Saudi Arabia

Sep- 2026 -

22 September

Air

Image shows a. RAF Voyager from RAF Brize Norton landing at Nellis Air Force Base during Red Flag 23-1. A Royal Air Force detachment, operating from Nellis Air Base Nevada, is honing its cutting-edge air combat skills in the largest scale Exercise Red Flag to date. Exercise Red Flag is the pre-eminent annual air combat training exercise run by the United States. The United States Air Force has expanded this long-established exercise to include a vastly increased geographical area to challenge participants to overcome what USAF planners are calling the Tyranny of Distance in addition to the traditional combat air missions of previous exercises. The Exercise has previously been run over the Nevada Test and Training Range and area of 12,000 square miles of airspace and 2.9 million acres of land. Now training areas in Utah and California have been added, as well as missions being flow out over the Californian Pacific Coast. The exercise area has therefore become vast and is aimed to reflect the challenges of conducting air operations at range The RAF detachment of around 300 personnel currently taking part on the exercise is operating seven Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth based II (Army Co-operation) Squadron, plus a Voyager operated from 10 and 101 Squadron based at RAF Brize Norton. In addition, aircrew from 51 Squadron based at RAF Waddington have been integrated into the flight crew of a USAF RC-135 Rivet Joint intelligence gathering aircraft. Australia is the only other nation participating, reflecting the close Defence partnership between our three countries.

Giulia Bernacchi

UK to Deploy Refueling Aircraft in Support of Saudi Air Defenses

The UK will deploy an aerial refueling aircraft to support Saudi Arabia’s response to Houthi missile and drone attacks.

18 September

Air

An F-35A, in flight above the Mojave Desert in California, January 6, 2023. A developmental test team from the 461st Flight Test Squadron conducted the first flight of an F-35 in the Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) configuration at Edwards Air Force Base, California. The 50-minute flight, which took the jet to 35,000 feet at speeds just shy of the speed of sound above the desert, marked the start of an extensive flight test campaign. TR-3 provides the computational horsepower to support modernized Block 4 capabilities. The F-35 Joint Program Office is the Department of Defense's focal point for the 5th-generation strike aircraft for the Navy, Air Force, Marines, and our allies. The F-35 is the premier multi-mission, 5th-generation weapon system. Its ability to collect, analyze and share data is a force multiplier that enhances all assets in the battle space: with stealth technology, advanced sensors, weapons capacity, and range. The F-35 has been operational since July 2015 and is the most lethal, survivable, and interoperable fighter aircraft ever built.

Rojoef Manuel

US Greenlights $24.3B Sale of F-35 Jets to Saudi Arabia

The US State Department has approved a foreign military sale to Saudi Arabia of 48 F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft and ancillary equipment valued at up to $24.3 billion.

7 September

Middle East

An MQ-9 Reaper, assigned to the 62nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, armed with four GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition

Inder Singh Bisht

US Approves $5B Saudi JDAM-ER Weapons Sale

The US has approved a potential sale of Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range guidance kits to Saudi Arabia for an estimated $5 billion.

Jul- 2026 -

31 July

Sea

An aerial view of the Red Sea near Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, on January 17, 2026.

Staff Writer With AFP

Saudi Sets Up Maritime Defense Alliance to Secure Red Sea

Saudi Arabia said on Thursday it had set up a maritime defense alliance to secure navigation around the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.

29 July

Middle East

Members of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) take part in an anti-US and anti-Israeli gathering outside the Iraqi Embassy in Tehran, Iran, on April 23, 2026. Photo: Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via AFP

Staff Writer With AFP

US-Saudi Strikes in Iraq Kill 20: Former Paramilitaries

US-Saudi strikes on Iraq on Wednesday killed at least 20 members of a former paramilitary alliance that includes pro-Iran groups, the alliance said.

28 July

Middle East

A member of Yemen's National Resistance Forces patrols the international shipping lane near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea on July 28, 2026. Yemen's internationally recognized government says it is prepared for further escalation with the Houthis following attacks targeting Saudi Arabia. Photo: AFP

Staff Writer With AFP

Yemen ‘Prepared for Any Escalations’ With Houthis

Yemen's internationally recognized government said it is ready for any escalation with Houthi rebels after the Iran-backed group launched attacks and a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia.

27 July

Middle East

The United States deployed Patriot air defense systems to Saudi Arabia in 2019 following regional security threats.

Staff Writer With AFP

Saudi Says Iran-Backed Groups in Iraq Targeted Territory With Drones

The Saudi defense ministry said that its forces had intercepted and destroyed several drones launched by Iran-backed groups in Iraq targeting petroleum facilities.

27 July

Middle East

Petroleum storage tanks at an oil facility in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Eric Lafforgue/Hans Lucas via AFP

Staff Writer With AFP

Saudi Forces Intercept Drones Coming From Iraq: Defense Ministry

The Saudi defense ministry said that its forces had intercepted and destroyed several drones launched from Iraqi territory targeting petroleum facilities.

26 July

Middle East

UGC images posted on social media and verified by AFPTV teams on Saturday 25 July 2026 appear to show clouds of smoke rising after airstrikes on the Saudi Aramco refinery in Jizan, Saudi Arabia.

Staff Writer With AFP

Houthis Target Saudi Oil as New Middle East Front

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they had launched missile and drone salvos against Saudi Arabia's oil facilities on Saturday.

25 July

Middle East

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree says that the Iran-backed group had targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea with missiles and drones, claiming the vessels had violated a ban imposed by the group.

Staff Writer With AFP

Houthis Claim Strike on Saudi Arabia as Conflict Deepens

Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed a missile strike on Saudi Arabia on Saturday, hours after vowing to retaliate against the kingdom for attacks as the Middle East war expanded.

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