The French Air and Space Force contingent has landed at the Indian Air Force station in Jodhpur for India's premier multinational air exercise Tarang Shakti.
This exercise holds significant importance for France, which is why their personnel travelled across the globe to participate on time.
The French contingent brought four fighter jets from the other side of the world under their Pegase mission, arriving directly from Indonesia.
Because India is a crucial global strategic partner of France, the French side wanted to demonstrate its deep commitment to working side by side with Indian forces.
France brought four jets across the globe, having been in the Indo-Pacific region because France considers itself an Indo-Pacific nation, and is bringing three additional jets to field a total of seven Rafale aircraft.
These seven Rafale fighter jets will work side by side with the Indian Air Force to execute complex mission manoeuvres.
This partnership carries a long history of deep relations, as India was the first international buyer to acquire Marcel Dassault aircraft, purchasing the Ouragan or Toofani jets back in 1952.
More than 70 years later, French forces are glad to return to India operating the Rafale, an aircraft they take immense pride in and are keen to share expertise on. The French personnel are looking forward to training with Indian pilots, having previously trained together in France during the Garuda exercises.
This marks the second time France is participating in India's large force employment air combat exercise, aiming to show that France remains a highly credible partner.
The joint drills highlight that both nations operate what they regard as the finest multi-role fighter aircraft in the world.
Regarding discussions surrounding India potentially acquiring another 114 fighter aircraft, French officials emphasize that India is a sovereign nation free to buy from any international partner.
While the French Air and Space Force represents the military branch, the aircraft are built by Dassault Aviation, a company whose fighters have served both nations exceptionally well.
Operating the same aircraft side by side will naturally make tactical coordination easier and facilitate the exchange of operational best practices.
The Rafale entered service with the French Air and Space Force inventory in 2005, giving French aviators extensive operational experience and valuable lessons learned. French representatives expressed enthusiasm to help India gain the best operational insights on flying and maintaining this advanced fighter platform.
India possesses a long and distinguished history of air force operational excellence and elite pilot training, which makes large combat exercises like Tarang Shakti extremely productive.
Beyond operating French-built Rafales, India fields various other fighter aircraft platforms in its fleet, making joint interoperability a major focus area during the war games.
When asked about regional threats and adversaries flying advanced capabilities, French military officials highlighted that the Rafale is the most advanced weapon system in their inventory.
The Rafale has seen extensive combat action, including recent operations defending strategic partners in the Middle East with outstanding success.
Addressing changing regional dynamics, officials noted that the world is increasingly unpredictable and dangerous, making it crucial to be ready to fight anywhere at any time. Through global deployments like the Pegase mission, France engages with key partners so that joint operations can be seamlessly executed if required in future contingencies.
Having state-of-the-art aircraft is critical, but continuous rigorous training, tactics development, and human pilot interaction remain the ultimate edge in air combat.
Dassault Aviation has also expanded its industrial presence in India through joint ventures, investing thousands of crores of Rupees in local manufacturing initiatives under Make in India programs.
India's defence spending continues to grow significantly, allocating major budgetary outlays exceeding ₹6,00,000 crore annually for modernising armed forces, including new procurement programs. Logistics and supply chain networks support these deployed fighter contingents, moving hundreds of tons of equipment across international air corridors.
Defence tech start-ups across the country are also contributing to aviation innovation, developing cutting-edge systems and advanced drone capabilities.
Strategic industrial partnerships involve bilateral trade worth billions of dollars, translating to multi-crore investment projects in defence manufacturing across both countries. French officials stated that continuous yearly joint training allows both nations to adapt their tactical doctrines as aerial combat technologies evolve rapidly.
Regarding joint development efforts for next-generation combat aircraft, military personnel focused on immediate operational readiness while expressing confidence in collaborative future projects.
ANI
