New Delhi: The Indian Air Force is set to host the second edition of its multinational air exercise Tarang Shakti at Jodhpur from September 26 to October 12, with more than 40 countries expected to participate. The exercise is set to bring together some of the world’s most advanced combat aircraft, with the United States expected to deploy two to three F-35 fifth-generation fighters, while France will participate with Rafales and the UAE with F-16s.
The IAF is expected to field its own frontline platforms, including Rafale and Su-30MKI fighters, alongside airborne early warning and control aircraft, transport platforms and air-to-air refuelling tankers. The exercise will focus on joint tactical manoeuvres, operational cooperation and interoperability between participating air forces.
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If confirmed, the deployment would mark the F-35's first participation in an air exercise in India. The stealth fighter has previously appeared at Aero India in Bengaluru, but its participation in Tarang Shakti would provide an operational training environment involving the aircraft and other advanced fighter platforms.
Tarang Shakti 2026 also follows closely after Exercise Veer Guardian-2026, the India-Japan air combat exercise held at Jodhpur from September 9 to 22. The exercise featured Indian Rafales, Su-30MKIs and Tejas fighters alongside Japan’s F-2A aircraft, giving the Rajasthan airbase an unusually dense sequence of multinational air activity.
The scale of the second edition represents an expansion from the inaugural Tarang Shakti-2024, which was conducted in two phases at Sulur and Jodhpur. The 2024 exercise involved multiple foreign air forces, with participants including France, Germany, the UK, Spain, Australia, Greece, Japan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, the UAE and the US, while other countries participated as observers.
Beyond combat training, Tarang Shakti provides the IAF with an opportunity to develop interoperability with different air forces, exchange operational practices and deepen military-to-military relationships. The 2024 edition also included discussions on air-domain awareness and showcased Indian aerospace and defence capabilities to international participants.
The participation of advanced Western fighters also gives the exercise a significant technology and operational-learning dimension. Indian crews can train alongside aircraft employing different sensors, mission systems, tactics and support architectures, while foreign participants gain exposure to Indian platforms such as the Su-30MKI and indigenous Tejas.
For India, Tarang Shakti therefore serves simultaneously as a multilateral operational exercise, defence-diplomacy platform and showcase for its expanding aerospace ecosystem. Its second edition comes as the IAF seeks greater interoperability with partner air forces while continuing to expand the role of indigenous platforms in multinational exercises.
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