Veer Guardian 2026: Two Japanese C-2 aircraft arrive in Jodhpur for India-Japan air exercise
JASDF personnel with a C-2 transport aircraft at Air Force Station Jodhpur. Image courtesy: @IAF_MCC
New Delhi: Two Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) C-2 transport aircraft have arrived at Air Force Station Jodhpur ahead of Exercise Veer Guardian 2026, marking the arrival of the Japanese contingent for the second edition of the bilateral air exercise with the Indian Air Force (IAF). The exercise will be held at Jodhpur from September 9 to 22.
In a post on X, the IAF said the exercise would enhance interoperability, operational synergy and mutual understanding between the two air forces while reinforcing the enduring friendship between India and Japan.
The JASDF, in its official announcement, lists the training period as September 9 to 21, with the wider deployment and redeployment phase extending from September 1 to 30.
The two C-2 transport aircraft brought the Japanese contingent to Air Force Station Jodhpur ahead of the flying phase of the exercise. The IAF said their arrival marked the beginning of the Japanese deployment for Veer Guardian 2026 and described the exercise as another step towards improving coordination and understanding between the two services.
Japan has officially announced that three F-2A fighter aircraft from the 8th Air Wing at Tsuiki Air Base and about 110 personnel will also partake in the exercise. The JASDF said the training will include air combat manoeuvring aimed at improving tactical proficiency and mutual understanding.
The Mitsubishi F-2 is a derivative of the General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) F-16 Fighting Falcon, developed jointly by Japan and the US with a larger wing and airframe modifications for Japan’s specific requirements.
The defence minister, Rajnath Singh, and his Japanese counterpart, Shinjiro Koizumi, discussed the participation of Japanese fighters in the bilateral exercise during their talks on August 20.
The JASDF previously sent three F-2 aircraft and about 110 personnel to Jodhpur for the IAF-hosted multinational Exercise Tarang Shakti in 2024.
Second edition of India-Japan air exercise
Veer Guardian 2026 is the second edition of the dedicated bilateral fighter exercise between the IAF and JASDF. The inaugural edition was conducted in Japan from January 12 to 26, 2023, primarily from Hyakuri Air Base.
The IAF participated in the first edition with four Su-30MKI fighters, two C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft and an IL-78 flight-refuelling aircraft. Japan deployed four F-2 and four F-15 fighters.
The 2023 exercise included air combat manoeuvring, interception and air defence missions conducted in visual and beyond visual range conditions. Aircrew from both sides also flew in each other’s fighter aircraft to gain a better understanding of their respective operating practices.
The 2026 edition will be the first Veer Guardian exercise conducted in India, making Jodhpur the first Indian base to host the bilateral fighter-training format.
As reported earlier by RNA Media, the IAF is set to run two major air exercises over the Rajasthan sector in the coming month, with a fresh Notam reserving large stretches of desert airspace for high-intensity flying through most of this period. The overlapping drills – a bilateral exercise with Japan and a large multinational exercise – will keep the skies over the western border busy till October 7.
Veer Guardian forms part of a broader programme of military exercises between India and Japan that also includes the Army’s Dharma Guardian and the bilateral maritime exercise JAIMEX. The two defence ministers, during their August meeting, welcomed preparations for the Jodhpur exercise as part of continuing service-to-service engagement.
