India’s first multinational air exercise ‘Tarang Shakti’ to begin today

Air forces from the US, Germany, France, and other nations will participate in ‘Tarang Shakti,’ India’s largest multilateral air exercise, showcasing defence capabilities. The first phase will occur in Sulur, Tamil Nadu, from August 6 to 14, and the second in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, from August 29 to September 14.
Officials informed that Russia and Israel will not participate in the exercise. As many as 51 countries were invited to participate in Tarang Shakti, of which around 30 will take part in it. Indian Air Force’s LCA Tejas, Mirage 2000, and Rafale will also participate in the mega exercise.
1) This exercise will begin with a PPT presentation, followed by showcasing India’s defence prowess and move towards ‘Atmanirbharta’ in defence, said Air Marshal AP Singh, Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS). He termed it a “landmark” event in Indian military history and the largest international air exercise ever conducted in the country.
2) “And, we have confirmation from 10 countries which will participate with their assets, and 18 countries as observers. One more country likely to join in, so including India it is likely to become a 30-country exercise,” he said as quoted by PTI.
3) “Tejas Mk-1A, we all know we have not got our first aircraft delivery, it is running behind schedule. And, it is not expected to be available for this exercise. Many airlines will have to reschedule their flights a little bit and reroute their flights,” the official said.
4) “Exercise ‘Tarang Shakti’ aims to strengthen strategic relationship with “our friends from international community. Complex missions are planned to enhance our mutual understanding of air operations, air power application and also practising multiple combat scenarios in realistic environment. It is also an excellent opportunity for all of us to share our best practices with each other,” he added.
5) “Our endeavour will be to demonstrate our energy and dynamism during this exercise, learn from each other, learn operating procedures, tactics, strategies. We also aim to strengthen our cultural and diplomatic relations with these countries. We look forward to the exercise to foster deeper cooperation and understanding among the participating forces,” he said.
 
(With PTI inputs)