Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026: CAPSS-IAF Seminar on Air Power

The Centre for Aerospace Power and Strategic Studies (CAPSS) and the Indian Air Force held a seminar on 9 October 2026 at the Air Force Auditorium, Subroto Park, New Delhi, on the sidelines of Exercise Tarang Shakti-26. Its theme was 'The Central Role of Air Power in the Evolving Battlespace', and it drew representatives of partner air forces from every continent along with senior military officers, academics, industry and the media.

From the flight line to the seminar hall

The teams came to the discussion straight from the flying exercise, carrying their operational experience into a conceptual debate. The aim was to identify doctrinal priorities, mark out areas where partner air forces could cooperate further, and keep an informed dialogue going among them.

Who spoke

• Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor (Retd.), Director General of CAPSS, gave the welcome address and set out the place of air power in present-day conflict.
• Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Chief of the Air Staff, delivered the inaugural address.
• The first working session was chaired by Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, a former Chief of the Air Staff.
• The second session was chaired by Air Marshal Stephen Chappell, Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Australian Air Force.

What the Air Chief argued

The Chief of the Air Staff pressed the case for integrated capability, operational resilience and better interoperability to meet new challenges in air warfare. He said manned and unmanned operations must be developed side by side under clear employment doctrines, and that sensors, weapon systems and unmanned platforms should be tied into communication and data networks from the start rather than later. He also called for stronger supply chains, fresh training methods and the capacity to keep operations going over long periods. Pointing to the part air power plays in humanitarian assistance, in support to partner countries and in raising the nation's international standing, he asked for focused discussion on information warfare and perception management, and for a wider exchange of operational experience among air forces facing common problems.

The two sessions

The first session looked at how air warfare has been transformed in the 21st century, tracing the shift from air superiority to battlespace control and decision dominance, and discussing the media as a strategic weapon. Panellists argued that air power is no longer about holding the skies alone but about an entire operational ecosystem. The second session treated air power as an instrument of national power, covering deterrence, coercion, escalation control and the building of human capital, and debated what reforms air forces need for the battlefield to come.

About CAPSS

CAPSS was set up in 2001 as an autonomous research and analysis body working on national security, nuclear and aerospace questions. The year 2026 marks its Silver Jubilee.