India’s biggest multinational air combat drill began in Jodhpur on September 26, putting some of the world’s most capable combat aircraft in the same training airspace. Tarang Shakti 2026 will bring together more than 80 Indian and foreign aircraft and around 1,500 personnel, with the US F-35, French Rafale, UAE F-16 and a wide IAF fleet among the headline platforms. The exercise runs until October 12 and is designed around complex missions rather than a ceremonial flypast. For the Indian Air Force, the value lies in practicing how crews, controllers, tankers and support teams from different countries can plan, communicate and operate together under demanding conditions.
Tarang Shakti 2026 Brings A Much Bigger Combat Mix To Jodhpur
Eight air forces are participating with aircraft: India, the United States, France, Germany, the UAE, Australia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Another 32 countries are attending as observers, giving the event a much wider diplomatic and professional footprint than a routine bilateral drill. The latest reporting says the United States is bringing six F-35 fifth-generation fighters, marking the aircraft’s first participation in an exercise in India. The F-35 had previously appeared at Aero India, but Tarang Shakti puts it into a structured multinational training environment.
Foreign aircraft are expected to include F-35s, F-16s, Rafales, A400M transports, A330 MRTT tankers, KC-135 refuellers and C-130 aircraft. The IAF side includes Su-30MKIs, Rafales, Jaguars, Mirage-2000s, MiG-29s, LCA Tejas Mk-1s, Mi-35s, Mi-17s and IL-78 tankers.
- More than 80 aircraft are expected across Indian and foreign contingents.
- Around 1,500 aircrew, technicians and ground personnel will support the exercise.
- Training includes visual and beyond-visual-range combat, dynamic targeting and large-force missions.
- Air-to-air refuelling, air mobility and combat search-and-rescue are also part of the programme.
- Jodhpur hosts the exercise soon after the India-Japan Veer Guardian 2026 drill ended there.
The IAF’s official Tarang Shakti 2026 announcement on X called it India’s premier multinational air exercise and highlighted joint tactical maneuvers involving global air forces.
Why The F-35 And Rafale Combination Draws So Much Attention
The F-35 is the standout attraction because it brings a fifth-generation platform into the same exercise ecosystem as India’s Rafale, Su-30MKI, Mirage-2000, MiG-29 and Tejas fleets. That does not mean participating forces will expose classified tactics or sensitive capabilities. Multinational drills are normally carefully scripted, with information sharing controlled by each country.
Even within those limits, the training value can be substantial. Pilots can practise deconfliction, package coordination, mission planning and responses to aircraft with very different sensor, speed, range and signature characteristics. Controllers and airborne support crews can also rehearse how mixed formations are managed during busy combat scenarios.
For India, the timing is notable. The IAF returned from Pitch Black 2026 after flying Rafales in large-force missions with more than 20 participating nations, while Veer Guardian 2026 with Japan concluded at Jodhpur on September 22. Tarang Shakti extends that sequence from bilateral and overseas engagements into a large exercise hosted by India.
The F-35’s presence should not automatically be read as a procurement signal. In February 2026, India’s Defense Acquisition Council approved an Acceptance of Necessity for a Multi Role Fighter Aircraft proposal identified as Rafale, with most aircraft planned for manufacture in India.
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The biggest gain may come from repetition at scale. Bilateral exercises allow two air forces to work closely, but a multinational drill creates a more crowded operating picture. Crews must cope with different aircraft performance, procedures, radio practices, mission-planning methods and support requirements while still meeting common objectives.
Tarang Shakti’s planned missions include within-visual-range and beyond-visual-range combat, high-value aerial asset protection, air mobility, dynamic targeting, aerial refueling and combat search-and-rescue. Those profiles force fighter crews to coordinate with tankers, transports, helicopters and airborne command assets rather than train in isolation.
The 2024 inaugural edition of Tarang Shakti already gave the IAF a base to build on. That exercise was conducted in two phases at Sulur and Jodhpur, and the second phase alone generated more than 800 sorties. The 2026 edition therefore looks less like a one-off showcase and more like an attempt to establish Tarang Shakti as a recurring platform for multinational air training.
IAF Vice Chief Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit has said the exercise is intended to identify what participants still need to learn, while combining India’s operational experience, including lessons from Operation Sindoor, with those brought by partner forces. That is where the long-term value sits: common procedures, faster coordination and stronger familiarity before air forces ever need to work together in a crisis, evacuation, relief operation or security mission.
FAQs On Tarang Shakti 2026
When does Tarang Shakti 2026 take place?
Tarang Shakti 2026 runs from September 26 through October 12 at Jodhpur Air Force Station.
How many aircraft are expected to participate?
More than 80 Indian and foreign aircraft are expected to join the multinational combat exercise.
Why is the F-35 participation notable for India?
It marks the F-35’s first participation in an Indian exercise, beyond earlier Aero India appearances.
Which major IAF fighters are taking part?
Rafale, Su-30MKI, Mirage-2000, MiG-29, Jaguar and Tejas are among IAF fighters participating during Tarang Shakti.
What is Tarang Shakti designed to improve?
It aims to improve interoperability, mission coordination, tactical learning and multinational air combat cooperation capabilities.
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