France’s Air and Space Force has brought its long-range PÉGASE 26 deployment to Japan, with Rafale fighters, A330 MRTT tankers and an A400M transport aircraft joining joint training at Hyakuri Air Base. The mission, which began on 8 September and runs until 15 October, follows an unusual route from the Arctic to the Indo-Pacific, underlining France’s effort to build a sustained air bridge with key regional partners while testing its ability to project air power over long distances.
The Japan leg supports training with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and focuses on interoperability and logistics coordination. French and Japanese officials used a joint event at Hyakuri on 17 September to describe cooperation as expanding beyond air power into space, with the relationship moving into a new phase. The broader deployment is designed to deepen aerospace ties with Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and India before the French force continues towards the Middle East. The route includes Greenland and a new high-north path towards Japan, reflecting a more direct operational link between Europe and the Indo-Pacific.