French Rafale fighter jet veers off runway

Paris: A French Rafale fighter jet veered off the end of a runway in western France for unknown reasons on Thursday, forcing its pilot to eject, the French navy said.

The Rafale, built by Dassault Aviation, is France's most sophisticated fighter but Paris has not found a foreign buyer
for it in eight years, often losing out to rivals offering cheaper, less high-tech models.

The Navy issued pictures showing the jet stopped in grass about 100 metres past the end of a runway at the Lann-Bihoue military base in Brittany.

Its landing gear was intact and there was little obvious damage in the pictures but a tarpaulin had been placed over the nose and cockpit.

"The causes of the event cannot be established for the moment and will have to be determined by a technical investigation," the navy said.

The pilot, who was conscious after the accident, was taken to hospital and kept there for observation, it added.