Exercise Veer Guardian-2026 Begins at Jodhpur with Japan

The correct answer is Japan. Veer Guardian-2026 is a bilateral air exercise of the Indian Air Force and the Japan Air Self Defence Force, and it is being held at Air Force Station Jodhpur from 9 September 2026 to 22 September 2026. Option A, France, is wrong as a country, although the confusion is understandable: the Rafale that the Indian Air Force is flying in this drill was bought from France. France is not a participant here. Option C, Australia, is wrong; no Australian aircraft or crew is listed in the announcement of this exercise. Option D, Singapore, is wrong for the same reason. The word bilateral is the key to the question, because it tells the aspirant that exactly two air forces are taking part, and in this case they are those of India and Japan. Remember the pairing of the name and the partner: Veer Guardian goes with Japan.

The correct answer is Air Force Station Jodhpur. The Ministry of Defence has said that the Indian Air Force and the Japan Air Self Defence Force are flying the Veer Guardian-2026 exercise at this station in Rajasthan, and the programme runs from 9 September 2026 to 22 September 2026. Option A, Hindon, is a large transport base near Delhi, but it is not the venue named for this drill. Option B, Kalaikunda, in West Bengal, has hosted air exercises in the past, which makes it a plausible distractor, yet the announcement does not place Veer Guardian-2026 there. Option D, Sulur, in Tamil Nadu, is associated with Tejas operations, so an aspirant who remembers only the Tejas may be tempted, but the venue is still Jodhpur. Always fix the venue with the name of the exercise while revising, because the paper setter tests exactly this pairing.

The correct answer is F-2A. The announcement states that Japan is taking part with its F-2A fighter aircraft, while the Indian side has fielded a mix of front-line fighters, namely the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, the Su-30 MKI and the Rafale. Option B, the F-15J, is a fighter in Japanese service and therefore a very plausible distractor, but it is not the type named for this exercise. Option C, the F-35A, is a fifth generation aircraft that appears often in news about Japan, yet again it is not the aircraft listed for Veer Guardian-2026. Option D, the Mitsubishi T-4, is a trainer aircraft and not a front-line fighter, so it does not fit a combat drill of this kind. For revision, hold the four aircraft of this exercise together: Tejas, Su-30 MKI and Rafale for India, and the F-2A for Japan.