New Delhi, Sept. 22 -- The Indian Air Force's Tarang Shakti 2026 is set to take India's multinational air engagement several notches higher, bringing advanced combat and support aircraft from various countries together for realistic and challenging combat scenarios.
The multinational air exercise will be conducted at Air Force Station Jodhpur from September 26 to October 11 and will feature fighter jets, air mobility platforms, airborne early warning aircraft and air-to-air refuelling assets. The participation of US F-35A, French Rafale and A400M, UAE F-16, German A400M and Australian C-130J aircraft alongside the IAF's Su-30MKI, Rafale, Tejas, Jaguar and Mirage-2000 fighters is expected to create a demanding operational environment.
The IAF has stressed that Tarang Shakti will not be an exhibition of military hardware, but an opportunity for participating forces to examine their existing operational concepts and learn from one another. Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit said the exercise would focus on questioning established processes in view of the rapidly evolving character of warfare.
"Operational engagement with foreign air forces has traditionally been mostly bilateral. We learned how to operate with one partner at a time. But in 2024, for the very first time, we conducted a multinational air exercise involving many air forces hosted by the Indian Air Force. And Tarang Shakti 26 will logically follow," Dixit said.
The first edition of Tarang Shakti, held in 2024, represented a significant expansion of India's multinational air engagement. Across its two stages, 11 countries participated with air power, deploying 45 aircraft. The exercise involved 76 sorties and more than 1,180 flying hours.
For the 2026 edition, the IAF has extended invitations to 65 friendly foreign nations. While some countries will participate with aircraft, others will attend as observers or distinguished visitors. The exercise will cover a broad spectrum of air operations, including within-visual-range and beyond-visual-range engagements, large-force engagements involving high-value aerial assets, air interdiction, dynamic targeting, air-to-air refuelling and combat search and rescue.
The Indian contingent will deploy Su-30MKI, Rafale, Tejas, Jaguar and Mirage-2000 fighters, besides helicopters, transport aircraft, airborne early warning and control aircraft and IL-78 air-to-air refuelling aircraft.
The French Air and Space Force will participate with Rafale fighters, MRTT and A400M aircraft, while the US Air Force will field F-35A and KC-135 aircraft. The UAE will contribute F-16s and Global 6000 aircraft, Australia will deploy C-130Js, Germany A400Ms, Greece KC-135s and Bangladesh C-130Js.
Dixit said the composition of the exercise itself reflected its operational character and was intended to test how different platforms and air forces function together in a combat environment.
Dixit said the exercise will also provide India an opportunity to demonstrate its expanding indigenous aerospace and defence capabilities to international partners.
"India is no longer just interested in buying things from the world. We are more interested in developing and manufacturing it at home. Tarang Shakti 26 gives us a chance to showcase the increasing capabilities of Indian aerospace and defence," the Vice Chief of the Air Staff said.
He said self-reliance and international cooperation were mutually reinforcing rather than competing objectives. "Whereas for us, Atmanirbharta and international collaboration do not contradict. On the contrary, they go hand-in-hand. The more self-reliant we are, the more significant our interaction with the outside world," he said.
The exercise will also include professional and public outreach events, with the opening ceremony scheduled for September 26, Saksham Marathon on October 4, Open Day on October 8, Air Power Seminar in Delhi on October 9, and Distinguished Visitors and Media Day on October 10.
Dixit said the focus would ultimately remain on operational learning rather than showcasing existing capabilities.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.