The Indian Air Force (IAF) hosted the second edition of Exercise Tarang Shakti at Air Force Station Jodhpur from 26 September to 12 October 2026. The multinational air exercise, themed 'Power in Partnership', had seven Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs): Australia, Bangladesh, France, Germany, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. They were joined by 32 observer nations.
The exercise coincided with the IAF's 94th Anniversary. A seminar held on its side-lines in New Delhi on 9 October moved the discussion from flying operations to doctrine.
Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 followed the inaugural edition in 2024. It gave the participating air forces a platform for complex joint missions, exchange of operational experience and better interoperability. The missions brought together combat, transport, surveillance and air-to-air refuelling capabilities. Aircrew, mission planners and support personnel learnt about each other's operational philosophies and procedures.
The IAF pointed to Operation Sindoor as showing its ability to conduct precise, calibrated and effective operations in support of national security objectives. It said the operation demonstrated operational preparedness, integrated planning, credible deterrence and the effective application of air power, and that this experience adds to the value of multinational exercises.
Indigenous platforms, including the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas and the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand, flew alongside the international aircraft. The IAF linked this to the Government's vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the growing role of Indian industry in defence manufacturing. Industrial tours took the visiting contingents through India's aerospace and defence manufacturing ecosystem.
The programme also included yoga sessions, heritage visits and an International Night celebrating the cultures of the participating nations. The Open Day drew more than 20,000 visitors, who saw the IAF's aircraft, capabilities and personnel.
The Centre for Aerospace Power and Strategic Studies (CAPSS) and the IAF organised the seminar at the Air Force Auditorium, Subroto Park, on 'The Central Role of Air Power in the Evolving Battlespace'. Representatives of partner air forces, senior military leaders, academia, industry and the media attended. CAPSS, established in 2001 as an autonomous research and analysis body on national security, nuclear and aerospace issues, marks its Silver Jubilee in 2026.
Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Chief of the Air Staff, said manned and unmanned operations should be developed concurrently under clear employment doctrines. He called for all sensors, weapon systems and unmanned platforms to be integrated with communication and data networks from the outset. He also asked for stronger supply chains, innovative training methods and greater capacity to sustain prolonged operations. Citing air power's role in humanitarian assistance and support to partner countries, he called for focused deliberation on information warfare and perception management, and for more exchange of operational experience among air forces.
The first working session, on the transformation of air warfare in the 21st century, was chaired by Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, a former Chief of the Air Staff. It examined the shift from air superiority to battlespace control and decision dominance, and the role of media as a strategic weapon. Panellists said air power is no longer about owning the skies alone and involves an entire operational ecosystem.
The second session was chaired by Air Marshal Stephen Chappell, Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Australian Air Force. It looked at air power as a strategy of national power, covering deterrence, coercion, escalation control and human capital development, and debated the reforms air power needs to meet emergent and future battlefield requirements.
With reference to Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026, consider the following statements:
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Consider the following information:
| Person | Role in the side-lines seminar | Position / Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari | Chaired the first working session | Former Chief of the Air Staff |
| 2. | Air Marshal Stephen Chappell | Chaired the second session | Chief of the Air Staff, Royal Australian Air Force |
| 3. | Air Chief Marshal AP Singh | Chaired the first working session | Chief of the Air Staff, Indian Air Force |
In how many of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: Indigenous platforms such as the LCA Tejas and the LCH Prachand flew alongside international aircraft in Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026.
Statement-II: The IAF linked this to the Government's vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the growing role of Indian industry in defence manufacturing.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
