India seeks to overcome Op Sindoor setbacks through major air exercise
Indian military to incorporate lessons from May 2025 losses in Tarang Shakti
New Delhi : More than a year after Operation Sindoor exposed vulnerabilities in the Indian Air Force during its confrontation with Pakistan, India is preparing to incorporate lessons from the May 2025 hostilities into a major multinational air exercise, underscoring the continuing impact of the losses and operational setbacks suffered during the conflict.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Indian Air Force Vice Chief Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit has said that operational lessons from Operation Sindoor will be reflected in the upcoming multinational exercise Tarang Shakti, scheduled to be held at the Indian Air Force base in Jodhpur from September 26 to October 11.
The exercise is expected to bring together air forces from the United States, France and Germany, with the participating militaries set to exchange operational experience and test their procedures in a realistic training environment.
Air Marshal Dixit acknowledged that Operation Sindoor had provided lessons for the Indian military, saying the exercise would allow participating forces to test assumptions, challenge procedures, examine different methods of employing air power and improve interoperability.
He said the Indian way of war-fighting had changed following the operation and that the discussions and tactical changes made during the conflict would be reflected in the exercise.
The remarks come against the backdrop of India’s acknowledged aircraft losses during the May 2025 hostilities. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan admitted after the conflict that India had suffered initial losses in the air, although he declined to disclose the number of aircraft lost. He said the important issue was why the losses occurred and that the military had subsequently understood and rectified the tactical mistakes.
International reporting also pointed to significant Indian aircraft losses during the opening phase of the conflict. Reuters, citing two US officials, reported in May 2025 that Pakistani J-10 fighter aircraft had shot down at least two Indian military aircraft, with one US official saying at least one of the aircraft was a French-made Rafale. India did not comment on the Reuters report at the time.
The Indian military subsequently acknowledged that aircraft losses had occurred, while rejecting Pakistan’s claim of six Indian fighter jets being shot down. Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, the then Director General of Air Operations, had earlier said that losses were part of combat, while General Chauhan later acknowledged the losses and said India’s tactics were subsequently changed.
The forthcoming Tarang Shakti exercise will include large-force engagements, high-value aerial assets, air mobility operations, dynamic targeting and combat search-and-rescue missions. The Indian Air Force has said the drills will provide participants an opportunity to train across multiple facets of air operations and integrate fighter aircraft with specialised capabilities.
The Indian Air Force is expected to deploy Rafale and Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft, while the United States is set to bring the F-35 for its first participation in a military exercise on Indian soil. The F-35 has previously been showcased at air shows in Bengaluru and operated alongside Indian aircraft during Exercise Pitch Black in Australia.
The United States, France, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Australia and Sri Lanka are expected to send air assets to the exercise, while 32 additional countries will participate as observers, according to Air Marshal Dixit.
