The Indian Air Force has flown alongside the F-35 in multinational exercises before. Tarang Shakti 2026, however, brings a significant first. The American fifth-generation fighter is participating in a military exercise in Indian airspace, putting it inside India's own training environment alongside the Rafale, Su-30MKI and other combat aircraft.&nbsp; For Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, former Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force, that distinction creates an opportunity extending well beyond pilots flying alongside the F-35.&nbsp;<h2>F-35 enters India's radar picture</h2>When the IAF participates in exercises overseas, Kapoor explained, it takes fighters, aircrew, transports, refuellers and combat controllers. What India cannot take with it are larger fixed assets such as its radar infrastructure. With foreign aircraft now operating over India, those systems become part of the exercise environment.Kapoor said India's fixed assets, including radars, will now be exposed to the wide variety of aircraft operating during Tarang Shakti.&nbsp;That becomes particularly significant with the F-35.Kapoor said the IAF will be keenly watching the aircraft's stealth characteristics and "how this aircraft is picked up."He specifically pointed to how a stealth aircraft appears on India's ground and airborne radars as an area that will be closely observed.&nbsp;<h2>F-35, Rafale and Su-30 in one airspace</h2>Tarang Shakti brings together aircraft of American, European, Russian and Indian origin, and interoperability will be a key focus. Kapoor highlighted the challenge of creating a communications architecture through which fighters from these different inventories can operate together seamlessly.&nbsp;<h2>A close look at fifth-generation technology</h2>India is developing its own fifth-generation fighter through the AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft) programme. Exposure to more advanced aircraft would be beneficial, and operating alongside the F-35 could provide India with insights relevant to how the AMCA eventually develops.Tarang Shakti therefore marks a different kind of F-35 encounter for India. Indian pilots have shared the skies with fifth-generation fighters before. This time, the F-35 is flying over India, inside an environment where the IAF's own fighters, airborne sensors and ground radars will watch it operate firsthand.

The F-35’s participation in Tarang Shakti gives the IAF an opportunity to observe how the stealth fighter appears on Indian ground and airborne radars.

The Indian Air Force has flown alongside the F-35 in multinational exercises before. Tarang Shakti 2026, however, brings a significant first. The American fifth-generation fighter is participating in a military exercise in Indian airspace, putting it inside India's own training environment alongside the Rafale, Su-30MKI and other combat aircraft. For Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, former Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force, that distinction creates an opportunity extending well beyond pilots flying alongside the F-35. F-35 enters India's radar picture When the IAF participates in exercises overseas, Kapoor explained, it takes fighters, aircrew, transports, refuellers and combat controllers. What India cannot take with it are larger fixed assets such as its radar infrastructure. With foreign aircraft now operating over India, those systems become part of the exercise environment. Kapoor said India's fixed assets, including radars, will now be exposed to the wide variety of aircraft operating during Tarang Shakti. That becomes particularly significant with the F-35. Kapoor said the IAF will be keenly watching the aircraft's stealth characteristics and "how this aircraft is picked up." He specifically pointed to how a stealth aircraft appears on India's ground and airborne radars as an area that will be closely observed. F-35, Rafale and Su-30 in one airspace Tarang Shakti brings together aircraft of American, European, Russian and Indian origin, and interoperability will be a key focus. Kapoor highlighted the challenge of creating a communications architecture through which fighters from these different inventories can operate together seamlessly. A close look at fifth-generation technology India is developing its own fifth-generation fighter through the AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft) programme. Exposure to more advanced aircraft would be beneficial, and operating alongside the F-35 could provide India with insights relevant to how the AMCA eventually develops. Tarang Shakti therefore marks a different kind of F-35 encounter for India. Indian pilots have shared the skies with fifth-generation fighters before. This time, the F-35 is flying over India, inside an environment where the IAF's own fighters, airborne sensors and ground radars will watch it operate firsthand.

The F-35’s participation in Tarang Shakti gives the IAF an opportunity to observe how the stealth fighter appears on Indian ground and airborne radars.

F-35 at Tarang Shakti, Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor on what India’s radars will be watching | Defence Pulse

India will bring together some of the world’s most advanced combat aircraft over the deserts of Rajasthan this month, as the Indian Air Force hosts the Exercise Tarang Shakti, its flagship multinational air drill, and the first time US F-35 stealth fighters are expected to fly in an Indian military exercise.&nbsp;The exercise will run from 26 September to 12 October at Jodhpur Air Force Station. Officials say invitations went to 65 countries. Several air forces will fly; many more will send observers.&nbsp;According to a breakdown circulated with the IAF briefing, foreign assets expected include six US F-35s and two KC-135 tankers; seven French Rafales, three A400Ms and two MRTTs; six UAE F-16s and a Global 6000; two German A400Ms; Australian and Bangladeshi C-130s; and a Sri Lankan King Air 350. India will field Rafales, Su-30MKIs, LCA Tejas, Jaguars, Mirage 2000s, and MiG-29s.&nbsp;Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit told reporters the 2024 exercise had already marked a shift. “For many years, our operational engagement with foreign air forces was largely through bilateral exercises. We learnt to operate with one partner at a time. Tarang Shakti changed that approach.”&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-slams-us-sanctions-on-iranian-airlines-as-illegal-ahead-of-trump-xi-summit-1790074895704">China slams US sanctions on Iranian airlines as ‘illegal’ ahead of Trump-Xi summit</a>&nbsp;In 2024, he said, 11 countries brought aircraft across two phases. “It was an important transition from exercising primarily bilaterally to planning, operating and integrating with multiple air forces simultaneously.”&nbsp;The top Air Force official was careful not to frame the 2026 edition as a parade of hardware. “We do not get Tarang Shakti to demonstrate what we already know… [but] to discover what we still need to learn.” Recent wars, he added, had underlined “precision, speed, integrated air defence, unmanned systems… information dominance, space-enabled capabilities” and multi-domain operations, lessons he said India had also drawn from its own operations.&nbsp;The exercise, he argued, would let partners test assumptions side by side. It would also display India’s growing defence industry: indigenous platforms, sensors, weapons and unmanned systems.&nbsp;“Atmanirbharta and international cooperation are not contradictory. They complement each other.”He explained, “The central story is people… air warriors, the airmen, the airwomen, and countless technicians from different countries. They will be working together, learning together, flying together.”&nbsp;Tarang Shakti 26, he said, has three aims: operational learning, greater interoperability and stronger partnerships. “India is confident of its own capabilities, open to learning from its partners and prepared to cooperate with them.”

Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 will bring advanced combat aircraft from India, the US, France and UAE to Rajasthan for a major multinational air drill.

India will bring together some of the world’s most advanced combat aircraft over the deserts of Rajasthan this month, as the Indian Air Force hosts the Exercise Tarang Shakti, its flagship multinational air drill, and the first time US F-35 stealth fighters are expected to fly in an Indian military exercise. The exercise will run from 26 September to 12 October at Jodhpur Air Force Station. Officials say invitations went to 65 countries. Several air forces will fly; many more will send observers. According to a breakdown circulated with the IAF briefing, foreign assets expected include six US F-35s and two KC-135 tankers; seven French Rafales, three A400Ms and two MRTTs; six UAE F-16s and a Global 6000; two German A400Ms; Australian and Bangladeshi C-130s; and a Sri Lankan King Air 350. India will field Rafales, Su-30MKIs, LCA Tejas, Jaguars, Mirage 2000s, and MiG-29s. Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit told reporters the 2024 exercise had already marked a shift. “For many years, our operational engagement with foreign air forces was largely through bilateral exercises. We learnt to operate with one partner at a time. Tarang Shakti changed that approach.” Also Read: China slams US sanctions on Iranian airlines as ‘illegal’ ahead of Trump-Xi summit In 2024, he said, 11 countries brought aircraft across two phases. “It was an important transition from exercising primarily bilaterally to planning, operating and integrating with multiple air forces simultaneously.” The top Air Force official was careful not to frame the 2026 edition as a parade of hardware. “We do not get Tarang Shakti to demonstrate what we already know… [but] to discover what we still need to learn.” Recent wars, he added, had underlined “precision, speed, integrated air defence, unmanned systems… information dominance, space-enabled capabilities” and multi-domain operations, lessons he said India had also drawn from its own operations. The exercise, he argued, would let partners test assumptions side by side. It would also display India’s growing defence industry: indigenous platforms, sensors, weapons and unmanned systems. “Atmanirbharta and international cooperation are not contradictory. They complement each other.” He explained, “The central story is people… air warriors, the airmen, the airwomen, and countless technicians from different countries. They will be working together, learning together, flying together.” Tarang Shakti 26, he said, has three aims: operational learning, greater interoperability and stronger partnerships. “India is confident of its own capabilities, open to learning from its partners and prepared to cooperate with them.”

Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 will bring advanced combat aircraft from India, the US, France and UAE to Rajasthan for a major multinational air drill.

France, UAE & US to join India’s Tarang Shakti exercise with F16, F35s, Rafales

India-Japan defence cooperation gets a major boost as Japanese F-2 fighter jets arrive in Jodhpur for Vir Guardian 2026, training alongside the Indian Air Force’s Su-30 MKIs, Rafales and Tejas.

The exercise gives both air forces an opportunity to conduct advanced operational missions, mission planning and specialist exchanges while learning from different aircraft, tactics and operating procedures.

Japan’s F-2 is particularly significant, with the fighter derived from the F-16 design but extensively modified with Japanese avionics, composite materials, larger wings and an AESA radar. For Indian pilots, training against such a different platform provides valuable dissimilar air combat experience.

India’s diverse fighter fleet also makes the country an attractive destination for international air exercises. Foreign air forces can train alongside aircraft originating from Russian, French and Indian design ecosystems while operating across India’s vast airspace and varied geography.

The report also examines how India and Japan are working to increase the complexity of bilateral exercises and how upcoming multinational drills such as Tarang Shakti could further expand air combat cooperation.

Watch the full report for an in-depth look at Vir Guardian 2026, Japan’s F-2 fighters and why India is becoming an increasingly important hub for multinational air combat training.


India-Japan Air Drill | Japanese F-2 Fighters Arrive For Vir Guardian 2026 In Jodhpur