Falcon Strike 2025: After MAITREE With India, Thailand Set For Air Force Exercise With China

China and Thailand are set to conduct their annual joint air force exercise, ‘Falcon Strike-2025’, in mid-to-late September. The training, which will take place in Thailand, will see participation from multiple Chinese aircraft types, ground-based air defence forces, and other units, the Chinese Ministry of Defence announced on Monday.

This marks the fourth consecutive year and the eighth edition overall of the ‘Falcon Strike’ exercise. Earlier iterations were held in August 2022, July 2023, and August 2024 at a Thai air force base, highlighting the regularity and growing significance of the bilateral training.

Falcon Strike: What is the aim of China-Thailand exercise?

According to the Chinese Defence Ministry, the drills are designed to improve technical and tactical capabilities, while also strengthening mutual trust and practical cooperation between the two militaries. Analysts say this cooperation contributes to regional peace and stability.

In the joint drills, the Chinese side will dispatch multiple types of aircraft and air-defense ground forces to participate in the training, its Defence Ministry said in a statement.

How did previous editions look?

During Falcon Strike-2024, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) deployed J-10C fighter jets among other platforms, while the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) fielded JAS-39 Gripen fighters. The blend of different airframes and operational doctrines allowed both sides to exchange tactics and operational insights.

Chinese military analyst Zhang Junshe told the Global Times that the export version of the J-10C had achieved real combat results in foreign operations earlier this year. If deployed again in Falcon Strike-2025, the Thai side may show renewed interest in its operational capabilities, potentially shaping future defence cooperation.

China-Thailand joint exercise: What makes it strategically important?

Despite differences in geography and equipment, the two nations’ forces gain significantly by training together. As Zhang pointed out, these exercises provide opportunities to learn from each other’s doctrines, technologies, and operational environments, building interoperability and advancing joint tactical proficiency.

Meanwhile, the latest military drills would come just a few days after India and Thailand concluded the 14th edition of their joint military exercise – Maitree – in Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi district. Completed on Sunday (September 14, 2025), the two-week exercise focused on counter-terrorism and included tactical drills, field training, and joint planning exercises.

There was a focus on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in semi-urban and jungle terrain.

 “The aim of the ‘Exercise MAITREE-XIV’ between the Indian and Thai armies was to achieve inter-operability and to acquaint each other with operational procedures and combat drills. It was evident from what was witnessed that both the armies were able to achieve this aim,” a defence statement said.