India and seven other countries will take part in Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 with actual air assets.
The participating countries are Australia, Bangladesh, France, Germany, Greece, Sri Lanka, the UAE and the USA.
The exercise runs from September 26 to October 12 at Air Force Station Jodhpur.
The US F-35 will operate from India for the first time during the drills.
A further 32 nations will attend as observers.
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.
Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026, the second edition of India’s multinational air exercise, will be held from September 26 to October 12, 2026.
The exercise will take place at Air Force Station Jodhpur and adjoining air bases.
Eight friendly foreign countries are set to participate with air assets: Australia, Bangladesh, France, Germany, Greece, Sri Lanka, the UAE and the USA.
A further 32 nations are expected to attend as observers.
Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jet at Exercise Tarang Shakti (representative image), Wikimedia Commons, GODL-India