The Indian Air Force has begun the second edition of Exercise Tarang Shakti, its flagship multinational air exercise, at Air Force Station Jodhpur and adjoining air bases in Rajasthan. The drills opened on September 26, 2026, and will run through October 12.Eight foreign air forces — from Australia, Bangladesh, France, Germany, Greece, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates and the United States — are taking part with air assets alongside the IAF. Another 32 countries are attending as observers, taking total participation to around 40 nations, with about 10 air chiefs or equivalent senior officers also expected.
A first for the F-35
The headline attraction this year is the participation of US F-35 fighters. Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, said the IAF will exercise with the F-35 for the first time. France is contributing Rafale fighters and the UAE is flying in F-16s, while the IAF fields a broad frontline fleet including Rafale, Mirage-2000, Jaguar, Tejas, MiG-29 and Su-30MKI aircraft, supported by airborne early-warning, transport and refuelling platforms.
What the exercise covers
According to the IAF, Tarang Shakti-26 has three broad objectives: operational learning, greater interoperability and stronger partnerships. The programme includes counter-air and air-defence missions, beyond-visual-range and within-visual-range combat, dynamic targeting, air-to-air refuelling, combat search-and-rescue, reconnaissance and air mobility operations.
Back-to-back drills at Jodhpur
The exercise follows immediately on the heels of Veer Guardian 2026, the bilateral India-Japan air exercise held at Jodhpur from September 9 to 22, in which the IAF flew Tejas, Su-30MKI and Rafale fighters while Japan's Air Self-Defense Force participated with F-2A fighters. Tarang Shakti expands the Jodhpur air-training environment to a much larger multinational format.
The inaugural Tarang Shakti was held in 2024 in two phases during August and September. The second edition also gives India a platform to showcase indigenous defence platforms, sensors, weapons and unmanned systems to a global audience.
Sources:
Tarang Shakti 2026 Begins September 26: IAF Hosts Multinational Air Exercise in Jodhpur — Dainik Jagran English
Indian Air Force Presents Tarang Shakti 2026 — NewzDaddy