Jodhpur (Rajasthan) [India], October 10 : Seamless operational synergy and standardised combat procedures have made flying in India's desert skies identical to operating in European airspace, military chiefs from European partner nations highlighted during the multinational Exercise Tarang Shakti at Air Force Station Jodhpur.
Speaking at a joint press conference, senior defence officials from Germany and France praised the deep interoperability, familiar setups, and strong foundation of bilateral cooperation that allow foreign aircrews to execute complex multi-nation combat missions in India without operational friction.
Addressing the transition to flying in Rajasthan's desert terrain, Lieutenant General Günter Katz, Commander of the German Air Force Forces Command, said his pilots found no operational difference between flying missions back home and participating in the drill in India.
"I just talked to my air crew two hours ago, and I asked them the same question. So here's the original answer: they said there's no difference. It's the same setup, the same flow, the same procedures here in India as we're doing back home," he said. 

Echoing those views, General Stéphane Groen, Inspector General of the French Armed Forces, noted that strong bilateral ties and routine joint exercises form the core foundation enabling multinational drills to run so smoothly.
"I asked exactly the same question to the Rafale squadron commander, and I said, 'How did you find the exercise? Did you find any difference from Europe?' And he told me no, because I would argue that we do multinational exercises here, but the foundation of the way we operate is built on bilateral exercising. And we have—to speak for France—a lot of bilateral relations and a lot of bilateral exercises with all the nations around the table," he added.
Exercise Tarang Shakti brings together key global partner air forces in Jodhpur to undertake complex air defence, counter-air and tactical transport operations, demonstrating high levels of integration and operational trust among participating allied nations.
Additionally, Operation Sindoor was discussed with participating nations during subject matter expert exchanges at the second edition of Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026, with partner countries expressing considerable interest in learning about the operation and India's experience, Exercise Director Air Vice Marshal Raj Thakur said.
Addressing a press conference on Exercise Tarang Shakti, Thakur was responding to an ANI question about the topics discussed during the expert exchanges and the sharing of lessons from Operation Sindoor. He said the operation had attracted considerable interest among participating nations.
“Operation Sindoor was one of the remarkable operations carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF), and there was a lot of interest among the participating nations to know about it. And that's why, in one of the subject matter expert exchanges, we briefed them about what exactly happened in Operation Sindoor and our part of the story, and that was very well received,” he said.
Meanwhile, US Air Force General Kevin Schneider, Commander of the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), said his discussions with Indian Air Force leadership had also covered Operation Sindoor.
“I spent a week hosted by Air Chief Marshal AP Singh and the other leaders in the Indian Air Force, and we did talk about Operation Sindoor. And I think, for all of us, we learn from each other, that we continue to evolve and adapt for the security situation that is evolving and adapting in front of us,” Schneider said.
On April 22, 2025, Pakistan-backed terrorists killed 26 civilians in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, after questioning victims about their religion. In response, India launched "Operation Sindoor" on May 7, 2025, targeting terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
The Indian armed forces destroyed nine major terror launchpads belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen, eliminating over 100 terrorists during the decisive retaliatory operation.