List of exercises of the Indian Air Force

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Indian Air Force's MiG 27 in a formation with US Air Force's F-15 in exercise Cope India 2004
IAF Su-30MKIs and RAF Eurofighter Typhoons during Indradhanush 2010 exercise

The Indian Air Force engages in multiple military exercises with foreign nations and their air forces to increase interoperability between themselves. Some are also multinational exercise. The following is a list of exercises of the Indian Air Force.:

  1. Exercise Garuda (India, France)
  2. Cope India (India, United States)
  3. SINDEX (India, Singapore)
  4. Gaganshakti (only India)
  5. Indradhanush (India, UK)
  6. Exercise Red Flag (Multinational, Host: USA)
  7. Exercise Desert Eagle (India, UAE)
  8. Exercise Eastern Bridge (India, Oman)
  9. Exercise Iron Fist (only India)
  10. Red Flag – Alaska (Multinational, Host: United States)
  11. Siam Bharat (India, Thailand)
  12. Pralay Shayam (Disaster response exercise)
  13. Exercise INDRA –bilateral (India, Russia)
  14. Exercise Blue Flag (Multinational, Host: Israel)
  15. Exercise DANX (only India)
  16. Exercise Pitch Black (Multinational, Host: Australia)
  17. Aviaindra (India, Russia)
  18. Shinyuu Maitri (India, Japan)
  19. Vayushakti (only India)
  20. Exercise Desert Knight (India, France, UAE)
  21. Exercise Desert Warrior (India, Egypt)
  22. Exercise Cobra Warrior (Multinational, Host: United Kingdom)
  23. Exercise Udara Shakti (India, Malaysia)
  24. Bharat Shakti (Tri-service)
  25. Exercise Tarang Shakti (Multinational, Host: India)
  26. Exercise INIOCHOS (Multinational, Host: Greece)
  27. Exercise Desert Flag (Multinational, Host: UAE)
  28. Exercise Aakraman (only India)
  29. Exercise Tiger Claw (India, United States) (Special Forces)
  30. Exercise Ocean Sky (Multinational, Host: Spain)

The Indian Air Force's participation in multinational air exercises has evolved significantly over the decades. From early bilateral training drills to hosting full-scale multilateral exercises such as Tarang Shakti, this evolution has reflected India’s growing airpower confidence, interoperability goals, and strategic partnerships. A detailed historical narrative on this transformation has been documented.[1]

Name Participating Country Units Date Location References
1963
Exercise Shiksha
  • Australia,
  • India (Host),
  • United Kingdom,
  • United States
Palam AFS, India [2]

2000 – 2010

Name Participating Country Units Date Location References
2003
Garuda I France Maharajpur AFS, India [3]
2004
Cope India United States 16 - 27 February Gwalior AFS, India [4][5]
Sindex I Singapore Gwalior AFS, India
2005
Garuda II France Istres Air Base, France [6]
2006
Sindex II Singapore 3 - 20 January Kalaikunda AFS, India [7]
Gagan Shakti - 4 - 27 September [8]
Indradhanush I United Kingdom 2 - 13 October Gwalior AFS, India [8]
Sindex III Singapore 8 November Kalaikunda AFS, India [9]
Sindex IV Singapore 8 - 22 December Paya Lebar Air Base, Singapore [8]
2007
Garuda III France 13 - 25 February Kalaikunda AFS, India [10]
Indradhanush II United Kingdom RAF Waddington, United Kingdom [11]
Sindex V Singapore 26 November - 13 December Kalaikunda AFS, India [12][13]
2008
Red Flag United States (Host), India, France, South Korea 9 - 23 August Nellis AFB, United States [14][15][16][17]
Exercise Desert Eagle I UAE September Al-Dhafra airbase, UAE [18]
2009
Cope India United States 19 - 23 October Agra AFS, India [19][20]
Eastern Bridge I Oman 31 October Jamnagar AFS, India [21]
2010
Vayushakti 10 Fighter aircraft

Helicopters

Transport aircraft

AWACS

Indian Special Forces

Aerobatics team

28 February Chandan Fire Range, Pokhran, India [22][23]
Garuda IV India, France (Host), Singapore 14 - 25 June Istres Air Base, France [24]
Indradhanush III United Kingdom 18 October - 3 November Kalaikunda AFS, West Bengal [25]

2011 – 2020

Name Participating Country Units Date Location References
2011
Eastern Bridge II Oman 22 October Jamnagar AFS, India [26][27]
2013
Iron Fist - February 2013 Pokhran, India [28][29][30]
2014
Garuda V France 2 - 13 June Jodhpur AFS, India [31][32][33]
2015
Indradhanush IV United Kingdom 30 July RAF Coningsby and RAF Brize Norton, United Kingdom [34]
2016
Iron Fist - 18 March Pokhran, India [35][36]
Red Flag – Alaska 16-1 United States 28 April - May 13 Eielson AFB, United States [37][38][39]
Desert Eagle II UAE May 24 - June 3 Al-Dhafra airbase, UAE [18][40][41]
Siam Bharat I Thailand [42]
2017
Eastern Bridge IV Oman 16 - 20 January Jamnagar AFS, India [43][44][45]
Siam Bharat II Thailand 22 - 26 May Chiang Mai, Thailand [46][47][48]
Sri Lanka
  • Air warrior drill team
9 - 14 July Colombo, Sri Lanka [49][50][51]
Pralay Shayam (Disaster response exercise) - 23 September Hyderabad, India [52]
Indra (tri-service) Russia 19 - 29 October Sergeyvsky Training Ranges, Russia [53]
Blue Flag

Israel (Host), India and 6 other nations

2 - 6 November Uvda Air Force Base, Israel [54][55][56][57]
DANX (Defence of Andaman & Nicobar Exercise) 20 - 24 November Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India [58]
2018
Gaganshakti 8 - 22 April India [59][60][61]
Pitch Black

Australia (Host), India and 10 other nations

27 July - 18 August Darwin Air Force Base, Australia [62][63][64]
Bi-lateral exercise Indonesia 20 - 22 August Subang Air Base, Malaysia [65]
Aviaindra Russia 17 - 28 September Lipetsk, Russia [66][67]
10 - 22 December Jodhpur, India
Cope India United States 3 - 14 December Kalaikunda and Panagarh Air Force Stations, India [68]
Shinyuu Maitri - Bi-Lateral Exercise Japan 03-7 December AFS Agra [69]
2019
Vayushakti 19 16 February Pokhran, India [70][71]
Garud VI France 1 - 12 July Mont-de-Marsan, France [72]

2020 – present

See also

References

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