EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AP) — Four fighter jets rose into the air over a French military base and settled into formation at the start of a 40-day flight taking them through the icy Arctic and steamy tropics before ending in a desert.

The aircraft left Istres air base in southern France on Tuesday and will travel 40,000 kilometers (25,000 miles), cross three continents and make nine stopovers, working with international partners along the route to demonstrate the value of alliances at a time when big powers such as China and the United States seem determined to go it alone.

The military exercise called Pegase 26 aims to project military might and prove the nuclear power can defend distant territories and allies by strengthening French cooperation in the air with strategic partners including Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and India.

Almost a year in the planning, the aircraft will be supported by three refueling planes, two transport aircraft and around 300 personnel overseen from a headquarters near Lyon in eastern France.

The Associated Press accompanied French planes this week over Greenland and Alaska and during exercises they conducted with U.S. fighter jets.

Showing commitment to law and freedom of navigation

“In practical terms, we fly together, we land together, we work together,” Alice Rufo, a deputy defense minister, said before the two single-seater and two twin-seater Rafale aircraft departed France.

“If we’re called upon to act together in the face of a threat, we need to be immediately interoperable,” Rufo said. “That doesn’t just happen. It must be prepared, and these exercises and missions allow us to prepare for that.”

Flying halfway around the world also will demonstrate France’s commitment to international law and the freedom of navigation in places where these principles face growing challenges such as the Middle East. The aircraft will fly in the Persian Gulf region via Qatar and end their journey in Egypt.

But along with political and practical advantages of navigating through complex new airspace in a range of temperatures, Pegase 26 is highly symbolic.

Aircraft experience new challenges over Greenland

In the early stage of the trip, the twin-engined jets headed for Alaska and passed over Greenland, where an Airbus A400M support plane capable of landing on ice was stationed. The flight from Istres to Alaska took nearly 11 hours, with the jets refueling midair five times to cover the vast distance without stopping.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to take control of Greenland have destabilized NATO, damaging confidence between allies meant to defend rather than attack each other. Greenland is a self-governing part of NATO member Denmark.

The flight exercise has been held annually since 2018, but the Pegase 26 commander, General Julien Sabènè, told The Associated Press this is “the first time we are heading up north, over Greenland, toward Alaska.”

“It’s important for us that we explore different routes,” he said. “We never know in case we need to go in the Indo-Pacific region, and there are thermals and it’s difficult to go the other way around. That gives us another option, going up north.”

Global warming also is making the Arctic more accessible to possible adversaries such as China and Russia.

“Climate change is changing the stakes and maritime routes are evolving,” Sabéné said. “There is a need for us to be present in the High North alongside our allies, and naturally alongside the Danes, who are an integral part of Greenland.”

Making a symbolic show of strength through partnership

The exercise also comes six months after President Emmanuel Macron offered to share France’s nuclear umbrella with his European partners as concern mounted about Trump’s reliability on security matters.

Some Rafale jets can be fitted with nuclear-armed missiles. They would probably be paired with the same Airbus A330 MRTT refueling planes to deliver those weapons over long distances, officials said.

To be clear, Pegase 26 is not a nuclear exercise. The fighter jets carry no real weapons, only mock conventional armaments adding weight and shifting aerodynamics to bring a more realistic edge to the drills. But pilots from France’s Strategic Air Force, which operates part of France’s nuclear deterrent, are involved.

The marathon flight also shows France can rapidly move combat aircraft between potential conflict zones in the Arctic, Pacific and Middle East, where many U.S. refueling planes are tied up with the Iran war, while sustaining operations from French bases.

At a time when great powers are questioning the value of multinational organizations and sometimes seeking to undermine them, Rufo said Pegase 26 proves France can exercise freedom of navigation while respecting international rules with the help of its allies and friends.

“Sovereignty can only be effectively exercised within a network of partnerships, and the exceptional number of partners involved in this mission demonstrates that,” she said.

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Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.

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