UAE and Azerbaijani military personnel conducted training flights on Saturday, October 17, as part of the joint Falcons Meet 2026 exercise. According to Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defence, which is hosting the exercise, participants performed complex aerobatic manoeuvres and demonstrated their capabilities in aerial coordination and combat missions. The exercise involves aircraft and air defence systems from both countries and will continue until Tuesday, October 20.

The exercise began on Monday, October 12, with a ceremony at an Azerbaijani Air Force base. The two countries are holding the drills under a protocol agreed at the inaugural meeting of their Joint Military Cooperation Committee. The stated objectives include enhancing personnel’s professional skills, exchanging expertise and strengthening their ability to conduct joint operations.

During the opening days, participating aircraft and helicopters conducted flights to practise the use of aviation equipment and operational missions. Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defence announced another phase of the exercise on Friday, October 16. Under the exercise scenario, search-and-rescue teams were deployed by helicopter to locate and rescue the pilot of an aircraft involved in an accident.

The ministry announced the same day that a delegation led by Major General Ali Saif Al Kaabi, Commander of the UAE Presidential Guard, had arrived in Azerbaijan to attend the military exercise. The UAE delegation first visited the Azerbaijani Air Force’s Air Combat Command, where it was briefed on the exercise’s procedures and objectives. After meeting military personnel, the delegation inspected the aircraft and equipment involved. It then visited the Special Forces Command, where the two sides discussed expanding cooperation between their special forces units.

The two countries signed a joint declaration on a comprehensive strategic partnership on September 16, 2025, during UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to Azerbaijan. The first meeting of the joint military cooperation committee between the two defence ministries was held in Abu Dhabi on January 30, 2026. Four days later, on February 3, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev attended the “Peace Shield 2026” joint military exercise in the capital. Forces from both countries conducted counterterrorism, hostage-rescue and hijacked-vessel recovery drills.

From September 21, Azerbaijan also hosted the trilateral “Strength of Unity 2026” military exercise with Türkiye and Uzbekistan, involving more than 3,500 military personnel. The UAE and Iran were among the countries observing the exercise.