UAE-China air drills deepen with fourth Falcon Shield exercise
The United Arab Emirates and China are preparing for their fourth joint air force exercise in as many years, extending a military relationship that has moved steadily beyond arms sales into increasingly regular operational training.
The United Arab Emirates and China are preparing to hold their fourth joint air force exercise in as many years, underscoring how quickly defense cooperation between Beijing and one of Washington’s closest Gulf security partners is becoming routine.
Falcon Shield 2026 joint air force exercise will take place in Hotan, in China’s western Xinjiang region, from late August through mid-September. According to China’s Ministry of National Defense, the exercise will include command simulations, flight training and live-force drills involving mixed formations.
The location is familiar. The first two editions of Falcon Shield were held at Hotan in 2023 and 2024 before the exercise moved to the UAE for the first time last year. Emirati Dassault Mirage 2000-9 fighters participated in the Chinese-hosted editions, while Beijing deployed Chengdu J-10 fighters alongside Shaanxi KJ-500 airborne early-warning aircraft and YY-20A aerial refueling tankers to the Emirates in December 2025.
Four exercises in four years now have made Falcon Shield one of the most regular examples of military cooperation between China and a US security partner in the Gulf.
