The Indian Air Force is set to host the second edition of its multinational Exercise Tarang Shakti at Jodhpur in Rajasthan from September 26 to October 12, with the US F 35 fifth generation stealth fighter taking part for the first time in an exercise with the Indian Air Force in India.
The F 35 participation was confirmed by IAF Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit during a media briefing ahead of the exercise. The aircraft has previously appeared in India during Aero India events, but Tarang Shakti 2026 will mark its first participation in an Indian multinational air exercise.
The exercise will be conducted at Air Force Station Jodhpur and adjoining air bases. According to the Indian Air Force, the 2026 edition is designed to provide participating air forces with experience in planning and executing multinational joint combat operations in a contemporary operational environment.
The exercise will involve a wide range of air operations. These include counter air operations, air defence, force combat, reconnaissance, airlift and air to air refuelling, along with other complex mission sets. The objective is to provide participating forces with an opportunity to learn from each other and improve their ability to operate together.
The United States is among the foreign countries participating with air assets. France, Germany, Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates are also scheduled to participate, according to the Indian Air Force. Greece has also been identified in the official News On AIR report as a participating friendly foreign country, bringing the number of foreign air forces participating with assets to eight.
The foreign aircraft are expected to include the US F 35, French Rafale fighters, UAE F 16 aircraft and Bangladesh Air Force C 130J transport aircraft. Other support and specialised aircraft will also be involved in the exercise.
The Indian Air Force will deploy several of its frontline aircraft. These include the Rafale, Tejas, Su 30 MKI, Mirage 2000, Jaguar and MiG 29. The exercise will therefore provide a multinational environment in which different fighter and support platforms can operate together during planned tactical activities.
The participation of the F 35 is one of the notable features of this year's exercise. The aircraft is a fifth generation stealth fighter operated by the United States and several partner countries. Its participation in Tarang Shakti gives Indian Air Force personnel an opportunity to conduct training activities in an environment involving a fifth generation aircraft.
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit said the exercise represents a change from the traditional approach in which the Indian Air Force largely conducted operational engagements with foreign air forces through bilateral exercises. The first edition of Tarang Shakti in 2024 brought several foreign air forces together, and the IAF is now seeking to build on that experience through a larger multinational exercise.
The first edition of Tarang Shakti was conducted in two phases in 2024, including activities at Sulur in Tamil Nadu and Jodhpur. The 2026 edition is being organised as a larger multinational exercise, with around 40 countries expected to participate either directly or as observers.
According to News On AIR, eight friendly foreign countries will participate with air assets, while 32 other nations will attend as observers. The exercise is also expected to see the participation of senior air force leadership from several countries.
The Indian Air Force has said the exercise is intended to strengthen interoperability among participating forces. Interoperability refers to the ability of different military forces and their platforms to coordinate and operate effectively during common missions. Large multinational exercises such as Tarang Shakti provide an environment for participating air forces to understand different operational procedures and improve coordination.
The exercise will also involve support aircraft and other specialised platforms. Reports have identified aircraft such as A400M transport aircraft, A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft and other transport and aerial refuelling platforms among the assets associated with the exercise.
The timing of Tarang Shakti 2026 also follows the recently concluded India Japan Exercise Veer Guardian 2026 at Jodhpur. That exercise was conducted from September 9 to September 22 and involved Indian Rafale, Su 30 MKI and Tejas aircraft along with Japan's F 2A fighters. The back to back multinational and bilateral exercises have made Jodhpur an important location for international air force engagements during September.
The Indian Air Force has stated that Tarang Shakti will focus on operational learning, interoperability and stronger partnerships. The exercise will also allow participating air forces to exchange experience in complex air operations and understand different approaches to planning and conducting missions.
For India, the exercise provides an opportunity to operate alongside multiple foreign air forces in a single training environment. For the participating countries, it offers a platform for joint tactical activities and professional interaction with the Indian Air Force.
The F 35's participation is expected to attract particular attention because this is its first involvement in an Indian air exercise. However, the exercise itself is broader than the participation of any single aircraft. It includes multiple fighter, transport, refuelling and specialised platforms and is designed around multinational operational coordination.
Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 will continue at Jodhpur and adjoining air bases until October 12. The Indian Air Force has described the exercise as an opportunity to prepare for evolving air warfare challenges while learning from participating air forces and strengthening the ability to conduct multinational operations.