American airpower has arrived in Jodhpur. Six F-35 Lightning-II fifth-generation fighter jets and more than 200 US Airmen have touched down in India for their first-ever participation in Exercise Tarang Shakti, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor confirmed.

The deployment marks the debut of America’s advanced stealth fighter in a major multinational exercise hosted by the Indian Air Force, where the F-35 will fly alongside IAF platforms and partner air forces.

Tarang Shakti 2026, the second edition of the IAF’s largest multinational air exercise, is being conducted from 26 September to 12 October at Air Force Station Jodhpur and adjoining air bases.

Eight friendly foreign countries — Australia, Bangladesh, France, Germany, Greece, Sri Lanka, the UAE and the USA — are participating with air assets, while 32 nations are attending as observers.

Alongside the six US F-35s, the exercise features French Rafales, UAE F-16s, Bangladesh’s C-130J, and a wide mix of IAF fighters including Rafale, Sukhoi-30MKI, TEJAS, Mirage-2000, Jaguar and MiG-29, supported by AEW&C aircraft, transport planes and air-to-air refuelling tankers.

Mission sets include beyond-visual-range and within-visual-range air combat, dynamic targeting, air mobility operations, air-to-air refuelling, and combat search and rescue, offering significant opportunities for joint operations, interoperability and exposure to advanced air combat capabilities.

For the IAF, this is the first occasion to exercise with the F-35, a milestone that underscores growing defence ties with Washington and deepens familiarity with fifth-generation stealth operations.

Ambassador Gor’s social media post captured the moment: “American airpower has arrived in Jodhpur! Six F-35 Lightning IIs and 200+ Airmen are now in India for their first-ever participation in Exercise Tarang Shakti. Excited to see America’s premier fifth-generation fighters make its Tarang Shakti debut, flying alongside the @IAF_MCC and partners.”

With F-35s, IAF fighters and multiple partner air forces now in the same airspace, Jodhpur is set for some serious airpower action.

Agencies