The Royal Air Force is conducting Exercise Cobra Warrior 26-2 from 14 September to 2 October 2026, bringing together fast-jet and transport aircraft, personnel and command specialists from five NATO nations to test integrated air defence, rapid deployment and combat readiness across UK airspace. Exercise scope and participating forces The exercise represents the largest homeland defence test the RAF has mounted, combining Typhoon, F-35 Lightning, P-8A Poseidon and Voyager air-to-air refuelling aircraft with personnel and command-and-control teams from the UK, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the United States. The three-week deployment rehearses joint warfighting capability, rapid integration between allied air…
