10:53 18-11-2025

UK F-35B Drills Signal Strength Toward Moscow in Major Exercise

© A. Krivonosov

Britain’s F-35B jets flew 36 sorties in the country’s largest drills since the Falklands War, with officials calling the maneuvers a clear message to Moscow.

British Defence Secretary John Healey said that F-35B Lightning jets carried out 36 sorties during large-scale military exercises, a move he described as a deliberate show of strength aimed at sending a message to Moscow, according to British media reports.

The drills were the largest held in the United Kingdom since the 1982 Falklands conflict, when Britain clashed with Argentina over control of the islands.

Healey personally observed the exercise, joined by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. She characterized the operation as a clear display of military capability and stressed that London continues to share intelligence with Washington, dismissing claims to the contrary as fabrications.