The arrival of US Air Force F-35 Lightning-II stealth fighters at Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 has marked a significant milestone in India-US military cooperation, with America’s most advanced fifth-generation combat aircraft participating in air drills on Indian soil for the first time, SCMP reported.

The multinational exercise, taking place at Jodhpur Air Force Station in Rajasthan, around 200km from the Pakistan border, runs from 26 September until 12 October and has brought together air forces from more than 40 nations, including active participants from the United States, Australia, France, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Six F-35 fighters and more than 200 US Air Force personnel have been deployed for the exercise, highlighting the growing operational engagement between New Delhi and Washington.

For India, the presence of the F-35 provides a rare opportunity to observe a frontline fifth-generation combat aircraft in a realistic operational environment as it continues work on its indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) stealth fighter project.

Indian Air Force personnel are expected to closely study how the F-35 integrates sensors, networking and battlefield data-sharing into combat operations, capabilities regarded as central to modern air warfare.

Analysts believe the exercise will also allow India to compare Western network-centric air power concepts with a fleet that currently combines Russian-origin Su-30MKI fighters, French Rafales and indigenous TEJAS aircraft.

The Indian Air Force is expected to pay particular attention to the F-35’s performance when operating alongside the Su-30MKI, which remains the backbone of India's combat aviation fleet.

Military observers note that the exercise offers a practical opportunity to assess how aircraft from different generations and technological backgrounds can operate together during complex missions.

The drills also provide valuable insights into interoperability, command-and-control integration and cross-platform coordination, all of which are increasingly important in high-intensity conflict scenarios.

However, experts caution that the United States is unlikely to expose the F-35’s most sensitive capabilities during the exercise.

The aircraft are widely believed to be flying with radar-enhancing reflectors that conceal their true stealth profile, preventing foreign militaries from accurately measuring their low-observable characteristics.

Similarly, Washington is not expected to reveal the fighter’s full electronic warfare and countermeasure capabilities, which remain among the aircraft’s most closely guarded operational secrets.

Even so, Indian pilots and planners are likely to gain a clearer understanding of the aircraft’s flight performance, manoeuvrability, mission planning processes and operational concepts.

The exercise is equally valuable for the United States, whose pilots will gain experience operating alongside and against Indian aircraft, particularly the highly manoeuvrable Su-30MKI, as well as observing an air force that employs a diverse mix of Western, Russian and indigenous platforms.

The deployment comes despite continuing differences between Washington and New Delhi over issues including US tariff measures, India's imports of Russian oil and differing approaches towards regional security and Pakistan.

Nevertheless, defence cooperation has shown remarkable resilience, with recent acquisitions such as the US-made FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank guided missile system indicating that military ties continue to expand.

Strategically, both countries remain aligned on many Indo-Pacific security concerns, creating strong incentives to deepen defence engagement despite periodic political disagreements.

US strategic documents have also identified India as a key partner in maintaining stability and security across the Indo-Pacific region. The exercise therefore serves not only as a military training event but also as a visible demonstration of the growing strategic partnership between the two democracies.

For India, exposure to the world's most widely deployed fifth-generation fighter could provide valuable lessons for the AMCA program, particularly in areas such as stealth integration, sensor fusion and collaborative combat operations.

For Washington, the deployment reinforces its commitment to strengthening security partnerships in the Indo-Pacific while showcasing the depth of bilateral military cooperation.

Ultimately, the presence of the F-35 at Tarang Shakti 2026 represents both a practical learning opportunity and a powerful signal of strategic confidence, underlining the increasingly important role of India-US defence ties amid a rapidly evolving regional security environment.

South China Post