Japan air force chief’s Tejas sortie ‘clear example’ of trust in aircraft: Air Chief Marshal
The Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Chief of Staff of the Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) flew together in a two-seat Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) during the bilateral air exercise "Veer Guardian-2026" at Air Force Station Jodhpur
The IAF chief described the joint sortie as reflecting trust in India's indigenously developed aircraft
Exercise Veer Guardian-2026 involves the IAF operating a mix of frontline aircraft — the indigenous Tejas, Su-30MKI, and Rafale — while the JASDF is flying its F-2A fighters
The exercise underscores the expanding scope of India-Japan defence cooperation under their bilateral strategic partnership
HAL Tejas — India's Indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Programme
The Tejas is a single-engine, multirole fighter aircraft designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), developed to replace the IAF's ageing MiG-21 fleet. It was inducted into the IAF's No. 45 Squadron ("Flying Daggers") on 1 July 2016, followed by No. 18 Squadron ("Flying Bullets") in 2020. The improved Tejas Mk1A variant, featuring an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and an upgraded electronic warfare suite, has been ordered in large numbers to raise the IAF's dedicated 4.5-generation fighter squadrons.
Key Details
- Developer: Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA); manufacturer: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
- First IAF induction: 1 July 2016 (No. 45 Squadron); second squadron (No. 18) in 2020
- Tejas Mk1A: AESA radar and upgraded EW suite; IAF has ordered 83 Mk1A jets (2021 contract), with a follow-on order of 97 more approved, valued at roughly Rs 67,000 crore
- Twin-seat trainer variants are used for orientation and familiarisation sorties, such as the one flown by the visiting JASDF chief
The joint sortie by the two air chiefs is a symbolic endorsement of the Tejas programme's maturity, coming as India seeks export interest in the aircraft and as the IAF works to build up its indigenous fighter fleet.
Exercise Veer Guardian — India-Japan Bilateral Air Exercise
Veer Guardian is the first-ever bilateral fighter exercise between the IAF and the JASDF. Its inaugural edition was held in Japan in January 2023, part of a year in which India and Japan conducted bilateral exercises across all three services for the first time. Exercise Veer Guardian-2026 is being hosted in India (Jodhpur), running from 9 to 22 September 2026.
Key Details
- Veer Guardian 2023: inaugural edition, held in Japan (Hyakuri air base), January 2023
- Veer Guardian-2026: hosted in India at Air Force Station Jodhpur, 9-22 September 2026
- IAF assets deployed: Tejas (LCA), Su-30MKI, Rafale; JASDF assets: F-2A fighters
- Complements other India-Japan service-level exercises: Dharma Guardian (Army), JIMEX (Navy), and Malabar (trilateral/multilateral naval exercise involving the Quad countries)
The exercise is the operational expression of the India-Japan defence partnership's growing depth, moving from single-service engagements toward sustained, high-end bilateral fighter interoperability.
India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership
India and Japan elevated their relationship to a "Special Strategic and Global Partnership" in 2014, building on the "Strategic and Global Partnership" established in 2006. Defence and security cooperation is one of its central pillars, institutionalised through the 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue, held since 2019, alongside annual bilateral summits and service-to-service military exercises.
The Tejas sortie and Veer Guardian exercise are concrete manifestations of the defence pillar of this partnership, reflecting the shift from largely economic ties toward substantive military interoperability.
- Tejas induction into IAF: 1 July 2016 (No. 45 Squadron, Flying Daggers)
- Tejas Mk1A orders: 83 (2021 contract) + follow-on 97 approved, worth roughly Rs 67,000 crore
- Veer Guardian inaugural edition: January 2023, in Japan
- Veer Guardian-2026: 9-22 September 2026, at Air Force Station Jodhpur, India
- India-Japan ties elevated to "Special Strategic and Global Partnership": 2014
- JASDF operates the F-2A fighter in this exercise; IAF operates Tejas, Su-30MKI, and Rafale