A two-seat Dassault Rafale B crashed late on 6 December in the central region of France, killing the pilot.
The French air force confirms the crash occurred at 6:20 pm during a training flight with the aircraft unarmed. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, but the air force issued a brief statement.
“The aircraft flew a 4,000m vertical descent before crashing in the inhabited area,” the statement says.
The incident is believed to be the first crash of the Rafale, which entered operational service in 2004. The Rafale B is the two-seat version.