The Indian Air Force has announced that Exercise Tarang Shakti, its multinational air combat exercise, will resume with Jodhpur as the host city, according to Times of India. The confirmation came as global air forces prepare to gather for joint aerial operations and tactical training, and it follows directly on the ongoing India-Japan air exercise Veer Guardian-2026 at Jodhpur Air Force Station.
The IAF’s announcement, carried under the headline “Exercise Tarang Shakti is back,” points to renewed activity for one of India’s most visible air diplomacy platforms. The stated goals are to improve interoperability among participating air forces and build understanding of each other’s operational protocols, according to Times of India.
What Tarang Shakti is and why its resumption matters
Origins of the exercise and its role in India’s air diplomacy
Tarang Shakti has served as a venue for India to bring multiple foreign air forces onto Indian soil for joint tactical training, rather than the more common bilateral format. That multinational structure sets it apart from exercises like Veer Guardian, which involves only India and Japan, and gives Tarang Shakti a broader role in showing India can host and coordinate complex, multi-country air operations.
The gap since the last edition and reasons for renewed momentum
The IAF’s phrasing, that “Exercise Tarang Shakti is back,” points to a gap since the exercise was last held, though the service hasn’t said how long that gap was or why it happened. What is clear from the available reporting is that the renewed momentum is tied to the current run of Veer Guardian-2026 at Jodhpur, which appears to have created the operational and diplomatic conditions for reviving the larger, multinational format at the same base.
Veer Guardian-2026 as the immediate backdrop
India and Japan’s air chiefs at Jodhpur Air Force Station
Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh and Japan Air Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff General Takehiro Morita visited Jodhpur Air Force Station on Sunday to observe the ongoing Veer Guardian-2026 drills, according to Times of India. Their joint presence at the base matters for both air forces, and it provided the immediate backdrop against which the IAF chose to announce Tarang Shakti’s return.
Aircraft deployed: Tejas, Su-30MKI, Rafale and Japan’s F-2As
India has fielded three of its frontline fighter types for Veer Guardian-2026: the indigenously built Tejas, the Su-30MKI and the Rafale. Japan has brought its F-2A fighters to Jodhpur for the drills, according to Times of India. The mix gives both air forces a chance to test coordination across a range of aircraft generations and capabilities in a single exercise window.
Why Japan’s fighter deployment to India is a first
Japan’s deployment of F-2A fighters to Indian soil for Veer Guardian-2026 is the first time Tokyo has sent fighter aircraft to India for a joint exercise, according to Times of India. That adds weight to the timing of the Tarang Shakti announcement: the IAF is reviving its flagship multinational exercise at the same location and in the same window as a first for India-Japan air cooperation.
Interoperability and tactical training as the stated objectives
Exchange of operational practices among participating air forces
The IAF has framed Tarang Shakti’s return around the exchange of operational practices among the participating air forces, according to Times of India. In practice, that means crews and planners from different countries comparing how they approach mission planning, communications and tactical decision-making, rather than simply flying alongside one another.
Executing joint aerial missions
Beyond exchanging doctrine, the exercise is meant to have participating forces carry out joint aerial missions together, according to the summary of the IAF’s announcement. Shared operational knowledge paired with live execution of joint missions is what the IAF points to when it describes the exercise’s purpose: better interoperability and a deeper understanding of each other’s operational protocols.
Jodhpur’s role as host base
Strategic and logistical reasons for choosing Jodhpur
Jodhpur Air Force Station is already hosting Veer Guardian-2026, and it’s the base the IAF has named for Tarang Shakti’s return as well, according to Times of India. Using a single station for both the ongoing bilateral exercise with Japan and the announcement of the larger multinational exercise points to Jodhpur’s established role as an active hub for India’s air exercises with foreign partners, though the IAF hasn’t detailed specific infrastructure or runway capacity reasons behind the choice.
What remains unconfirmed
Dates, participating nations and scale not yet detailed by IAF
The IAF’s announcement, as reported by Times of India, confirms that Tarang Shakti is returning and that Jodhpur will host it, but it doesn’t specify exact dates, the list of participating nations, or the scale of aircraft and personnel expected to take part. Those details will likely follow in later statements as planning progresses. For now, the exercise’s return is confirmed in principle rather than laid out in full operational detail.
Broader context: India’s expanding multinational air exercise footprint
The Tarang Shakti announcement lands alongside Veer Guardian-2026, giving India two active or upcoming air exercises tied to the same base within a short span. First, a bilateral exercise with Japan featuring a first-ever fighter deployment. Now, the revival of a multinational exercise at the same station. Together they point to India using Jodhpur as a proving ground for deeper air force cooperation with multiple partners. The next thing to watch for is the IAF’s release of dates and the list of participating countries for Tarang Shakti, which will show how its scale compares to previous editions.
