French Rafale Downs U.S. F-35 in NATO Exercise | 4.5 Gen vs 5th Gen Air Combat

French Rafale Downs U.S. F-35 in NATO Exercise | 4.5 Gen vs 5th Gen Air Combat

In June 2025, during NATO’s Atlantic Trident exercise in Finland, a French Rafale stunned the world by virtually “downing” an American F-35 in a close-range dogfight. The U.S. has long marketed the F-35 as the world’s best 5th-generation stealth fighter — yet this duel highlighted the very different philosophies behind these jets.

This documentary explores:
• ⚔️ The Rafale’s agility, multirole design, and combat-proven versatility
• 🛡️ The F-35’s stealth, sensor dominance, and political controversies
• 🇮🇳🤝🇫🇷 Why India trusts France as a defense partner, unlike the U.S. with its strings-attached policies and rumored “kill switches”
• 🌍 The global shift away from the F-35, with countries like Spain, Germany, Turkey, and Indonesia choosing alternatives
• ✈️ The symbolism of the 2025 dogfight in Finland — trust, sovereignty, and airpower for the future

From India’s MRFA programme to Indonesia’s $8.1 billion Rafale deal, the skies are changing. The Rafale is soaring, the F-35 is stalling — and this is the story of how the balance of air combat power is shifting.




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