F-35s in India: A Rare Opportunity for Interoperability and Learning

F-35s in India: A Rare Opportunity for Interoperability and Learning\n\nExercise Tarang Shakti 2026 is a multinational air exercise focused on interoperability and operational learning. The arrival of six US Air Force F-35A Lightning II fighter jets at Jodhpur presents a unique opportunity for the Indian Air Force (IAF) to study the behavior of advanced Western and Russian-origin systems in the same exercise environment.\n\nThis is the first time the F-35 has participated in a major exercise on Indian soil. The exercise runs from September 26 to October 12 and includes aircraft from the United States, France, Germany, Australia, UAE, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka alongside the IAF.\n\nIndia operates the Russian-origin S-400 system and has a substantial fleet of Russian-designed combat aircraft. The combination of these systems is significant because it allows the IAF to study the behavior of advanced combat and air-defense aircraft in a realistic multinational environment.\n\nThe underlying principle is that advanced combat and air-defence aircraft generate valuable electromagnetic and operational signatures whenever they operate together. For India, the obvious opportunity is to see how an F-35 operates as part of a larger air battle rather than simply observing the airframe.\n\nThe IAF can study aspects such as mission planning, sensor fusion concepts, communication procedures, use of electronic warfare, and how a low-observable fighter interacts with fourth-generation aircraft. IAF Vice-Chief Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit has stressed that Tarang Shakti is not an aircraft display but an opportunity to understand how aircraft and the people operating them function together.\n\nFor Indian test pilots, instructors, and operational personnel, this experience is potentially particularly relevant to the development of India's own fifth-generation AMCA. American personnel can observe how the IAF integrates Su-30MKIs, Rafales, and other platforms into a common environment, including the methods that are used to connect Russian-origin aircraft with India's indigenous tactical networks.\n\nThe IAF's ability to integrate Russian-origin platforms into multinational exercises through its own command, control, and data-link architecture is itself a valuable piece of operational knowledge for the IAF. Foreign participants can also observe Indian procedures, maintenance practices, mission planning, and how the IAF combines equipment from different technology ecosystems.\n\nModern air exercises are typically designed with security boundaries. Not every sensor mode is used, not every electronic signature is exposed, and not every tactical procedure is demonstrated. The US is unlikely to provide India with unrestricted access to the F-35's most sensitive capabilities simply because the aircraft is flying alongside Indian fighters.\n\nEqually, India is unlikely to expose the complete capabilities and operating methods of its S-400 network. The intelligence value is in the edges of interaction: how aircraft behave, how formations communicate, how sensors are employed, how pilots respond to unfamiliar signatures, and how different command-and-control architectures interact.\n\nThe six F-35s are not merely visiting aircraft to be photographed. They provide the IAF with a rare opportunity to observe a fifth-generation combat system operating in a realistic multinational environment.\n\nThis exercise is a significant step forward for the IAF, allowing it to learn from the F-35's advanced capabilities and integrate them into its own operations. The IAF can now apply this knowledge to enhance its combat capabilities and improve its interoperability with other air forces.\n\nIn conclusion, the F-35s in India are not just a demonstration of military might, but a rare opportunity for interoperability and learning. The IAF can now leverage this experience to improve its combat capabilities and enhance its position as a major player in the region.