📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Nathaniel
Defence
US F-35 joins Indian Tejas and Rafale in first joint formation over Jodhpur’s Tarang Shakti drill
✍️ Amar Ujala · Jaipur
🗓 04 Oct 2026, 08:15 AM
👁 16
During the multinational Tarang Shakti exercise in Jodhpur, an American F-35 fighter flew in formation with India’s Tejas and Rafale jets, marking the first such joint sortie.
A multinational air‑power drill named Tarang Shakti saw an unprecedented joint flight over Jodhpur, Rajasthan, where a United States‑operated F‑35 fighter took off in the same formation as India’s indigenously built Tejas and French‑supplied Rafale jets.
The coordinated sortie highlighted growing interoperability between the Indian Air Force and its U.S. counterpart, demonstrating that the fifth‑generation stealth platform can operate alongside India’s fourth‑generation fighters.
Tarang Shakti, hosted by the Indian Air Force at the Jodhpur Air Force Station, brings together air assets from several friendly nations to practice air‑defence tactics, aerial refuelling and combined‑operations planning. The inclusion of the F‑35 adds a new dimension to the exercise, allowing participants to test communication links and tactical procedures across different aircraft generations.
Officials briefed that the joint formation was executed without any incident, underscoring the professionalism of the pilots and the effectiveness of prior coordination meetings. The drill is part of a broader effort to deepen defence cooperation between India and the United States.
The successful integration of the F‑35 with Tejas and Rafale is expected to pave the way for more frequent joint training events, enhancing readiness for potential multilateral security challenges in the region.
The coordinated sortie highlighted growing interoperability between the Indian Air Force and its U.S. counterpart, demonstrating that the fifth‑generation stealth platform can operate alongside India’s fourth‑generation fighters.
Tarang Shakti, hosted by the Indian Air Force at the Jodhpur Air Force Station, brings together air assets from several friendly nations to practice air‑defence tactics, aerial refuelling and combined‑operations planning. The inclusion of the F‑35 adds a new dimension to the exercise, allowing participants to test communication links and tactical procedures across different aircraft generations.
Officials briefed that the joint formation was executed without any incident, underscoring the professionalism of the pilots and the effectiveness of prior coordination meetings. The drill is part of a broader effort to deepen defence cooperation between India and the United States.
The successful integration of the F‑35 with Tejas and Rafale is expected to pave the way for more frequent joint training events, enhancing readiness for potential multilateral security challenges in the region.