The Indian Air Force is preparing to host the second edition of Exercise Tarang Shakti, a major multinational air exercise scheduled to take place at Jodhpur in Rajasthan from September 26 to October 12, 2026. The IAF’s announcement comes as India conducts a series of international air exercises this month.
Tarang Shakti is designed to bring participating air forces together for joint aerial operations, tactical training and interoperability exercises. The event is part of India’s broader effort to increase operational cooperation with partner countries and provide its personnel with experience in multinational air operations.
The timing is notable because the exercise follows Exercise Veer Guardian-26, the bilateral India-Japan air exercise being conducted at Jodhpur from September 9 to September 22.
According to the Ministry of Defence, Veer Guardian-26 involves Indian aircraft including the Tejas, Su-30MKI and Rafale, while Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force is participating with F-2A fighter aircraft. The exercise includes operational missions, mission-planning conferences and exchanges covering engineering and aerospace safety.
Tarang Shakti will expand that format into a larger multinational setting.
Reports indicate that several foreign air forces are expected to participate, while additional countries are expected to attend as observers. Bangladesh has also been reported as a participant, adding a notable regional dimension to the exercise.
The exercise follows the first Tarang Shakti, conducted in 2024, which brought together multiple foreign air forces in India.
The purpose of multinational exercises is not simply to display aircraft.
Modern air warfare involves complex coordination between fighter aircraft, airborne early-warning systems, air-to-air refuelling, ground-based command networks, electronic warfare and intelligence systems. Countries that operate different aircraft and communication systems need to develop procedures that allow them to operate safely and effectively alongside one another.
Exercises such as Tarang Shakti provide an opportunity to test those procedures in realistic training environments.
For India, interoperability is particularly relevant because the country’s defence partnerships involve aircraft and equipment from several different countries.
The Indian Air Force operates Russian-origin platforms such as the Su-30MKI alongside French Rafale aircraft and India’s indigenous Tejas fighter. Its international exercises also involve partners operating American, European and Asian aircraft.
Working with different air forces can therefore provide Indian personnel with exposure to different operational doctrines and technologies.
The geographical location of the exercise is also significant.
Jodhpur is in western Rajasthan, relatively close to India’s western frontier. Earlier this month, India and Japan were already conducting Veer Guardian-26 from the same air station. Reports have also highlighted the wider series of air exercises taking place in western India during September.
However, the exercise should be viewed primarily as a scheduled multinational training activity rather than as evidence of an imminent military confrontation.
International military exercises are routinely used to improve coordination, exchange professional knowledge and demonstrate defence relationships. Their presence does not by itself establish that military action is being planned.
One of the most closely watched questions surrounding Tarang Shakti concerns the aircraft that participating countries may bring.
Some reports have discussed the possibility of advanced aircraft, including the US F-35, appearing during the exercise. However, reports on specific participation should be distinguished from formally confirmed information from the Indian Air Force or participating governments.
The exercise also has a diplomatic dimension.
India has been expanding defence cooperation with countries across Europe, the Indo-Pacific and the Gulf. Bringing multiple air forces together in India provides a practical platform for military-to-military engagement.
For participating countries, the exercise provides an opportunity to understand India’s operational environment and work alongside one of Asia’s largest air forces.
For India, it offers a chance to test its own capabilities in a multinational setting while strengthening relationships with partner nations.
The 2026 edition therefore comes at a time when India’s defence diplomacy is becoming increasingly networked. New Delhi is simultaneously pursuing bilateral exercises, multinational drills, defence-industrial partnerships and technology cooperation with a wide range of countries.
Tarang Shakti is one component of that broader approach.
The exercise will begin on September 26 and continue into October, making it one of the major defence events on India’s calendar over the coming weeks.
The focus will ultimately be on training, interoperability and operational learning — but given the number of participating countries and the strategic location of the exercise, Tarang Shakti is also likely to attract considerable international attention.