[CLSTR]
< Back to situations

Monitor this situation.

[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE] · [INTERNATIONAL]

2 clusters · 23 sources · 5 days · First seen · Last updated

Tarang Shakti multinational air exercise in India

Overview

The second edition of the multinational air exercise ‘Tarang Shakti’ commenced on September 26 at the Jodhpur Air Force Station in Rajasthan, India, and is scheduled to run until October 12.

More than 40 nations are participating in the drills. Eight countries—including the United States, France, Germany, Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates—are directly involving fighter aircraft, while an additional 32 countries are participating as observers. The United Arab Emirates is contributing F-16s to the exercise.

France has deployed seven Rafale fighter jets via the PEGASE 26 mission to conduct maneuvers alongside the Indian Air Force. The United States is contributing six F-35 Lightning II aircraft and over 200 airmen. The Indian Air Force is utilizing frontline assets including Rafale and Sukhoi-30 fighter jets, aerial warning and control aircraft, transport planes, and aerial refueling tankers. The exercise aims to enhance interoperability and demonstrate defense capabilities, with the Indian fleet also featuring Mirage-2000, Tejas, and MiG-29 aircraft.

On September 27, the exercise marked a historic milestone as the six American F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter jets operated on Indian soil for the first time, conducting complex tactical missions alongside the Indian Air Force. For India, the presence of fifth-generation technology like the F-35 provides a rare opportunity to study advanced stealth capabilities, sensor fusion, and network-centric warfare. This deployment occurs amidst broader defense developments between India and the United States, including proposals for technology transfer and local production of C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, as well as progress toward the co-production of GE F414 jet engines in India to support the Tejas Mark-2 program.

Entities

France · United States Air Force · Indian Air Force · Jodhpur Air Force Station · Tarang Shakti 2026

Claims

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

Coverage disagrees

Sources make claims that cannot both be true. CLSTR reports the disagreement; it does not decide who is right.

Timeline

  1. 1 day ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 16 sources
    Tarang Shakti 2026: US F-35 jets debut in multinational air drills in India

    The Tarang Shakti 2026 multinational air exercise has begun in Jodhpur, India, featuring the debut of US F-35 stealth fighters alongside French Rafales and aircraft from over 40 participating nations.

  2. 6 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 11 sources
    Tarang Shakti 2026: Multinational air exercise to feature U.S. F-35s in India

    India's Tarang Shakti 2026 multinational air exercise in Jodhpur will feature the first-ever participation of U.S. F-35 stealth fighters alongside air forces from over 40 countries.

Sources

aajtak.com · agniban.com · businessam.be · defence.in · defencexp.com · desitalkchicago.com · fr.businessam.be · hindi.news18.com · hindimilap.com · iadb.in · indiandefensenews.in · indiaobservers.com · indiastrategic.in · khabarindiatv.com · latestly.com · navbharatlive.com · news18.com · newsable.asianetnews.com · newsindialive.in · samacharnama.com · thecsrjournal.in · tv9hindi.com · upkiran.org

This summary has been updated 4 times: see revision history