Two French fighter pilots were killed when another fighter jet crashed during training

Two Fighter pilots They later died Rafale fighter jet Collided with another and crashed Northeastern FranceAccording to French Army. He Pilot He was ejected from the other plane and suffered minor injuries.

The two planes collided Wednesday when Some war maneuvers In the area of The VosgesClose to town Colombe-les-Bellesexplained Ministry of Defence In a statement late in the day. The deceased were an instructor and a trainee who were participating in the training exerciseHe added.

are opened Military and judicial investigations To determine the cause of the accident.

The pilot of the Rafale was rescued alive shortly after the crash But gendarmes spent hours searching the wooded area to find the pilots of the other device.

“We learned with sadness of his death Captain Sebastian Mabrey and the Lieutenant Mathis Lawrence A plane crash During a training mission Raphael“, general Macron Inside x.

“The nation shares the pain of the relatives and brothers in arms at Saint-Dizier Air Base 113”in the east FranceHe added.

The pilot of the other damaged plane ejected and was saved, he previously indicated. x He Defense Minister, Sebastian Lecorne.

The planes crashed “during combat manoeuvres”. Ministry of Defense has indicated. “The collision occurred on the way back from a redistribution mission,” he said Germany”.

“Ongoing safety and judicial investigations will determine the causes of the accident,” the ministry added.

The Air Force He noted that all the pilots involved were French nationals.

Karine Legendresaid the mother of a family who was driving AFP That was “I saw three fireballs falling from the sky”. “Then we saw a big black smoke. “I was scared, I wondered what it could be.”

In this regard, the Mayor of Colombey-les-Belles, Benjamin Voinotsaid AFP The pilot managed to eject and landed near a field in the city, while the remains of his plane were recovered in a wooded area.

He Rafale is a multipurpose supersonic aircraftIt is used to hunt down enemy aircraft, attack land and sea targets, carry out reconnaissance missions and carry nuclear weapons. Sales success to the French arms industry.

In addition FranceThere are seven countries that have this fighter model or have concluded agreements to acquire them: Egypt, Qatar, India, Greece, Indonesia, Croatia And United Arab Emirates.

Ukrainian pilots Currently trained in France, but basically Cossacks (Southwest) and on flights Alpha Jet.

(With information from AP and AFP)