German Air Force Commander Commends Indian Air Force, Says Jodhpur Missions Feel Home

At the concluding ceremony of Tarang Shakti‑2026 in Jodhpur on Saturday, German Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Gunter Katz told NDTV that his crews had no discernible difference between flying over the desert and their home airspace. “They said there’s no difference,” he added, echoing the sentiment of French Inspector General Stéphane Groen, who noted a similar impression from his Rafale squadron.

Tarang Shakti‑2026, the second edition of the annual exercise, drew aircraft from seven countries, including France, the United States, Australia and Bangladesh. The focus was on joint air patrols, precision strike drills and shared communication protocols, with a total of 45 sorties flown over Rajasthan’s arid terrain.

Operation Sindoor, launched two weeks after intelligence linked Lashkar‑e‑Taiba to the April 22 Pahalgam attack, targeted terror camps in the Kashmir region. The IAF briefed participating crews on the operation’s objectives, and the briefing was described as "very well received" by Air Vice Marshal Raj Thakur, director of the exercise.

US Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Kevin Schneider spent a week with IAF leaders, reviewing joint airspace management and discussing lessons from Operation Sindoor. The exchange highlighted the need for real‑time data sharing during cross‑border missions.

The exercise, praised for its interoperability, is set to feed into the Indian Air Force’s upcoming training in the Arabian Sea, where multinational crews will conduct live‑fire sorties. The next joint patrol is scheduled for December, aiming to test the new protocols developed during Tarang Shakti.