The Royal Air Force is taking part in Spears of Victory 2026, one of the largest multinational air exercises in the Middle East, hosted by the Saudi Ministry of Defence at the Air Warfare Center in the Kingdom’s Eastern Province.
RAF personnel are operating alongside the Saudi Armed Forces and military partners from across the Gulf, Europe, Asia and North America, as part of a 15-nation coalition focused on strengthening joint air power, interoperability and operational integration.
The exercise is designed to enhance combined planning and execution, improve combat readiness and refine the ability of allied air forces to operate together in complex, high-threat environments. Training includes combined and joint air operations, advanced tactical missions and integrated planning activities.
Spears of Victory 2026 also places a strong emphasis on modern warfare domains, including electronic and cyber operations, reflecting the evolving nature of contemporary conflict and the need for agile, networked air power.
Delivered from the Air Warfare Center - one of the region’s most advanced training facilities - the exercise provides a realistic operational setting to test tactics, systems and command-and-control arrangements, while strengthening military partnerships and collective deterrence.
Alongside Saudi Arabia, participating nations include Bahrain, Bangladesh, France, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Türkiye, the United Kingdom and the United States.
