Japanese fighter aircraft operate from Indian soil for the first time

Japanese fighter aircraft operating from Indian soil for the first time marks a major milestone in defence cooperation between India and Japan, Air Chief Marshal A P Singh said here on Sunday during an ongoing bilateral air exercise.

The exercise, being held at Air Force Station, Jodhpur from September 9-22, involves Indian Air Force frontline aircraft, including the indigenous Tejas, Su-30MKI and Rafale, and Japan Air Self-Defense Force's F-2A fighters.

Japanese Air Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff General Takehiro Morita said the deployment of Japanese fighters to India had taken defence cooperation beyond simply conducting exercises and demonstrated the ability to deploy air assets across the Indo-Pacific region.

The Japanese air chief flew a Tejas jet with a pilot, while Air Chief Marshall Singh flew solo on a Tejas jet as part of their sorties under the Indo-Japan bilateral air exercise, Veer Guardian-2026.

In a gesture of mutual respect and partnership, the two air force chi