Seven foreign air forces to join Tarang Shakti-26 in Jodhpur
The Indian Air Force will host the second edition of its multinational exercise Tarang Shakti-26 at Air Force Station Jodhpur from September 26 to October 12, 2026. Seven foreign air forces — from the U.S., France, Germany, Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the UAE — are taking part, fielding the USAF F-35, French Rafale, UAE F-16 and a Bangladeshi C-130J. The IAF will deploy Rafale, Mirage-2000, Jaguar, Tejas, MiG-29 and Su-30MKI. Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit said invitations went to 65 countries.
Source
The Hindu — National · read the original report ↗
Desk check · compared with the source
What the desk checked (5)
- Tarang Shakti-26 will be held at Air Force Station Jodhpur from September 26 to October 12, 2026. — Dates and venue appear in the source, attributed to the IAF; source published September 23, 2026.
- Seven foreign air forces — U.S., France, Germany, Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the UAE — are participating. — Country list in source matches the stated figure of seven; internally consistent.
- The USAF F-35's appearance will be its first tactical participation in an exercise in India, after Aero India 2025. — Stated in source and supported by remarks from Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit; no independent verification possible.
- Invitations have been sent to 65 friendly foreign countries. — Figure quoted directly from Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit.
- LCA Mk1A delay was due to engines; testing expected to finish in a month or two. — Attributed as a direct quote to Air Marshal Dixit; timeline is his projection, not confirmed delivery.
Analysts’ view opinion
Tarang Shakti-26 is as much a diplomatic showcase as a military drill. The first tactical participation of a U.S. F-35 on Indian soil, alongside France, Germany, Australia and the UAE — and neighbours Bangladesh and Sri Lanka — illustrates how India is trying to balance multiple partnerships at once. Sending invitations to 65 countries signals an ambition to be seen not merely as a regional player but as a convening power.
- The stated shift from bilateral to complex multinational exercises is a political signal as much as a military one, reinforcing India's multi-alignment posture without formal alliances.
- The F-35's first tactical appearance in an Indian exercise is a visible marker of warming India-U.S. defence ties, while Dixit's reference to security considerations suggests both sides remain cautious about how much is shown.
- Participation by Bangladesh and Sri Lanka can be read as an effort to keep neighbourhood ties anchored, a useful gain for India in the regional influence contest.
- By invoking lessons from Operation Sindoor, the IAF frames recent operational experience as the argument for faster modernisation and jointness.
- The LCA Mk1A delay — engines first, now testing — leaves political space for questions about indigenous production timelines, even as Tejas features in the exercise line-up.
What to watch — Watch how many of the 65 invited countries actually turn up, how openly the F-35's operational role is disclosed, and whether LCA Mk1A testing closes within the one-to-two months indicated.
The story does not establish the political calculations behind the guest list, which invited countries declined, or what conditions govern the F-35's deployment.
Deep dive
Research brief · 8 facts · 4 dates · exam-readyThe brief
Context
Tarang Shakti is the Indian Air Force's first large multinational air exercise, launched in 2024, marking a shift from one-on-one bilateral drills to simultaneous operations with several foreign air forces. The second edition, Tarang Shakti-26, will be hosted at Air Force Station Jodhpur from September 26 to October 12, 2026, with seven foreign air forces participating. Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit briefed the media ahead of the exercise at Air Force Station Palam in New Delhi. A notable first is the tactical participation of the US Air Force's F-35 stealth fighter in an exercise in India.
Key facts
- Tarang Shakti-26, the second edition of the IAF's multinational air exercise, will be held at Air Force Station Jodhpur from September 26 to October 12, 2026.
- Seven foreign air forces are participating: the U.S., France, Germany, Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the UAE.
- Foreign platforms include the USAF F-35, the French Rafale, the UAE's F-16 and a Bangladeshi C-130J.
- The IAF will field Rafale, Mirage-2000, Jaguar, Tejas, MiG-29 and Su-30MKI.
- Invitations were sent to 65 friendly foreign countries, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit said.
- The F-35 took part in Aero India 2025, but Tarang Shakti-26 will be its first tactical participation in an exercise in India.
- The first edition in 2024 brought multiple air forces together for the first time in a large multinational exercise hosted by the IAF.
- On LCA Mk1A, Dixit said the initial delay was due to engines; engines have been procured and testing is expected to be completed in a month or two.
Timeline
- 2024IAF hosts the first edition of Tarang Shakti, bringing multiple air forces together in a large multinational air exercise for the first time.
- 2025The F-35 stealth fighter takes part in Aero India 2025 (display, not tactical participation).
- September 23, 2026 (report date)Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit briefs the media at Air Force Station Palam ahead of the exercise.
- September 26 to October 12, 2026Tarang Shakti-26 to be held at Air Force Station Jodhpur with seven foreign air forces.
Who has a stake
- Indian Air Force — Hosting the exercise to build interoperability, gain experience in complex multinational operations and showcase India's air combat capabilities.
- Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Vice Chief of the Air Staff — Briefed the media on participation, the F-35's first exercise appearance and LCA Mk1A delivery timelines.
- Participating foreign air forces (U.S., France, Germany, Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, UAE) — Opportunity to operate alongside multiple air forces and exchange operational experience.
- United States Air Force — First tactical participation of the F-35 in an exercise in India; operational employment details subject to security considerations.
- LCA Mk1A programme stakeholders (IAF as user) — IAF awaiting deliveries; engine supply issues cited as the initial cause of delay, with testing now under way.
Why it matters
Tarang Shakti marks the IAF's move from bilateral drills with one partner at a time to complex operations with many air forces simultaneously — a capability that matters as warfare shifts towards integrated air and missile defence, precision strikes, unmanned systems, information dominance and space-enabled capabilities. Hosting advanced platforms such as the F-35 alongside Indian frontline fighters tests interoperability and signals India's convergence with partner air forces. The exercise also carries lessons the IAF drew from Operation Sindoor on intelligence-led operations, counter-UAS and jointness.
UPSC angle
Prelims pointers
- Tarang Shakti-26: IAF's multinational air exercise, Air Force Station Jodhpur, September 26 – October 12, 2026; second edition after 2024.
- Seven participating foreign air forces: U.S., France, Germany, Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, UAE; invitations sent to 65 countries.
- Foreign aircraft: USAF F-35 (first tactical participation in an exercise in India), French Rafale, UAE F-16, Bangladeshi C-130J.
- IAF platforms on display: Rafale, Mirage-2000, Jaguar, Tejas, MiG-29, Su-30MKI.
- Media briefing held by Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit at Air Force Station Palam, New Delhi.
- LCA Mk1A: delay initially due to engines; engines procured, testing expected to finish in a month or two.
Mains framing
Tarang Shakti-26 illustrates a deliberate doctrinal evolution in the Indian Air Force: from bilateral exercises where India \"learned to operate with one partner at a time\" to hosting multiple air forces simultaneously, as Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit framed it. The drivers are clear from the source — a rapidly changing security environment and an evolving character of warfare in which integrated air and missile defence, precision strikes, unmanned systems, information dominance and space-enabled capabilities are decisive, with Operation Sindoor reinforcing the value of intelligence-led operations, counter-UAS and jointness across domains. The stated aims are enhancing interoperability, exchanging operational experience and showcasing India's air combat capability; the presence of the USAF F-35 for its first tactical participation in an exercise in India adds both learning value and sensitivity, since details of its operational employment remain subject to security considerations. Inviting 65 countries also positions the exercise as a defence-diplomacy platform spanning Western partners and neighbours such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The way forward, as indicated in the source, lies in converting such multinational experience into sustained interoperability while closing capability gaps at home — reflected in the IAF's wait for LCA Mk1A deliveries, delayed initially by engines and now in a testing phase expected to conclude in a month or two.
Key terms
- Tarang Shakti
- The IAF's multinational air exercise, first held in 2024; second edition at Jodhpur in 2026 involving several air forces at once.
- Interoperability
- The ability of different air forces to operate together effectively — the stated main aim of Tarang Shakti-26.
- F-35
- US stealth fighter; appeared at Aero India 2025 and will make its first tactical exercise participation in India at Tarang Shakti-26.
- Operation Sindoor
- Operation cited by the Vice Chief as reinforcing the importance of intelligence-led operations, counter-UAS and jointness across domains.
- LCA Mk1A
- Light Combat Aircraft variant awaited by the IAF; deliveries delayed initially by engines, now undergoing testing.
- Counter-UAS
- Measures to detect and defeat unmanned aerial systems, flagged as a key lesson from recent operations.
Practice questions
- Discuss how multinational air exercises such as Tarang Shakti-26 advance India's military interoperability and defence diplomacy objectives.
- "The character of warfare is evolving." In the light of capabilities highlighted by the IAF — integrated air and missile defence, precision strikes, unmanned systems, information dominance and space-enabled operations — examine the implications for India's air power planning.
- Indigenous fighter induction timelines have been affected by supply-side constraints such as engines. Analyse the significance of the LCA Mk1A for IAF capability, based on the facts available.
Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.