IAF Plans Largest Air Exercise, Uniting Forces From 12 Nations

An official with knowledge of the situation said on Wednesday that the Indian Air Force is getting ready to hold a mega-multilateral exercise later this year that will include the air forces of 12 countries. This will improve military cooperation with these countries.

The exercise will be called Tarang Shakti, and it will be India’s largest air drill. Countries that are taking part will bring, among other things, armed fighter jets and transport planes.

France, Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom are expected to send their air forces to the exercise, but its location is still unknown.

Officials say that the Tarang Shakti drill will take place this year between October and November. Six air forces will take part, and the rest will watch. They said that the government has not yet given the drill its final OK.

Officials say that before Tarang Shakti, the IAF is expected to take part in another drill in Egypt.

Earlier this year, the IAF took part in several joint drills with France, Greece, Japan, and the UK. These included Exercise Orion at the Mont-de-Marsan airbase in France from April 17 to May 5 and the INIOCHOS exercise at the Andravida base in Greece, which was hosted by the Hellenic Air Force.

In April, the IAF and the USAF worked together on a drill called Cope India-2023. The exercise took place at the Kalaikunda, Panagarh, and Agra bases.

On July 14, three Rafale fighter jets from the IAF will fly over the Champs Elysees in Paris as part of the Bastille Day flypast. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, will be the guest of honor at this year’s Bastille Day show. A group from the three services, along with their French counterparts, will also march in the show.