Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 Second Edition Held at Jodhpur

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to the aircrews and ground teams taking part in the second edition of Exercise Tarang Shakti at Air Force Station Jodhpur. The multinational air exercise is being run by the Indian Air Force from 26 September to 12 October 2026. Seven friendly foreign countries flew in with their squadrons, and another thirty-two countries sent teams to watch the flying as observers.

Who took part

The seven air forces that brought aircraft were those of Australia, Bangladesh, France, Germany, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates and the United States of America. Combat jets, transport aircraft, surveillance platforms and air-to-air refuelling tankers were all flown from Jodhpur, which let the visiting crews plan missions jointly with Indian pilots and compare how each air force briefs, launches and recovers a sortie. Two Indian-built machines drew particular notice: the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas and the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand.

What the Defence Minister said

The Minister argued that war is no longer confined to land, sea and air, and now runs through space, cyberspace, the electromagnetic spectrum and the information domain as well. Drones and other unmanned machines, artificial intelligence, electronic warfare and weapons that strike accurately from long range are, he said, reshaping how battles are fought. Counting aircraft, in his view, no longer settles who is stronger: what decides it is how quickly a force can sense, understand, decide and act. He summed up the exercise in a line of his own making — different nations, different aircraft, different experiences, but one sky.

Self-reliance in defence

Atmanirbharta in defence, the Minister said, is now national policy, because a country fighting a long war must be able to build its own weapons and master its own critical technologies. He listed Indian programmes already in service or under development: the Tejas fighter, the Dhruv, Rudra, Prachand and Light Utility Helicopter rotorcraft, the Akash air defence system, AESA radars and the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project, which is India's route to fifth-generation stealth fighter technology. Self-reliance, he added, does not mean shutting the world out, and India wants partners for research, co-development, co-production, maintenance and training. Future defence ties, he said, will rest on technology and trust rather than on platforms alone.

Background

The first edition of Tarang Shakti was held in 2024. Besides the flying, this edition included industry visits, yoga sessions, heritage tours and an International Night. Chief of Defence Staff General N. S. Raja Subramani, Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh and Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan were present. The Minister also recalled Operation Sindoor, in which air power played a decisive part.