French military jets launch a 40-day global flight to project power and strengthen alliances
EuropePoliticsHigh confidence — 82/100
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Four fighter jets rose into the air over a French military base and settled into formation at the start of a 40-day flight taking them through the icy Arctic and steamy tropics before ending in a desert.
Four French Rafale fighter jets have embarked on a 40-day mission spanning three continents, highlighting France’s ability to deploy its air power around the world while strengthening cooperation with key international partners.
Issued on: 12/09/2026 - 21:09 3 min Reading time The Pegase 26 exercise will take the aircraft on a 40,000-kilometre journey from the Arctic to the tropics and the Middle East, with nine stopovers before the mission concludes in Egypt.
Confirmed
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Four fighter jets rose into the air over a French military base and settled into formation at the start of a 40-day flight taking them through the icy Arctic and steamy tropics before ending in a desert.
Four French Rafale fighter jets have embarked on a 40-day mission spanning three continents, highlighting France’s ability to deploy its air power around the world while strengthening cooperation with key international partners.
Issued on: 12/09/2026 - 21:09 3 min Reading time The Pegase 26 exercise will take the aircraft on a 40,000-kilometre journey from the Arctic to the tropics and the Middle East, with nine stopovers before the mission concludes in Egypt.