For the first time in history, the Indian Air Force will be exercising alongside the American F-35A stealth fighter jet. The fifth-generation platform is scheduled to join French Rafales, United Arab Emirates F-16s, and a diverse range of Indian aircraft at Tarang Shakti 2026.

The Indian Air Force will be hosting Asia's largest multinational air exercise at Air Force Station Jodhpur, Rajasthan, spanning from 26th September to 12th October.

The Indian Air Force has extended formal invitations to 65 friendly foreign nations for this mega event. Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, announced during a press conference that seven foreign nations have officially confirmed their participation with air assets, while 32 other countries will join as observer delegations.

The foreign contingents bring a heavy operational punch, centred around the highly anticipated arrival of six US Air Force F-35A Lightning-II fighters and two supporting KC-135 Stratotankers. France will deploy seven Rafale fighter jets, three A400M Atlas transport aircraft, and two Multi-Role Tanker Transport platforms.

The United Arab Emirates is set to dispatch six F-16 combat aircraft and a Bombardier Global 6000 surveillance platform. Australia will bring a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, whereas Germany will contribute two A400M airlifters. From India's immediate neighbourhood, the Bangladesh Air Force is joining with a C-130J Super Hercules, and Sri Lanka will participate with a single King Air 350 platform.

A vast array of observer nations will attend the wargames to monitor proceedings, including Cambodia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Japan, Indonesia, Italy, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, New Zealand, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam.

Addressing media queries on why key global players like Russia, China, Israel, and Saudi Arabia were excluded despite nearly 40 nations attending, the Vice Chief of the Air Staff clarified that the invitation matrix relied strictly on the specific construct of the exercise, focusing on mutual interoperability with India and other participating air forces.

Air Marshal Dixit emphasised that the invitee list was curated after extensive thought, internal debates, and detailed deliberations. He noted that the non-invited countries were omitted simply because India conducts separate bilateral exercises with those specific nations.

The comprehensive drill will run for nearly three weeks, aiming to drastically boost operational interoperability in planning and executing multinational joint combat operations within a realistic, contemporary battlespace environment.

India will field a massive array of indigenous and frontline air defence platforms as the host air force. The Indian contingent includes Rafale, Sukhoi Su-30MKI, LCA TEJAS, Jaguar, MiG-29, Mi-35 attack helicopters, Mi-17 utility helicopters, Airborne Warning and Control Systems, specialized transport aircraft, and dedicated air-to-air refuelling platforms.

Tarang Shakti was originally conceptualised to shift away from traditional bilateral engagements, moving towards complex, multi-nation exercises. During its inaugural edition in 2024, 11 foreign nations participated with air assets, executing 45 combat aircraft across 76 complex missions, which generated 867 sorties and over 1,180 total flying hours.

Air Marshal Dixit highlighted that for decades, the Indian Air Force operated bilaterally with one strategic partner at a time. The introduction of the Tarang Shakti program fundamentally altered this framework by bringing multiple foreign air forces together in a massive multilateral exercise, paving the way for Tarang Shakti 2026 as the next logical step forward.

Throughout the 2026 edition, participating contingents will be split into two opposing forces, designated as REDFOR and BLUEFOR. Both opposing camps will undergo unified mission briefings, carry out isolated strategic planning, execute tactical sorties, and conclude with exhaustive joint mission debriefs.

The flight profiles will encompass within-visual-range and beyond-visual-range combat engagements, large-force operations protecting high-value aerial assets, dynamic targeting, air mobility manoeuvres, combat search and rescue, and complex air-to-air and air-to-ground refuelling operations.

Air Marshal Dixit asserted that Tarang Shakti is not intended to showcase existing knowledge, but rather to discover operational gaps that still require learning. The exercise seamlessly integrates real-world combat learnings, including takeaways from Operation Sindoor, into a high-intensity combat training setup.

Operation Sindoor, which took place in May 2025 following the Pahalgam terror incident, provided the Indian Air Force with critical real-world lessons regarding intelligence-led precision strikes, multi-domain integration, long-range surface-to-air missile engagements, and counter-unmanned aerial systems tactics. Incorporating these experiences allows all participating nations to test operational assumptions, re-examine tactics, and build deeper trust.

The Vice Chief underscored that the human element forms the true core of Tarang Shakti. Beyond the advanced fighter jets and airframes, thousands of air warriors, pilots, airwomen, and technical maintenance crews will work, plan, and fly together, developing mutual understanding and lasting bonds.

Simultaneously, India will leverage this exercise to display its growing domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem, highlighting indigenous combat aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, advanced weapons, and sensor systems. Air Marshal Dixit concluded that domestic self-reliance and international military cooperation directly reinforce each other, ensuring that robust local manufacturing makes India's defence partnerships far more impactful.

Agencies