- Addressed the participants of 'Tarang Shakti 2026' in Jodhpur
Jodhpur, October 10, 2026 – The Defense Minister Shri Rajnath Singh addressed the participants of the second edition of Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 at Air Force Station Jodhpur on 10 October 2026. Air forces of seven friendly countries including Australia, Bangladesh, France, Germany, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates and United States of America and 32 observer countries participated in this multinational air exercise organized by the Indian Air Force (IAF) from 26 September to 12 October 2026.
Defense MinisterHe congratulated all the organizations and personnel involved in the successful planning of this exercise and praised their contribution in strengthening business understanding and operational cooperation by welcoming the participating countries. He expressed hope that the participating contingents would return with a better understanding of India's capabilities and valuable experience. He stressed the importance of self-reliance, technological innovation and international partnership in the defense sector.
Rajnath Singh had said that a major change is taking place in the modern warfare methodology, which is expanding beyond the traditional domains of land, sea and sky to space, cyber, electromagnetic spectrum and information domain. He highlighted the increasing influence of unmanned systems, drones, artificial intelligence, electronic warfare and long-range precision weapons.
He said that future military power will be based on the ability to quickly understand the situation, take decisions and take action rather than the number of equipment. Speed, accuracy, information and coordination have become the main characteristics of military capability. He stressed the need for constant vigilance in view of the changing geo-national environment and technological progress.
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Defense Minister The Minister added that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India has adopted self-reliance in the defense sector as a national policy. During periods of prolonged conflict and uncertainty, it is important for the country to have the ability to produce its own weapons and critical technologies.
Referring to the transformation of the Indian Armed Forces, he said that the Indian Air Force has evolved from limited resources at the time of independence to a modern aerospace power today. Self-reliant India does not mean isolation from the world, but the ability to design, develop, produce and maintain defense technologies within the country.
He mentioned indigenous projects like Tejas fighter aircraft, helicopters like Dhruva, Rudra, Prachanda and LUH, Akash air defense system, AESA radar and Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme. India had expressed its desire to enhance cooperation with like-minded countries in the fields of research, co-development, production, maintenance and training. He clarified that future security relations will not be limited to platforms only but will be based on technology and trust.
In this context, he underlined the importance of exercise Tarang Shakti. The exercise provides an excellent opportunity for the participating Air Forces to work together, exchange operational knowledge and understand various mission planning methods.
Describing the emotional aspect of the exercise, he said, “Different countries, different aircraft, different experiences, but the message of the same sky – the same wave power.” He called upon the Indian Air Force to learn from the experiences of this exercise and improve its training, tactics and future capabilities.
This second edition of Tarang Shakti exercise is based on the success of the first plan for 2024. The participation of indigenous combat aircraft LCA Tejas and helicopter Prachanda in this exercise demonstrated the development in India's aerospace design and production sector.
The modern relevance of this exercise is also evident from the crucial role of the Air Force during Operation Sindoor, which proved the Indian Air Force's ability to conduct well-planned and effective operations.
Apart from aviation operations, the exercise also included professional interactions, industrial visits and cultural exchanges. It included yoga sessions, heritage visits and an 'International Night' to celebrate the traditions of the participating countries. In this program, Chief of Defense Staff General N. S. Raja Subramanya, Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh (Chief of the Air Force), Admiral Krishna Swaminathan (Chief of the Navy), other dignitaries, Defense Ministry officials and representatives of the participating countries were present.
Apart from flying operations, the plan also included professional engagements, industrial visits, yoga sessions and cultural programmes. on this occasion Chief of Defense Staff General N. S. Raja Subramani, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal A. P. lionChief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Krishna Swaminathan And other senior officials were present.