For the first time in aviation history, a Chinese fighter jet has gone wing-to-wing with the Dassault Rafale in organized air combat training, and it happened not over Chinese or French territory, but in the skies above Egypt.
The encounter, part of the second edition of the “Eagles of Civilization” joint exercise between China and Egypt, has drawn intense attention from military analysts eager to see how China’s Shenyang-built J-16 measures up against one of the West’s most capable fighters.
J-16D. Image Credit: Chinese Military.
J-16 fighter. Image: Creative Commons.
The “Eagles Of Civilization” Exercise
Chinese J-16 fighter jets engaged in combat exercises with French-made Rafale fighters for the first time on August 23, 2026, according to China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force.
The drill began on August 22, 2026, as the Egyptian Armed Forces confirmed, following an opening ceremony two days earlier in which commanders from both sides reviewed the history of bilateral air-force exchanges and outlined objectives for this round of training.
This year’s exercise builds on the inaugural 2025 edition of the drills, and notably marks the first time J-16 fighters have deployed to Africa, following prior appearances in Russia, Thailand, and Pakistan.
Beyond the fighter jets, China has brought a substantial supporting package, including a Y-9LG airborne jamming platform, a KJ-500 early-warning aircraft, Y-20 airlifters, YY-20A aerial tankers, and Z-20 utility helicopters.
Activities are being conducted across multiple air bases in Egypt, with the program expected to run for several days and include both classroom instruction and live flying for personnel from both countries.
Dassault Rafale Fighter on the Tarmac. Image Credit: Banana Nano.
Dassault Rafale Fighter from France. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
First Day: One-on-One Combat
Sunday marked the first day of actual flight training, with the schedule centered on one-on-one aerial combat between the two aircraft types.
Before taking to the air, pilots from both nations attended technical briefings on flight safety and airspace management.
Fighters from each air force then launched in succession and performed intensive maneuvers under what organizers described as realistic combat conditions.
Footage subsequently released by Chinese state broadcasters offered a rare glimpse inside the cockpit.
Video shot from the rear seat of a J-16 showed an Egyptian Rafale maneuvering at close range during simulated dogfighting, and separate clips circulating online appeared to show the Rafale making a high-speed pass alongside the Chinese jet, in what looked like the setup for a high-aspect dogfight.
Chinese state media packaged the footage under the pointed title “Shenyang J-16 vs Dassault Rafale.” Egyptian officials, for their part, were comparatively restrained; the Egyptian Armed Forces spokesperson confirmed only the participation of the Rafale and MiG-29M2, while China released far more extensive imagery and detail.
The exercise also included Egypt’s Soviet-legacy MiG-29 fleet, with Chinese state television footage showing all three aircraft types, the J-16, MiG-29 and Rafale, in action together.
Dassault Rafale Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Dassault Rafale Fighter. Artist Created Image/Creative Commons.
Dassault Rafale Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Why This Matchup Matters
The symbolism of the exercise is hard to miss.
The J-16’s appearance alongside the Rafale offers a rare opportunity to test China’s advanced platform against a Western jet, following the J-10’s widespread attention for its performance against French-made aircraft during last year’s India-Pakistan clash.
That prior encounter has put Chinese jets’ performance against French-designed fighters under a spotlight, making this new exercise a closely watched test of the more capable J-16 against the same French airframe.
The May 2025 clash between India and Pakistan marked Pakistan’s first major operational use of the J-10C, which Islamabad credited with downing multiple Indian aircraft, including Rafales, though India disputed that account.
India’s air force has said it destroyed roughly a dozen Pakistani aircraft in the confrontation, including several advanced fighters, but the precise number of losses on each side remains contested, and independent analysts have questioned the victory claims made by both countries.
Chinese commentators have quickly framed the exercise as validation of their aircraft. Wang Yanan, editor-in-chief of Beijing’s Aerospace Knowledge magazine, argued that while the J-16 and Rafale belong to the same broad generation of fighters, the J-16 offers broader capabilities thanks to continuous upgrades across China’s aviation industry.
He also noted that aside from France’s own military, India and Egypt are among the Rafale’s principal operators, making Egypt a particularly relevant venue for gauging Chinese aircraft against the jet.
The J-16 itself is no lightweight.
Built by AVIC’s Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, it is a twin-engine, two-seat, 4.5-generation fighter designed for longer-range missions; larger and heavier than the single-engine J-10, it is equipped with modern avionics, an advanced radar, and electronic-warfare systems.
The Egyptian Angle Is Intriguing
Egypt’s willingness to pit its French-made jets against Chinese aircraft underscores Cairo’s increasingly multi-directional defense posture.
Egypt remains a strategic partner of the United States and operates American F-16 fighters, CH-47 Chinooks, and AH-64 Apaches, even as it has maintained diplomatic relations with China for roughly seven decades.
Officials have framed the drills as part of a broader strategy to diversify Egypt’s defense partnerships.
Notably, this is not the first time the J-16 has trained against a Western-designed fighter. Earlier this year, it also flew against Sweden’s JAS 39 Gripen, operated by the Royal Thai Air Force, during the Falcon Strike exercise.
Taken together, the Thailand and Egypt drills suggest Beijing is deliberately seeking out chances to measure its frontline fighters against Western-built aircraft — encounters that, in an era of limited real combat data, offer both sides valuable insight into how their jets and pilots perform against one another.
As of this week, the Eagles of Civilization 2026 exercise is slated to continue into early September, meaning further rounds of air combat training and likely more footage to be released are still to come.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
