The Indian Air Force and the Japan Air Self-Defence Force are conducting the second edition of Exercise Veer Guardian 2026 at Air Force Station Jodhpur in Rajasthan from 9 to 22 September 2026. This is the first time Japanese fighter aircraft have landed and operated from an Indian air base for joint combat training. The 14 day drill pairs Indian Tejas, Su-30MKI and Rafale fighters with Japanese F-2A fighters to build common tactics and trust in the Indo-Pacific.
What Is Exercise Veer Guardian 2026?
Exercise Veer Guardian 2026 is a bilateral air exercise between India and Japan. Bilateral means it involves only these two countries. On the Indian side is the Indian Air Force (IAF), which is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. On the Japanese side is the Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF), which is the air branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces responsible for defending Japanese airspace.
This is the second edition of the exercise. It is being held at Air Force Station Jodhpur in Rajasthan and in the airspace around it from 9 September to 22 September 2026. The Japanese Air Staff Office has also listed the core flying phase as 9 to 21 September, with movement of men and machines spread from 1 to 30 September. The stated purpose is simple. Both sides want to improve the tactical skill of their units and deepen mutual understanding.
| Basic Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exercise name | Veer Guardian 2026 |
| Countries involved | India and Japan |
| Forces involved | Indian Air Force and Japan Air Self-Defence Force |
| Edition | Second edition |
| Venue | Air Force Station Jodhpur, Rajasthan |
| Dates | 9 September to 22 September 2026 |
| Duration | 14 days |
| First edition | Hyakuri Air Base, Japan, January 2023 |
Aircraft and Forces in Action at Jodhpur
The Indian Air Force is taking part with a mix of three frontline fighter types. The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is India’s home grown single engine multirole fighter. It has been designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency and built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in Bengaluru. The Su-30MKI is a twin engine heavy multirole fighter built in India under licence from Russia. It forms the largest fighter fleet in Indian service. The Rafale is a twin engine multirole fighter made in France. India ordered 36 Rafales in 2016 and placed them in squadrons at Ambala and Hasimara between 2020 and 2022.
Japan has sent three F-2A fighters from the 8th Air Wing based at Tsuiki Air Base in Fukuoka Prefecture along with about 110 personnel. The F-2A is a single engine multirole fighter developed jointly by Japan and the United States. It is based on the American F-16 but has a larger wing, Japanese avionics and composite materials. The F-2A is about 15.5 metres long with a maximum take off weight of about 22 tonnes, while the Su-30MKI is about 21.9 metres long with a maximum take off weight of more than 34 tonnes. Both types can fly at about twice the speed of sound.
Two Japanese C-2 transport aircraft reached Jodhpur first with men and support material. The C-2 is a home built military transport made by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. It entered service with the JASDF in March 2017 and can carry up to 36 tonnes over long distances. The F-2As flew to India through Naha Air Base in Okinawa and Thailand with aerial refuelling help. Senior leaders from both air forces are also expected to visit Jodhpur during the exercise to review the training.
How the Two Air Forces Will Train Together
The flying part will focus on air combat manoeuvring, interception and air defence missions. Air combat manoeuvring means close range tactics where pilots try to gain position over the other aircraft. Interception means scrambling fighters to identify and block an unknown or hostile aircraft. Air defence missions involve protecting a defined area from air attack. Training will cover both visual range combat, where pilots can see each other, and beyond visual range combat, where they use radar and long range missiles.
The ground part is equally important. Crews will hold joint mission planning conferences where they plan a common air task together. Subject matter experts from both sides will exchange notes on engineering, maintenance and aerospace safety. Aerospace safety covers rules and practices that prevent accidents on ground and in air. These interactions help pilots and engineers understand each other’s operating methods, radio procedures and safety culture. In the first edition, aircrew even flew in each other’s fighters to learn the other side’s cockpit and philosophy, and a similar exchange of ideas is planned at Jodhpur.
From Hyakuri 2023 to Jodhpur 2026
The first edition, Veer Guardian 2023, was held at Hyakuri Air Base in Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan from 12 to 26 January 2023. It was the first ever bilateral fighter exercise between the two air forces. India sent four Su-30MKI fighters with one IL-78 flight refuelling aircraft and two C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft. Japan fielded four F-2 fighters and four F-15 fighters. The F-15J is Japan’s version of the American F-15 Eagle air superiority fighter.
That first exercise was decided at the second 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting held in Tokyo in September 2022. A 2+2 meeting means the foreign and defence ministers of both countries meet together. The plan had been discussed since 2019 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During 16 days of joint training, both sides flew complex missions in simulated operational settings and held many ground discussions on best practices.
The second edition reverses the roles. In 2023 Indian fighters visited Japan for the first time. In 2026 Japanese fighters are visiting India for the first time. This reciprocal deployment shows growing trust. The progress was reviewed at the Japan India Defence Ministers Meeting in New Delhi on 20 August 2026 between Rajnath Singh, India’s Minister of Defence, and Shinjiro Koizumi, Japan’s Minister of Defense. Both sides welcomed the steady coordination for Veer Guardian 26 and noted that a Japanese fighter visit to India would be a first.
Veer Guardian and Dharma Guardian: How India Japan Exercises Fit Together
India and Japan now hold exercises across all three services. Veer Guardian is the bilateral fighter combat exercise between the two air forces. Dharma Guardian is the annual bilateral exercise between the Indian Army and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), which is the land branch of Japan’s forces. The seventh edition of Dharma Guardian was held at Chaubattia in Uttarakhand from 24 February to 9 March 2026 with 120 personnel from each side.
Two other air and sea drills complete the set. Shinyuu Maitri is the bilateral air exercise focused on transport aircraft, air mobility and disaster relief. In recent editions India has taken part with a C-17 Globemaster. JIMEX is the bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), which is the sea branch of Japan’s forces. It focuses on anti submarine warfare, tactical manoeuvres and maritime security. India and Japan also join the United States and Australia in the multilateral Malabar naval exercise.
| Exercise Name | Service | Forces Involved | Focus Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veer Guardian | Air Force | Indian Air Force and Japan Air Self-Defence Force | Fighter combat, interception and air defence |
| Dharma Guardian | Army | Indian Army and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force | Counter terrorism and joint operations in semi urban terrain |
| Shinyuu Maitri | Air Force | Indian Air Force and Japan Air Self-Defence Force | Transport, mobility and disaster relief |
| JIMEX | Navy | Indian Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force | Maritime security and anti submarine warfare |
| Malabar | Navy (multilateral) | India, Japan, United States and Australia | Large scale naval cooperation in the Indo-Pacific |
Why Jodhpur Matters and What It Means for the Indo-Pacific
Air Force Station Jodhpur sits in western Rajasthan under the South Western Air Command (SWAC). SWAC was raised at Jodhpur in 1980 and its headquarters later moved to Gandhinagar in Gujarat. It controls air operations across Rajasthan, Gujarat and parts of Maharashtra and forms the front line of air defence on the western border. Jodhpur offers large desert airspace for dissimilar air combat training. Dissimilar training means fighters of very different design and strength fly against each other, which teaches pilots to handle unfamiliar threats. The station has hosted large international drills before, including phases of Tarang Shakti with partners such as Australia, Japan, the United States and the United Arab Emirates.
The wider meaning lies in the Indo-Pacific. The Indo-Pacific is the combined ocean space of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, which carries a large share of world trade and energy flows. Both India and Japan support a free and open Indo-Pacific with respect for international law. Both are members of the Quad, a grouping of India, Japan, the United States and Australia that promotes cooperation on security, technology and disaster response. Joint fighter training improves interoperability. Interoperability means the ability of two forces to plan, communicate and fight together without confusion. It also builds common standards for mission planning, safety and logistics, which help during real contingencies and relief tasks.
Key Takeaways
- Exercise Veer Guardian 2026 is the second edition of the bilateral air exercise between India and Japan.
- The exercise is held at Air Force Station Jodhpur in Rajasthan from 9 September to 22 September 2026 over 14 days.
- India fielded Tejas, Su-30MKI and Rafale fighters while Japan sent three F-2A fighters with about 110 personnel.
- The first edition was held at Hyakuri Air Base in Japan in January 2023 with Indian Su-30MKI and Japanese F-2 and F-15 aircraft.
- Dharma Guardian is the India Japan army exercise, JIMEX is the navy exercise and Shinyuu Maitri focuses on air mobility and disaster relief.
- The JASDF was established on 1 July 1954 and is headquartered at Ichigaya in Tokyo.
