China, UAE to hold joint air force training

BEIJING -- The air forces of China and the United Arab Emirates will hold the "Falcon Shield 2026" joint training in Hotan, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense said on Friday.

The drills are scheduled to run from late August through mid-September and will include command simulations, flight training, and live-force exercises in mixed formations, the ministry said.

The joint exercise, the fourth under the "Falcon Shield" series, aims to enhance the tactical capabilities of participating units and deepen ties and practical cooperation between the two militaries, it added.