By The US Air Force’s F-35 Lightning II will operate from Indian soil for the first time during Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026.
The exercise runs from September 26 to October 12 at Air Force Station Jodhpur.
Eight countries will participate with air assets, including the USA, France and Germany.
It is the second edition of the exercise, following the first in 2024.
India’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft has featured in earlier editions.
A further 32 nations are expected to attend as observers.
The major highlight of the exercise will be the US Air Force’s F-35 Lightning II fighter jet.
This will mark the first time the F-35 has operated directly from Indian soil.
The exercise aims to expose participants to planning and execution of multinational joint combat operations in a realistic, contemporary battlespace.
It is designed to help air forces derive tactically viable solutions from joint exercises.
The exercise will cover a wide range of air operations, including counter-air, air defence, force combat, reconnaissance, airlift and air-to-air refuelling.
The first edition of Tarang Shakti was held in 2024, in Tamil Nadu.
The exercise is expected to showcase the growing capabilities of the Indian aerospace industry, according to the IAF Vice Chief.
India’s own Tejas Light Combat Aircraft has featured in earlier editions of the exercise.
Multinational air exercises of this kind are used by participating countries to build interoperability between air forces.
The Indian Air Force is the primary organiser and host of the Tarang Shakti series of exercises.
Observer nations typically send officials to study exercise planning and execution without deploying their own aircraft.
Large-scale air exercises require extensive coordination on airspace management, logistics and safety protocols among participating countries.
India has hosted several bilateral and multilateral military exercises with foreign air forces in recent years.
The F-35 Lightning II is a fifth-generation stealth fighter operated by the United States and a number of allied air forces.
Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jet at Exercise Tarang Shakti (representative image), Wikimedia Commons, GODL-India
