The Royal Air Force is currently participating in Exercise Falcon Strike 25, a multinational training event hosted in Italy designed to enhance the operational capabilities of fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
The exercise, running from 3–14 November, involves the deployment of UK F-35B Lightning and Voyager aircraft, which will operate alongside assets from the Italian, French, Greek, and United States air forces. This event provides a critical opportunity for UK defence suppliers to understand the evolving requirements for supporting advanced, interoperable air power in a coalition context.
A primary objective of Falcon Strike 25 is to refine the integration of fourth and fifth-generation aircraft, a key challenge for modern air forces. The scenarios are designed to simulate complex and contested operational environments, testing the full spectrum of the F-35B’s capabilities and the resilience of the support structures that enable them. For the defence supply chain, this focus highlights the growing demand for advanced data links, secure communication systems, and synthetic training environments that can effectively network disparate platforms. The exercise also places a strong emphasis on strengthening logistics cooperation between F-35 user nations, signalling opportunities for businesses involved in maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO), as well as those developing common support equipment and shared component pools.
This deployment is a component of the UK’s wider Operation Highmast, a global deployment initiative that has been active since early 2025. Spanning Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific, Operation Highmast has demonstrated the UK’s ability to project and sustain air and space power over significant distances, often in coordination with the Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group. The sustained nature of this eight-month operation underscores the necessity for a highly resilient and globally responsive supply chain, capable of providing logistical support, spare parts, and specialist technical expertise far from home bases.
By participating in high-intensity exercises like Falcon Strike, the RAF not only validates its combat readiness but also sends a clear demand signal to industry for the technologies and support solutions needed to maintain a decisive edge. The successful integration of UK assets within a multinational framework reaffirms the importance of interoperability, creating a stable, long-term requirement for systems and services that adhere to international standards and can be seamlessly integrated with those of key allies.
Image: RAF
