Fact check: The Dassault Rafale is the only plane that managed to shoot down a F22 during war exercise.

1. Summary of the results

The original statement is partially misleading. During a 2009 international air exercise in the UAE, a French Rafale pilot did manage to achieve a firing position against an F-22 Raptor, documented by cockpit video evidence ^{[1] [2]}. However, this wasn't a clear-cut "shoot down" as implied in the original statement. The French Ministry of Defense had video evidence showing the Rafale in a position to launch an infrared-guided missile against the F-22 ^[1], but the U.S. Air Force disputed this claim and maintained that the F-22 remained undefeated ^[3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original statement omits crucial context:

• The F-22 actually performed well overall in the exercise, downing 6 Rafales and drawing with 5 others ^[3]
• The successful Rafale engagement required extreme maneuvering, with the pilot pushing the aircraft to 9Gs ^[4]
• The incident specifically occurred during close-quarters dogfighting, where the F-22's technological superiority was less decisive ^[5]
• The French pilot used unconventional tactics to achieve this result ^[6]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

Several stakeholders have competing interests in this narrative:

• Defense contractors: Both Dassault (French) and Lockheed Martin (American) have financial interests in how their aircraft are perceived
• Military establishments: The U.S. Air Force actively denied the defeat ^[2], while the French Ministry of Defense released video evidence supporting their claim ^[1]
• The incident has been used to highlight potential vulnerabilities in the F-22 and the importance of preparing for unconventional strategies in modern aerial combat ^[6]

The statement oversimplifies a complex military exercise into a simple "victory/defeat" narrative, when the reality involves multiple engagements with varying results and disputed outcomes.