: French Air and Space Force, Italian Air Force
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