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New Delhi/ Jodhpur : Exercise Veer Guardian 2026 is being held between the Indian Air Force and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) at Jodhpur from September 9 to September 22, 2026. The development was announced by the Indian Air Force’s Media Co-ordination Centre through its official social media channel.
Two JASDF C-2 transport aircraft touched down at Air Force Station Jodhpur, signalling the arrival of the Japanese contingent for what marks the second edition of this bilateral exercise.
According to the Indian Air Force, the exercise is expected to further build interoperability and operational synergy between the two forces, while reinforcing the long-standing bonds of friendship shared between India and Japan.
The Evolution of India-Japan Air Defence Cooperation :
- The India-Japan relationship, historically rooted in cultural and economic ties, began shifting toward strategic and security cooperation as the two nations marked 50 years of friendship in 2022.
- This deepening defence relationship traces back to 2008, when the two countries signed a Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation, followed by a 2009 Action Plan to advance that cooperation further.
- A significant milestone came in November 2019, when India and Japan held their first-ever 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting, where officials first discussed plans for a dedicated fighter aircraft exercise between the two air forces.
- That vision materialised in January 2023, when the two nations conducted the inaugural edition of Exercise Veer Guardian at Hyakuri and Iruma Air Bases in Japan — the first-ever bilateral fighter aircraft exercise between the Indian Air Force and JASDF. The Indian side deployed four Su-30MKI fighters along with two C-17 transport aircraft and an Il-78 refuelling tanker, while Japan fielded four F-2 and four F-15J fighters.
- Notably, that first edition saw Squadron Leader Avni Chaturvedi lead the Indian fighter contingent, reportedly marking the first time a female fighter pilot headed an Indian squadron in a bilateral exercise with a foreign air force.
- The exercise now forms an important pillar of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership, complementing other bilateral defence engagements such as Exercise Dharma Guardian, the JIMEX naval exercise, the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, and the Defence Policy Dialogue, all under the shared vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.
- With the 2026 edition now underway on Indian soil for the first time, the exercise reflects the steady maturing of an air defence partnership that began just three years ago with a single deployment to Japan.