US F-35 jets to join India's Tarang Shakti exercise for first time

The United States' fifth-generation stealth fighter F-35 will take part in an Indian multinational combat exercise for the first time, with six jets joining 'Tarang Shakti 2026' in Jodhpur from September 26 to October 12. IAF Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit said nearly 40 countries are participating or coming as observers, while seven — the US, France, UAE, Australia, Germany, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — will take part directly with fighter assets.

Written by AI from Times of India — Top · not yet reviewed by an editor · Published 23 Sept 2026, 5:43 am IST

Source

Times of India — Top · read the original report ↗

#indian air force#tarang shakti#f-35#defence exercise#tejas

Desk check · compared with the source

What the desk checked (5)

Six US F-35 jets will join 'Tarang Shakti 2026' in Jodhpur from Sept 26 to Oct 12, a first for the exercise. — Figure and dates appear in source; the 'first time' claim is attributed to IAF Vice Chief Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit in a direct quote.
Nearly 40 countries are participating or attending as observers; seven, including US, France, UAE, Australia, Germany, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, will bring aircraft. — Figures appear in source, stated by the reporter without direct attribution beyond the IAF briefing context.
In 2024, 11 countries took part with 45 aircraft flying 76 missions and over 800 sorties; invitations sent to 65 countries this year. — Attributed to Air Marshal Dixit in a direct quote.
Tejas Mk1A delay was initially due to GE engine supply; HAL has 10 GE engines and 27 airframes ready of 180 jets to be delivered. — Delay explanation attributed to Dixit citing HAL; readiness figures attributed to a recent HAL clarification with no date given.
The Dubai Tejas crash investigation is ongoing, awaiting final technical analysis of components. — Attributed to Air Marshal Dixit; no findings stated.

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Analysts’ view opinion

AI Political Analyst

The F-35's first appearance in an Indian-hosted multinational exercise carries more political weight than military novelty. It can be read as evidence of India's multi-alignment strategy working: the US, France, Germany and Australia alongside neighbours like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on one Indian-run platform is a claim to regional convening power. Equally, for a force still built substantially on Russian-origin platforms, it is a test of New Delhi's balancing act.

Washington sending its most sensitive fifth-generation aircraft to an Indian-led exercise signals a higher level of defence trust — something the government can reasonably present as a diplomatic win.
Scaling from 11 participating air forces in 2024 to nearly 40 countries participating or observing, with seven flying in assets, elevates India from bilateral partner to exercise host and convener.
The inclusion of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh is the quietly significant regional detail, readable as Delhi working to keep military ties with immediate neighbours warm.
F-35s flying alongside Rafales and Su-30MKIs showcases strategic autonomy, but could invite questions about how Moscow reads the optics.
The Tejas Mk1A delay and the still-open Dubai crash probe leave the opposition an obvious line of attack on indigenous production capacity.

What to watch — Whether the F-35 deployment is actually confirmed by the September 26 start, and whether Tejas Mk1A induction lands within the stated one-to-two-month technical window — both will shape the political conversation.

The story establishes nothing about any F-35 purchase proposal, agreement, or consequence for India-Russia defence ties; it is only about exercise participation.

Deep dive

Research brief · 8 facts · 4 dates · exam-ready

The brief

Context

Tarang Shakti is the Indian Air Force's flagship multinational air combat exercise, first held in 2024 as a shift away from India's earlier practice of one-on-one bilateral air drills. Its second edition, 'Tarang Shakti 2026', will be hosted in Jodhpur from September 26 to October 12. For the first time, the United States' fifth-generation stealth fighter, the Lockheed Martin F-35, will actually exercise alongside the IAF, with six jets taking part. IAF Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit announced the details while also updating the media on the delayed Tejas Mk1A deliveries and the Dubai Tejas crash probe.

Key facts

Six US F-35 stealth fighters will join 'Tarang Shakti 2026', to be hosted in Jodhpur from September 26 to October 12 — the jet's first participation in an Indian multinational combat exercise.
Nearly 40 countries are participating or coming as observers; seven — US, France, UAE, Australia, Germany, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — will take part directly with fighter assets.
Invitations for this edition were sent to 65 friendly foreign countries, per Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit.
In the 2024 edition, across two phases, 11 countries participated with air assets, 45 aircraft undertook 76 missions and generated more than 800 sorties.
Platforms joining include F-35s, F-16s, Rafales, Su-30MKI, indigenous Tejas, A400Ms, MRTTs, KC135s and other specialised platforms.
Only three countries possess fifth-generation stealth fighters: US (F-35 Lightning II, F-22 Raptor), Russia (Su-57) and China (Chengdu J-20, Shenyang J-35).
On Tejas Mk1A delays, HAL said the initial hold-up was GE engine supply; two or three items (radar and missile integration) remain to be proven, expected in a month or two.
HAL has to deliver 180 jets and recently said it has 10 GE engines and 27 LCA Mk1A airframes ready.

Timeline

Earlier (year not stated in the source)An F-35 came to India as part of Aero India; separately, a UK-owned F-35 got stuck in Thiruvananthapuram.
2024First edition of Tarang Shakti: 11 countries with air assets, 45 aircraft, 76 missions, over 800 sorties across two phases.
Tuesday (date not stated in the source)IAF Vice Chief Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit briefs media in New Delhi on the exercise, Tejas Mk1A delays and the Dubai crash probe.
September 26 to October 12 (2026)Tarang Shakti 2026 to be held in Jodhpur with six US F-35s participating.

Who has a stake

Indian Air Force — Hosts and leads the exercise; gains multinational interoperability experience and first-hand exposure to fifth-generation stealth operations.
United States — Deploying six F-35 Lightning II jets — the most combat-used fifth-generation fighter — to an Indian-led exercise for the first time.
Participating air forces (France, UAE, Australia, Germany, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh) — Direct participation with advanced aircraft and fighter assets alongside the IAF.
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) — Under pressure over delayed Tejas Mk1A deliveries against a 180-jet commitment; has 10 GE engines and 27 airframes ready.
GE (engine supplier) — Engine supply shortfalls cited by HAL as the initial cause of Tejas Mk1A delivery delays.
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, IAF Vice Chief of Air Staff — Official voice on the exercise, Tejas induction timelines and the Dubai Tejas crash investigation.

Why it matters

Exercising with the F-35 gives the IAF rare exposure to fifth-generation stealth tactics at a time when only the US, Russia and China field such aircraft, and when China operates the J-20 and J-35. The scale of Tarang Shakti 2026 — nearly 40 countries involved and invitations to 65 — marks India's shift from bilateral air drills to convening multinational air power, with diplomatic as well as operational weight. At the same time, the Tejas Mk1A delays underline the gap between India's indigenous fighter ambitions and delivery on the ground.

UPSC angle

Prelims pointers

Tarang Shakti is the IAF-led multinational air exercise; first edition 2024, second edition Jodhpur, Sept 26–Oct 12 (2026).
Fifth-generation stealth fighters: US — F-35 Lightning II, F-22 Raptor; Russia — Su-57; China — Chengdu J-20, Shenyang J-35.
F-35 Lightning II is manufactured by Lockheed Martin.
Seven countries joining Tarang Shakti 2026 with fighter assets: US, France, UAE, Australia, Germany, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh.
Tarang Shakti 2024: 11 countries, 45 aircraft, 76 missions, 800+ sorties across two phases.
HAL is to deliver 180 LCA Tejas Mk1A jets; engines sourced from GE.

Mains framing

India's air-power diplomacy has shifted from learning to 'operate with one partner at a time' through bilateral exercises to convening many air forces at once, as Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit framed it: Tarang Shakti's 2024 debut brought 11 countries, 45 aircraft and over 800 sorties together, and the 2026 edition scales this up with invitations to 65 countries, nearly 40 participating or observing, and seven flying advanced assets. The arrival of six US F-35s is the headline gain: since only the US, Russia and China possess fifth-generation stealth fighters, and the F-35 alone has seen extensive combat use, exercising alongside it offers the IAF operational insight into stealth employment and detection at a time when China fields the J-20 and J-35. Yet the same briefing exposed the domestic constraint — Tejas Mk1A deliveries slipped first over GE engine supply and now await proving of radar and missile integration, with HAL holding 10 engines and 27 airframes against a 180-jet order, while the Dubai Tejas crash probe awaits a final technical analysis. The way forward, on the source's own terms, lies in converting multinational exposure into doctrine and interoperability while closing supply-chain and certification bottlenecks so indigenous platforms can be inducted without further slippage.

Key terms

Tarang Shakti: IAF-led multinational air combat exercise; 2026 edition at Jodhpur, Sept 26–Oct 12, second edition after 2024.
F-35 Lightning II: Lockheed Martin-built US fifth-generation stealth fighter, used extensively in combat by the US and allies.
Fifth-generation stealth fighter: Advanced low-observable combat aircraft; held only by the US (F-35, F-22), Russia (Su-57) and China (J-20, J-35).
Tejas Mk1A: Indigenous light combat aircraft variant; HAL is to deliver 180 jets, with GE engines and pending radar/missile integration checks.
HAL: Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, the state-owned manufacturer of the Tejas; has 10 GE engines and 27 Mk1A airframes ready.
Sortie: A single operational flight by one aircraft; Tarang Shakti 2024 generated more than 800 sorties.

Practice questions

Tarang Shakti marks a shift from bilateral to multinational air exercises. Examine what such exercises contribute to India's operational readiness and defence diplomacy.
Discuss the strategic significance of the IAF exercising with fifth-generation stealth fighters, given that only three countries possess such platforms.
Delays in Tejas Mk1A deliveries reveal structural challenges in India's indigenous defence manufacturing. Analyse the causes cited and the way forward.

Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.

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