Exercise Tarang Shakti: India's Largest multinational air exercise to begin on August 6

New Delhi: India will host its biggest ever multinational air exercise involving 51 countries in August, but the USA will not bring its most potent F-35 combat jets, a top Indian Air Force officer said here on Wednesday.

Exercise Tarang Shakti will be held in two phases: the first one at Sulur in Tamil Nadu between August 6-14 and the second leg at Jodhpur between August 29 and September 14. Around 30 countries will participate in the drill and 18 nations will be present as observers.

Asked whether the USA would bring the F-35 for the wargame, Air Marshal A P Singh, Vice Chief of the Air Staff said the US Air Force would take part in the second phase with their F-16 and A-10 aircraft.

Other foreign combat aircraft in the exercise will be France's Rafale, Germany's Typhoon and Australia's F-18. The IAF will be represented by the home grown LCA Tejas, Mirage-2000 and Rafale, besides the transport fleet.

While the IAF has a long history of foreign cooperation taking part in many such drills at home and abroad, this is for the first time it would host such a major multinational air exercise including the Quad nations. Russia has not been invited for the exercise.

The major foreign powers in the first phase will be Germany, France, Spain and UK whereas the desert sky will witness flying from Australia, Greece, Singapore, UAE and US air forces.

Exercise Tarang Shakti will happen soon after Australia’s multinational wargame Ex Pitch Black that will conclude on August 2. An IAF contingent with Su-30MKI fighters, a C-17 Globemaster transport and an IL-78 mid-air refueller will participate in the exercise.

Air Marshal Singh said the Ex Tarang Shakti would also showcase India's defence prowess and move towards 'Atma Nirbharta' in defence.

This is the IAF’s third major exercise in Indian soil after Exercise Vayu Shakti in February and Exercise Gagan Shakti in April.