The Indian Air Force engages in multiple military exercises with foreign nations and their air forces to increase interoperability between themselves. Some are also multinational exercise. The following is a list of exercises of the Indian Air Force.:
The Indian Air Force's participation in multinational air exercises has evolved significantly over the decades. From early bilateral training drills to hosting full-scale multilateral exercises such as Tarang Shakti, this evolution has reflected India’s growing airpower confidence, interoperability goals, and strategic partnerships. A detailed historical narrative on this transformation has been documented. [1]
Name | Participating Country | Units | Date | Location | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1963 | |||||
Exercise Shiksha |
| Palam AFS, India | [2] |
Name | Participating Country | Units | Date | Location | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | |||||
Garuda I | France | Maharajpur AFS, India | [3] | ||
2004 | |||||
Cope India | United States | 16 - 27 February | Gwalior AFS, India | [4] [5] | |
Sindex I | Singapore | Gwalior AFS, India | |||
2005 | |||||
Garuda II | France | Istres Air Base, France | [6] | ||
2006 | |||||
Sindex II | Singapore | 3 - 20 January | Kalaikunda AFS, India | [7] | |
Gagan Shakti | - | 4 - 27 September | [8] | ||
Indradhanush I | United Kingdom | 2 - 13 October | Gwalior AFS, India | [8] | |
Sindex III | Singapore | 8 November | Kalaikunda AFS, India | [9] | |
Sindex IV | Singapore | 8 - 22 December | Paya Lebar Air Base, Singapore | [8] | |
2007 | |||||
Garuda III | France | 13 - 25 February | Kalaikunda AFS, India | [10] | |
Indradhanush II | United Kingdom | RAF Waddington, United Kingdom | [11] | ||
Sindex V | Singapore | 26 November - 13 December | Kalaikunda AFS, India | [12] [13] | |
2008 | |||||
Red Flag | United States (Host), India, France, South Korea | 9 - 23 August | Nellis AFB, United States | [14] [15] [16] [17] | |
Exercise Desert Eagle I | UAE | September | Al-Dhafra airbase, UAE | [18] | |
2009 | |||||
Cope India | United States | 19 - 23 October | Agra AFS, India | [19] [20] | |
Eastern Bridge I | Oman | 31 October | Jamnagar AFS, India | [21] | |
2010 | |||||
Garuda IV | India, France (Host), Singapore | 14 - 25 June | Istres Air Base, France | [22] | |
Indradhanush III | United Kingdom | 18 October - 3 November | Kalaikunda AFS, West Bengal | [23] |
Name | Participating Country | Units | Date | Location | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | |||||
Eastern Bridge II | Oman | 22 October | Jamnagar AFS, India | [24] [25] | |
2013 | |||||
Iron Fist | - | February 2013 | Pokhran, India | [26] [27] [28] | |
2014 | |||||
Garuda V | France | 2 - 13 June | Jodhpur AFS, India | [29] [30] [31] | |
2015 | |||||
Indradhanush IV | United Kingdom | 30 July | RAF Coningsby and RAF Brize Norton, United Kingdom | [32] | |
2016 | |||||
Iron Fist | - | 18 March | Pokhran, India | [33] [34] | |
Red Flag – Alaska 16-1 | United States | 28 April - May 13 | Eielson AFB, United States | [35] [36] [37] | |
Desert Eagle II | UAE | May 24 - June 3 | Al-Dhafra airbase, UAE | [18] [38] [39] | |
Siam Bharat I | Thailand | [40] | |||
2017 | |||||
Eastern Bridge IV | Oman | 16 - 20 January | Jamnagar AFS, India | [41] [42] [43] | |
Siam Bharat II | Thailand | 22 - 26 May | Chiang Mai, Thailand | [44] [45] [46] | |
Sri Lanka |
| 9 - 14 July | Colombo, Sri Lanka | [47] [48] [49] | |
Pralay Shayam (Disaster response exercise) | - | 23 September | Hyderabad, India | [50] | |
Indra (tri-service) | Russia | 19 - 29 October | Sergeyvsky Training Ranges, Russia | [51] | |
Blue Flag | Israel (Host), India and 6 other nations | 2 - 6 November | Uvda Air Force Base, Israel | [52] [53] [54] [55] | |
DANX (Defence of Andaman & Nicobar Exercise) | — | 20 - 24 November | Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India | [56] | |
2018 | |||||
Gaganshakti | — | 8 - 22 April | India | [57] [58] [59] | |
Pitch Black | Australia (Host), India and 10 other nations | 27 July - 18 August | Darwin Air Force Base, Australia | [60] [61] [62] | |
Bi-lateral exercise | Indonesia | 20 - 22 August | Subang Air Base, Malaysia | [63] | |
Aviaindra | Russia | 17 - 28 September | Lipetsk, Russia | [64] [65] | |
10 - 22 December | Jodhpur, India | ||||
Cope India | United States | 3 - 14 December | Kalaikunda and Panagarh Air Force Stations, India | [66] | |
Shinyuu Maitri - Bi-Lateral Exercise | Japan | 03-7 December | AFS Agra | [67] | |
2019 | |||||
Vayushakti 19 | — | 16 February | Pokhran, India | [68] [69] | |
Garud VI | France | 1 - 12 July | Mont-de-Marsan, France | [70] |
Name | Participating Country | Units | Date | Location | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | |||||
Exercise Desert Knight 21 | India & France |
| 23 January | Jodhpur AFS, India | [71] |
Desert Warrior- Joint Tactical Air Exercise | Egypt | 30-31 October | El Berigat Air Base, Egypt | [72] | |
2022 | |||||
Pitch Black | Australia (Host), India and 15 other nations | 27 July - 18 August | Darwin Air Force Base, Australia | [73] | |
Garuda VII | France |
| 26 October to 12 November | Jodhpur AFS, India | [74] [3] |
2023 | |||||
Exercise Cobra Warrior 23-1 |
| 145 personnel | 6 March to 24 March | [75] [76] | |
2024 | |||||
Exercise Desert Knight 24 |
| 23 January | Arabian Sea, Indian FIS | [77] [78] | |
Vayushakti 24 | — | >121 aircraft | 17 February | Pokhran, India | [79] [68] [69] |
Bharat Shakti (Tri-service) | — | 12 March | Pokhran, India | [80] [81] [82] [83] | |
Gaganshakti | — | All units of IAF | 1 - 10 April | India | [84] [85] [86] |
Red Flag – Alaska 24-2 |
| 4 - 14 June | Eielson Air Force Base, United States | [87] [88] | |
Pitch Black | Australia (Host), India and 18 other nations | 27 July - 18 August | Darwin Air Force Base, Australia | [89] | |
Exercise Udara Shakti | Malaysia | 5 - 9 August | Kuantan, Malaysia | [90] [91] | |
Exercise Tarang Shakti | Phase I
Phase II
| Phase I– 6 - 14 August Phase II– 29 August to 14 September | [92] [93] | ||
Exercise Eastern Bridge VII | Oman | India: MiG-29, Jaguar, C-17 | 11 - 22 September | RAFO Masirah, Oman | [94] [95] |
Joint Military Training | Singapore | India: Su-30MKI, Mirage 2000, MiG-29, Jaguar, Tejas Singapore: F-16, F-15, G-550 AEW&C, C-130 | 21 October - 9 December | Kalaikunda AFS, India | [96] |
2025 | |||||
Exercise INIOCHOS-25 | Greece (Host), India and 13 other nations | 31 March - 11 April | Andravida Air Base, Greece | [97] | |
Exercise Desert Flag-10 | UAE (Host), India and 10 other nations | 21 April - 8 May | Al Dhafra Air Base, UAE | [98] [99] | |
Exercise Aakraman | India | Late April | [100] | ||
Exercise Tiger Claw | United States | (Special Forces exercise) | 26 May - 10 June | Garud Regimental Training Centre (GRTC), Chandigarh Air Force Station | [101] [102] |
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