Italian E-550A CAEW Deploys to Saudi Arabia for Spears of Victory 2026 exercise

This morning we’re tracking an Italian Air Force Gulfstream E550 CAEW (reg. MM62293) operating over eastern Saudi Arabia as part of the multinational exercise Spears of Victory 2026, a large-scale air operation hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and involving forces from 15 allied and partner nations. The deployment underlines Italy’s increasing integration into complex Gulf air defence and command-and-control scenarios.

Spears of Victory 2026 brings together air, land and maritime components in a highly contested operational environment, with ten nations participating directly and five attending as observers. The countries involved are the Kingdom of Bahrain, Bangladesh, France, Greece, Italy, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Malaysia, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Sultanate of Oman, Pakistan, the State of Qatar, Türkiye, the United Kingdom and the United States. The scale and diversity of participants make the exercise a key testbed for interoperability across Western, Middle Eastern and Asian forces.

Italy’s contribution is provided by the Aeronautica Militare, deploying both fighter and high-value enabler assets. On the combat side, Eurofighter F-2000 Typhoon aircraft from the 36° Stormo based at Gioia del Colle are taking part in air combat and strike-related scenarios. These are complemented by the radar surveillance and command-and-control capability of the Gulfstream E-550A CAEW operated by the 71° Gruppo, part of the 14° Stormo at Pratica di Mare.

The flight track shown here highlights the Italian E-550A, callsign PERSEO, operating from Saudi territory and conducting missions along the Gulf coastline, in proximity to Bahrain and Qatar. The aircraft’s loitering pattern is consistent with airborne early warning and battle management tasks, supporting coalition air operations by providing extended radar coverage, airspace control and data fusion for participating forces.

From a strategic perspective, the presence of the Italian CAEW platform in Spears of Victory 2026 is particularly significant. Exercises of this type increasingly focus on integrated air and missile defence, long-range strike coordination and joint command structures—areas where airborne early warning assets are critical. For Italy, deploying such a high-end capability to the Gulf region reinforces its credibility as a contributor to coalition air operations beyond the Mediterranean.

Following weeks of heightened attention on the security dynamics of the Middle East, Spears of Victory 2026 also serves as a signal of sustained cooperation between Saudi Arabia and its partners. Italy’s participation, with both frontline fighters and strategic enablers, fits squarely into this framework, highlighting Rome’s willingness and ability to operate alongside major allies in complex and demanding theatres.

It is worth recalling that this exercise was planned well in advance and is not linked to the current situation in Iran.