French military jets launch a 40-day global flight to project power and strengthen alliances

EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AP) — 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.

The aircraft left Istres air base in southern France on Tuesday and will travel 40,000 kilometers (25,000 miles), cross three continents and make nine stopovers, working with international partners along the route to demonstrate the value of alliances at a time when big powers such as China and the United States seem determined to go it alone.

The military exercise called Pegase 26 aims to project military might and prove the nuclear power can defend distant territories and allies by strengthening French cooperation in the air with strategic partners including Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and India.

Almost a year in the planning, the aircraft will be supported by three refueling planes, two transport aircraft and around 300 personnel overseen from a headquarters near Lyon in eastern France.

“In practical terms, we fly together, we land together, we work together,” Alice Rufo, a deputy defense minister, said before the two single-seater and two twin-seater Rafale aircraft departed France.

“If we’re called upon to act together in the face of a threat, we need to be immediately interoperable,” Rufo said. “That doesn’t just happen. It must be prepared, and these exercises and missions allow us to prepare for that.”

Flying halfway around the world also will demonstrate France’s commitment to international law and the freedom of navigation in places where these principles face growing challenges such as the Middle East. The aircraft will fly in the Persian Gulf region via Qatar and end their journey in Egypt.

But along with political and practical advantages of navigating through complex new airspace in a range of temperatures, Pegase 26 is highly symbolic.

In the early stage of the trip, the twin-engined jets headed for Alaska and passed over Greenland, where an Airbus A400M support plane capable of landing on ice was stationed. The flight from Istres to Alaska took nearly 11 hours, with the jets refueling midair five times to cover the vast distance without stopping.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to take control of Greenland have destabilized NATO, damaging confidence between allies meant to defend rather than attack each other. Greenland is a self-governing part of NATO member Denmark.

The flight exercise has been held annually since 2018, but the Pegase 26 commander, General Julien Sabènè, told The Associated Press this is “the first time we are heading up north, over Greenland, toward Alaska.”

“It’s important for us that we explore different routes,” he said. “We never know in case we need to go in the Indo-Pacific region, and there are thermals and it’s difficult to go the other way around. That gives us another option, going up north.”

Global warming also is making the Arctic more accessible to possible adversaries such as China and Russia.

“Climate change is changing the stakes and maritime routes are evolving,” Sabéné said. “There is a need for us to be present in the High North alongside our allies, and naturally alongside the Danes, who are an integral part of Greenland.”

The exercise also comes six months after President Emmanuel Macron offered to share France’s nuclear umbrella with his European partners as concern mounted about Trump’s reliability on security matters.

Some Rafale jets can be fitted with nuclear-armed missiles. They would probably be paired with the same Airbus A330 MRTT refueling planes to deliver those weapons over long distances, officials said.

To be clear, Pegase 26 is not a nuclear exercise. The fighter jets carry no real weapons, only mock conventional armaments adding weight and shifting aerodynamics to bring a more realistic edge to the drills. But pilots from France’s Strategic Air Force, which operates part of France’s nuclear deterrent, are involved.

The marathon flight also shows France can rapidly move combat aircraft between potential conflict zones in the Arctic, Pacific and Middle East, where many U.S. refueling planes are tied up with the Iran war, while sustaining operations from French bases.

At a time when great powers are questioning the value of multinational organizations and sometimes seeking to undermine them, Rufo said Pegase 26 proves France can exercise freedom of navigation while respecting international rules with the help of its allies and friends.

“Sovereignty can only be effectively exercised within a network of partnerships, and the exceptional number of partners involved in this mission demonstrates that,” she said.

Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.

A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter jet flies over Alaska during the Pegase 2026, a French Air and Space Force mission that will take French military aircraft from the Arctic to the Indo-Pacific, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Nicolas Garriga)

French Air and Space Force Rafale fighter jet refuels from a French Military aircraft A330 MRTT Phénix tanker over Alaska, with a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter jet in the background, during the Pegase 2026, a French Air and Space Force mission that will take French military aircraft from the Arctic to the Indo-Pacific, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Nicolas Garriga)

A French Air and Space Force operator monitors the aerial refueling of a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter jet from a French Military aircraft A330 MRTT Phénix tanker over Alaska, during the Pegase 2026, a French Air and Space Force mission that will take French military aircraft from the Arctic to the Indo-Pacific, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Nicolas Garriga)

A French Air and Space Force Rafale fighter jet refuels from a French Military aircraft A330 MRTT Phénix tanker, over Alaska, during the Pegase 2026, a French Air and Space Force mission that will take French military aircraft from the Arctic to the Indo-Pacific, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Nicolas Garriga)

French Air and Space Force Rafale fighter jets fly over the snow-covered mountains of Alaska, during the Pegase 2026, a French Air and Space Force mission that will take French military aircraft from the Arctic to the Indo-Pacific, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Nicolas Garriga)

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen seized a key island on Friday, after taking a Red Sea port in a threat to international shipping. Iran called on Saudi Arabia to end its blockade of Yemen and immediately resume talks.

Separately, the AI company, Anthropic said it identified and blocked users in northern Yemen over advanced missile development efforts.

Here’s a look at the latest news in the Middle East. Full coverage can be found here.

Yemen ’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels captured a strategic island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the entrance of the Red Sea, two officials said Friday, in a swift advance that further threatens Saudi oil exports through one of the world’s key commercial lanes.

Saudi Arabia responded with airstrikes against the airport in the key port city of Mokha that the Houthis seized on Thursday, a Houthi broadcaster said. There was no immediate report of damage or deaths.

The capture of Mayun, a tiny, barren volcanic island in the strait, was confirmed by a senior military official with Yemen’s internationally recognized government and by a Houthi official. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to journalists.

The island, also known as Perim, is about 3.5 kilometers (2 miles) off Yemen’s west coast.

The Bab el-Mandeb at the southern end of the Red Sea is especially important to neighboring Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally, whose blockade of the Houthis has fed into the rebels’ escalating attacks on Saudi shipping as the kingdom tries to get its oil out of the region. About 12% of the world’s goods are typically shipped through the strait.

By Samy Magdy in Cairo

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has called for an end to Saudi Arabia’s blockade of Yemen and an immediate return to negotiations between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, throwing its support behind its ally.

It was Iran's first public statement since the Houthis entered into the Red Sea port of Mokha on Thursday.

Iran’s ministry said Yemen’s sovereignty must be respected and its problems cannot be resolved through a blockade or military alliances. In a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency, Iran also said it was ready to help support negotiations.

Meanwhile, Yemen’s National Defense Council, chaired by President Rashad al-Alimi, strongly condemned the Houthis' renewed attacks on Saudi Arabia, saying it would respond to threats across the country.

The AI company, Anthropic, said it identified northern Yemen-based users running weapons development programs using its AI models for sophisticated precision, long-range ballistic and hypersonic missiles, some using commercially available smartphones.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels control northern Yemen. The rebels have been smuggling advanced weapons for years, including cruise and ballistic missiles with at least 2,000 km-range and air and sea drones, despite a blockade and U.N. arms embargo. Iran denies arming the rebels.

Anthropic said it determined the users during an internal investigation into suspected weapons development and banned their accounts. The report covers the period between December 2025 and August 2026.

Anthropic said the accounts used Claude Code to develop guidance, navigation and control software that “steers and stabilizes a flying vehicle,” including performing a flight simulation. The users were working to develop a guided rocket using mobile phones to autonomously track targets; a multi-stage ballistic missile over 2,000 km-range; and a multi-variant missile that could maneuver and glide at hypersonic speed.

It said the users test-fired a guided rocket, returning to Claude to find out why it failed. There is no evidence they succeeded in fielding a device, Anthropic said.

This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.

Yemen's Houthi rebels march during a mobilization campaign in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo)