Indian Air Force conducts Dornier-228 drill and prepares for India-Japan air exercise

Indian Air Force Veer Guardian 2026 Dornier-228 Tejas Mk1A GE Aerospace

The Indian Air Force (IAF) recently conducted an ‘Elephant Walk’ drill at Air Force Station Yelahanka, featuring its Dornier-228 fleet. The exercise was designed to demonstrate operational readiness, maintenance excellence, and the ability to rapidly launch multiple aircraft for various missions, including maritime surveillance and transport.

In separate defense developments, GE Aerospace has delivered three F404-IN20 engines to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in August 2026. This brings the total number of engines delivered for the Tejas Mk1A fighter programme to 10, providing much-needed relief to the production schedule which has previously faced supply chain delays.

Additionally, India and Japan are set to begin the second edition of their bilateral air combat exercise, Veer Guardian 2026, at Jodhpur Air Force Station from September 9 to 22. This exercise marks a significant milestone as Japanese Mitsubishi F-2 fighter jets will operate from an Indian air base for the first time, participating in integrated air combat training alongside Indian Su-30MKI and LCA Tejas aircraft.

Entities

GE Aerospace · Hindustan Aeronautics Limited · Indian Air Force · Japan Air Self-Defense Force · Jodhpur Air Force Station · Tejas Mk1A

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 5 SOURCES] The Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted an ‘Elephant Walk’ drill of its Dornier-228 fleet at Air Force Station Yelahanka. defence.in · english.publictv.in · www.ssbcrack.com · newsable.asianetnews.com · thecsrjournal.in
[● 2 SOURCES] The total number of F404-IN20 engines delivered for the Tejas Mk1A programme has reached 10. tfipost.com · tradebrains.in
[● 3 SOURCES] GE Aerospace delivered three F404-IN20 engines to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in August 2026. english.publictv.in · newsable.asianetnews.com · tradebrains.in
[● 2 SOURCES] The second edition of the Veer Guardian bilateral air combat exercise between India and Japan will take place from September 9 to 22, 2026. english.mathrubhumi.com · www.newindianexpress.com
[● 2 SOURCES] Japanese F-2 fighter jets will operate from an Indian air base for the first time during the Veer Guardian exercise. english.mathrubhumi.com · www.newindianexpress.com

Sources

IAF Executes Dornier-228 Fleet Elephant Walk to Demonstrate Rapid Sortie Capability [defence.in]

7 days ago

IAF showcases operational readiness with Elephant Walk of Dornier-228 aircraft at Yelahanka - Public TV English [english.publictv.in]

7 days ago

IAF Demonstrates Operational Readiness with Dornier-228 Elephant Walk at Yelahanka [www.ssbcrack.com]

7 days ago

Le Japon envoie des avions de chasse en Inde : Tokyo et New Delhi observent la Chine [www.visiontimes.fr]

6 days ago

C-2 jets land; F-2A fighters next: Why upcoming India-Japan air combat drill is significant [english.mathrubhumi.com]

7 days ago

IAF showcases readiness with impressive 'Elephant Walk' of Do-228s [newsable.asianetnews.com]

7 days ago

Tejas Mk1A Engine Crisis Eases, But the Real Test Is Delivery [tfipost.com]

8 days ago

IAF Demonstrates Operational Readiness with Dornier-228 Elephant Walk at Yelahanka [thecsrjournal.in]

7 days ago

HAL Gets 3 More F404 Engines: Can HAL Turn Tejas Mk1A Supply Relief Into Faster Deliveries? [tradebrains.in]

8 days ago

At Jodhpur, Japan’s F-2s to make India debut, air chiefs likely to fly [www.newindianexpress.com]

7 days ago