Tarang Shakti is a fitting occasion to reflect on India’s own remarkable journey in air power: Raksha Mantri
Namaste!
It is my privilege to be here today, as we mark the conclusion of the second edition of Exercise Tarang Shakti at Jodhpur—in skies that have long tested the Indian Air Force.
Let me begin by congratulating the Indian Air Force and every individual, institution, and organisation that has contributed to making this large and complex multi-national air exercise a success. I also extend a warm welcome and my sincere appreciation to all the participating nations, your leadership and your crew members. You came to India, flew with us, trained with us, and shared your operational experience. Your presence has added great value to this exercise, and I hope you will carry back with you not only memories of India, but also new professional insights and a deeper understanding of our capabilities and perspectives.
Friends, the world is witnessing a profound transformation in modern warfare. Modern warfare is getting more and more complex with new technological changes, expansion of weapon domains and addition of new elements. It is no longer confined to land, sea, and air. It now spans space, cyber, the electromagnetic spectrum, and the information domain. Surprise and deep uncertainty have become the new normal. Accompanied with these is the rising influence of non-state actors on the battlefield. Critical trade routes, vital sea-lanes, and vulnerable chokepoints are actively being weaponized.
At the same time, unmanned systems and drones have altered the speed, scale, and character of operations. Artificial intelligence is reshaping decision support. Electronic warfare demands absolute spectrum control. Long-range precision weapons have radically expanded the battlespace.
Consequently, future military power will be defined less by the number of platforms we possess. It will be determined by the speed of sensing, understanding, deciding, and acting. Speed, precision, information, and integration are now the true defining attributes. Added to the uncertainties and unpredictability coming from mind-boggling speed of technological changes in the defence sector is the geo-political flux the world finds itself today. We are facing a situation where the older established world order is fast disappearing, while the shape of future order is yet to emerge. In light of this volatile security environment, a perpetual state of high alertness is demanded from every responsible nation. India is continuously monitoring developments in our region and beyond, along with their broader strategic implications.
Friends, India under the visionary leadership of Shri Narendra Modi, realised years ago that the coming times would test the resilience of national security in unexpected ways and manners. We anticipated the forthcoming upheavals and disruptions and we decided to insulate ourselves from them. We understood a hard reality of modern statecraft: in times of crisis, no nation can sustain long-drawn-out wars unless it is capable of producing its own weapons and critical technologies. This led us to adoption of Atma-nirbharta or self-reliance in defence as the national policy.
This vision forms the bedrock of our national strength. Driven by this vision, the Indian armed forces are undergoing a fundamental transformation—structurally, materially, and strategically. And I think Tarang Shakti is a fitting occasion to reflect on India’s own remarkable journey in air power. From operating with limited resources at the time of independence, the Indian Air Force has evolved into a modern and capable force. Today, it boasts advanced aircraft, precision weapons, cutting-edge sensors, integrated networks, and increasingly sophisticated indigenous technologies. Every time an Indian aircraft takes to the sky, it is not just the flight of a machine; it is the flight of India’s wider aerospace ecosystem. India’s vision of Atma-nirbhar Bharat does not mean isolation from the world. It means developing the domestic capacity to design, develop, manufacture, maintain, and upgrade critical defence technologies. India is developing capabilities not only for its own requirements, but with the potential to contribute to trusted global defence supply chains.
Friends, indigenous programs such as the Tejas fighter aircraft, our expanding capability to design and manufacture helicopters—ranging from the Dhruv, Rudra, and Prachand to the LUH, the Akash air defence system, AESA radars, electronic systems, and a growing range of un-manned and aerospace technologies demonstrate the increasing depth of that capacity. And looking ahead, our flagship Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft — the AMCA program — paves the way for India to master fifth-generation stealth fighter technology. Crucially, our push now extends to advanced aero-engine development and co-production, aiming to master the most complex pillar of aviation technology. Our ambition is not limited to manufacturing equipment. It is to design, innovate, integrate, and deliver.
Friends, there is considerable scope for cooperation in research, co-development, co-production, maintenance, training, and innovation. The defence relationships of the future will be about technology and trust, not just about platforms. India is ready to explore these possibilities with countries that share our commitment to a stable, secure, and peaceful international environment.
Friends, we are aware that no nation can afford to operate in isolation. Critical technologies, resilient supply chains, operational inter-operability and trusted partnerships are becoming increasingly important elements of national power. For India, therefore, building strong indigenous capabilities must go hand in hand with meaningful cooperation with trusted partners. We must be capable of acting independently when required, while also being able to operate effectively with others when our interests and responsibilities converge.
It is precisely in this context that an exercise like Tarang Shakti assumes special significance. It translates the broader ideas of capability, technology, interoperability and trust into operational experience. By bringing together air forces, with diverse platforms and philosophies, it enables aircrews and commanders to sense, decide, and act together across different languages of command.
This is also where multinational exercises offer a unique advantage. Every air force brings something different to the table—different platforms, technologies, operational experiences, doctrines and approaches to training and mission planning. When we operate together, we gain an opportunity to understand how others approach complex operational problems. We test our procedures, examine our assumptions and learn where our own systems and processes can be improved.
Friends, human progress has always depended on learning from one another. In the highly technology-intensive world of air power, this has become even more important. Technology is evolving at a pace at which no single air force can afford to learn only from its own experience. Collective learning is therefore no longer simply desirable; it is essential.
The value of multinational exercises, therefore, lies not merely in the sorties flown or the scenarios practised. Their deeper value lies in developing the ability to operate, communicate and coordinate effectively with capable forces that may bring different systems and methods to the same operational environment. And today, in the skies of Jodhpur, aircraft from several nations have flown alongside Indian aircraft.
Different nations.
Different aircraft.
Different experiences.
But one sky. That is the message of Tarang Shakti.
Friends, the exercise may conclude today, but its learning must not end today. It should find its way into our training, our tactics, our technology, our doctrine and our future capability development. For the Indian Air Force, I hope the experience of Tarang Shakti would have provided fresh ideas, new professional relationships and valuable lessons for future operations. For our participating nations, I hope this exercise has provided an opportunity to understand India better, to experience the professionalism of the Indian Air Force and to identify new areas of cooperation.
Today, you have not merely flown aircraft together. You have demonstrated what becomes possible when professional excellence, technology and mutual confidence come together. That is the true spirit of Tarang Shakti. Let us carry that spirit forward. Let us continue to learn from one another, innovate, strengthen our capabilities and explore new frontiers in aerospace and defence cooperation. And let us ensure that the power we build is ultimately used in the service of peace, security and stability.
With these words, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Indian Air Force, to all participating nations, to every air warrior and to everyone who has contributed to the success of Exercise Tarang Shakti.
Thank you very much.
Jai Hind!