Raksha Mantri addresses participants
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh
addressed the participants of the second edition of Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026
at Air Force Station Jodhpur on 10 October 2026. Hosted by the Indian Air Force
(IAF) from 26 September to 12 October 2026, the multinational air exercise
brought together air forces from seven Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs) including
Australia, Bangladesh, France, Germany, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates and
the United States of America along with 32 observer nations.
Congratulating
the IAF and all organisations and personnel involved in the successful conduct
of the exercise, the Raksha Mantri welcomed the participating nations and
appreciated their contribution to strengthening professional understanding and
operational cooperation. He noted that the presence of participating air forces
had added significant value to the exercise and expressed hope that the
contingents would return with valuable professional insights and a deeper
understanding of India's capabilities and perspectives. He highlighted the
importance of self-reliance in the defence sector, technological innovation and
international partnerships in addressing the evolving challenges of modern
warfare.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Rajnath Singh
observed that modern warfare was undergoing a profound transformation,
extending beyond the traditional domains of land, sea and air to encompass
space, cyber, the electromagnetic spectrum and the information domain. He
highlighted the growing influence of unmanned systems, drones, artificial
intelligence, electronic warfare and long-range precision weapons in shaping
contemporary military operations.
“Future military power will be defined less by
the number of platforms we possess. It will be determined by the speed of
sensing, understanding, deciding and acting,” he stated, underlining that
speed, precision, information and integration had emerged as defining
attributes of military capability. He also emphasised the need for continuous
vigilance in view of the rapidly changing geopolitical environment and the
uncertainties associated with technological advancements in the defence sector.
The Raksha Mantri said that India, under the
leadership of Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, had recognised the importance
of strengthening national resilience against emerging security challenges and
had adopted Atmanirbharta in defence as a national policy. He stressed that a
nation must possess the capability to produce its own weapons and critical
technologies to sustain itself during prolonged conflicts and periods of
uncertainty.
Highlighting the transformation of the Indian
Defence Forces, RM said that the Indian Air Force had evolved from a force
operating with limited resources at the time of Independence into a modern
aerospace power equipped with advanced aircraft, precision weapons,
sophisticated sensors, integrated networks and increasingly advanced indigenous
technologies. He emphasised that Atmanirbhar Bharat did not mean isolation from
the world, but the development of domestic capabilities to design, develop,
manufacture, maintain and upgrade critical defence technologies.
Referring to India's growing aerospace and
defence manufacturing ecosystem, the Raksha Mantri highlighted indigenous
programmes and systems, including the Tejas fighter aircraft, helicopters such
as Dhruv, Rudra, Prachand and the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), the Akash air
defence system, AESA radars, electronic systems, and emerging unmanned and
aerospace technologies. RM also referred to the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft
(AMCA) programme as an important step towards mastering fifth generation
stealth fighter technology and underscored the importance of advanced
aero-engine development and co-production. He said that India was keen to
explore cooperation with like-minded countries in research, co-development,
co-production, maintenance, training and innovation. Emphasising the growing
importance of trusted partnerships and resilient supply chains, he stated, “The
defence relationships of the future will be about technology and trust, not
just about platforms.”
The Raksha Mantri observed that building strong
indigenous capabilities must go hand in hand with meaningful cooperation with
trusted partners. India must be capable of acting independently when required
while also operating effectively with other nations when their interests and
responsibilities converge, he emphasised.
In this context, RM highlighted the significance of
Exercise Tarang Shakti in translating the principles of capability, technology,
interoperability and trust into operational experience. The exercise provided
participating air forces an opportunity to operate alongside one another,
exchange operational knowledge, assess procedures and understand different
platforms, doctrines and approaches to mission planning. He noted that
multinational exercises enabled aircrews and commanders to learn from one another,
examine existing assumptions and identify opportunities to improve their
systems and processes.
Describing
the spirit of the exercise, Mr. Rajnath Singh said, “Different nations.
Different aircraft. Different experiences. But one sky. That is the message of
Tarang Shakti.” He emphasised that the value of the exercise extended beyond
the sorties flown and scenarios practised, encompassing the ability to
communicate, coordinate and operate effectively with partner forces. The RM
called upon the Indian Air Force to incorporate the lessons of the exercise
into its training, tactics, technology, doctrine and future capability
development. He expressed confidence that the participating nations would carry
forward the professional relationships and mutual understanding developed
during the exercise to explore new avenues of aerospace and defence cooperation.
The
second edition of Exercise Tarang Shakti builds on the success of its inaugural
edition in 2024 and reinforces India's commitment to constructive defence
engagement and international cooperation. The exercise brought together diverse
combat, transport, surveillance and air-to-air refuelling capabilities,
providing opportunities for joint mission planning, operational learning and
enhanced interoperability. The participation of indigenous platforms, including
the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas and the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)
Prachand, also highlighted India's progress in indigenous aerospace design,
engineering and manufacturing.
The contemporary relevance of the exercise is
underscored by the decisive role of air power in Operation Sindoor, which
demonstrated the Indian Air Force’s ability to execute precise, calibrated and
effective operations in furtherance of national security objectives. The
operation highlighted the importance of operational preparedness, integrated
planning, credible deterrence and the effective application of air power in a
complex security environment. The experience gained from operational employment
reinforces the value of multinational exercises such as Tarang Shakti in
advancing professional understanding and preparing for the evolving challenges
of modern warfare.
Beyond flying operations, the exercise featured
professional engagements, industrial visits and cultural interactions,
including yoga sessions, heritage visits and an International Night celebrating
the traditions of participating nations. Chief of Defence Staff General N. S.
Raja Subramani, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, Chief
of the Naval Staff, Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, other
dignitaries, officials of the Ministry of Defence and participating
countries attended the event.