{"id":24870351,"date":"2026-09-26T15:48:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T13:48:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/tarang-shakti-2026-us-f-35-india-jodhpur-first-time\/"},"modified":"2026-10-01T15:20:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T13:20:19","slug":"tarang-shakti-2026-us-f-35-india-jodhpur-first-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/tarang-shakti-2026-us-f-35-india-jodhpur-first-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Tarang Shakti 2026: US F-35s Fly With the Indian Air Force for the First Time"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\n\n<style>\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid 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That changes today. Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 starts at Jodhpur Air Force Station in Rajasthan, and for the first time US <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-35-lightning-ii\/\">F-35<\/a> stealth fighters will fly tactical missions with the Indian Air Force from an Indian base.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The F-35s will share the ramp with French Rafales, Emirati F-16s and India's own Su-30MKIs, Tejas and Mirage 2000s. It is India's second multinational air exercise, and the most politically charged one yet: it takes place about 200 km from the Pakistani border, while New Delhi keeps weighing Russian and Western offers for its next fighter.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f4f5f7;border:1px solid #e2e7ee;padding:18px 22px;margin:8px 0 28px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;font-size:17px\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:20px;line-height:1.7\"><li><strong>Exercise:<\/strong> Tarang Shakti 2026, the Indian Air Force's second multinational air exercise<\/li><li><strong>Dates:<\/strong> 26 September to 12 October 2026<\/li><li><strong>Location:<\/strong> Jodhpur Air Force Station, Rajasthan, about 200 km from the Pakistani border<\/li><li><strong>Flying participants:<\/strong> Eight nations, including the US, France, the UAE, Germany, Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Greece<\/li><li><strong>Observers:<\/strong> 32 further countries; invitations went to 65 nations<\/li><li><strong>The first:<\/strong> First time the F-35 flies tactical missions with the IAF from an Indian air base<\/li><li><strong>US contingent:<\/strong> Six F-35s and two KC-135 tankers, according to BharatShakti<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What Is Actually Flying<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Indian officials announced the line-up at a curtain-raiser this week. The host brings the full range of its combat fleet: <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/su-30-flanker\/\">Su-30MKI<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/rafale\/\">Rafale<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/hal-tejas\/\">Tejas<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/mirage-2000\/\">Mirage 2000<\/a>, and according to Indian defence outlet BharatShakti also the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/mig-29-fulcrum\/\">MiG-29<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/sepecat-jaguar\/\">Jaguar<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Among the foreign contingents, France is sending Rafales plus A400M transports and A330 tankers. The UAE brings <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-16-fighting-falcon\/\">F-16<\/a>s. Germany, Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Greece contribute surveillance and transport aircraft. BharatShakti puts the US detachment at six F-35s supported by two KC-135 tankers. Neither the US Air Force nor the IAF has named the F-35 unit publicly.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Just as important is who is not coming. BharatShakti notes that Russia, China and Saudi Arabia are not taking part.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;We do not conduct Tarang Shakti to demonstrate what we already know. We conduct it to discover what we still need to learn.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit<\/strong> &mdash; Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Indian Air Force, at the Tarang Shakti 2026 curtain-raiser<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why the F-35 Debut Matters<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>The F-35 is no stranger to India. US Air Force F-35s have flown at the Aero India show in Bengaluru, most memorably in February 2025, when the F-35 and Russia's <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/su-57-felon\/\">Su-57<\/a> appeared at the same show for the first time. In June 2025 a Royal Navy F-35B made an unplanned stop in Kerala and stayed on the ground at Thiruvananthapuram for five weeks before flying out on 22 July.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Air show flypasts and a stranded jet are not the same as fighting side by side. At Tarang Shakti, IAF crews will plan, brief and fly large-force missions with and against a fifth-generation stealth fighter from their own base. For a service whose frontline is built around Russian and French jets, that is rare first-hand experience of what a low-observable aircraft looks like, and does not look like, on radar.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>It also shows how far US-India defence ties have come. In the first edition in 2024, the USAF sent A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, not stealth fighters, to Jodhpur.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/usaf-a-10-arrive-jodhpur-tarang-shakti-2024.jpg\" alt=\"Two USAF A-10s arriving at Jodhpur for Tarang Shakti 2024\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Two US Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs arrive at Jodhpur Air Force Station for Tarang Shakti 24 Phase II on 31 August 2024. Two years later, the US contingent brings F-35s. US Air Force photo, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">From 11 Nations to a Wider Circle<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Tarang Shakti began in 2024 as India's first multinational air exercise, held in two phases: at Sulur in Tamil Nadu in August, then at Jodhpur from late August to mid-September. Outlook India reports that 11 countries took part, flying 867 sorties and more than 1,180 flying hours.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The 2026 edition is a single phase at Jodhpur with fewer countries flying, but many more watching: 32 observer nations, and air chiefs or their equivalents from around ten countries expected to attend. The IAF says the focus is on interoperability, intelligence-led operations and lessons from recent conflicts, not on showing off hardware.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/e5xonY6nFqI\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><em>Firstpost's Vantage looks at what Tarang Shakti 2026 brings to Jodhpur, and how the Su-30MKI and Rafale match up against the F-35.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>For the next two and a half weeks, the skies over the Thar Desert will be busy, and India gets to see up close the jet it has so far only watched from the crowd line.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em>Sources: Defense News, Outlook India, BharatShakti, Military Watch Magazine, The Aviationist, Wikipedia (Exercise Tarang Shakti), US Air Force \/ DVIDS<\/em><\/p>\n\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\n\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\n\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>What is Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Tarang Shakti 2026 is the Indian Air Force's second multinational air exercise, held at Jodhpur Air Force Station in Rajasthan from 26 September to 12 October 2026. Eight nations fly aircraft in it and 32 more attend as observers.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Are US F-35s taking part in Tarang Shakti 2026?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. US F-35 stealth fighters take part in Tarang Shakti 2026, the first time the F-35 flies tactical missions alongside the Indian Air Force from an Indian air base. Indian outlet BharatShakti reports a detachment of six F-35s with two KC-135 tankers.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Which countries are flying in Tarang Shakti 2026?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Besides India, the flying participants are the United States, France, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Greece. France brings Rafales, the UAE brings F-16s, and the others mainly contribute transport and surveillance aircraft.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Has the F-35 been to India before?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes, but never for an exercise. US Air Force F-35s have appeared at the Aero India air show in Bengaluru, including in February 2025 alongside Russia's Su-57, and a Royal Navy F-35B was stranded at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala for five weeks in mid-2025.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Which Indian Air Force jets fly in Tarang Shakti 2026?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Indian Air Force fields its Su-30MKI, Rafale, Tejas and Mirage 2000 fighters, and Indian outlet BharatShakti also lists the MiG-29 and Jaguar.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Where is Jodhpur Air Force Station?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Jodhpur Air Force Station is in Rajasthan in north-western India, on the edge of the Thar Desert and roughly 200 km from the Pakistani border. It also hosted the second phase of the first Tarang Shakti in 2024.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Tarang Shakti 2026 is the Indian Air Force's second multinational air exercise, held at Jodhpur Air Force Station in Rajasthan from 26 September to 12 October 2026. Eight nations fly aircraft in it and 32 more attend as observers.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Are US F-35s taking part in Tarang Shakti 2026?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. US F-35 stealth fighters take part in Tarang Shakti 2026, the first time the F-35 flies tactical missions alongside the Indian Air Force from an Indian air base. 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It also hosted the second phase of the first Tarang Shakti in 2024.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\">\r\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/veer-guardian-26-jasdf-f-2-india-jodhpur-2026\/\">Veer Guardian 26: Japan Sends Fighters to India for the First Time<\/a><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/su-30mki-indian-air-force-two-seat-fighters-explained\/\">Su-30MKI: Why the Indian Air Force Flies With Two Crew<\/a><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/india-fcas-parliament-sixth-generation-france-bid-2026\/\">India Moves to Join FCAS: Sixth-Generation Fighter Bid Confirmed<\/a><\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tarang Shakti 2026 opens at Jodhpur, and for the first time US F-35s fly tactical missions alongside the Indian Air Force from an Indian base.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":24870080,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[664,670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24870351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-aviation","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - 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