Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, Chief of the Air Staff, said on Sunday (September 20, 2026) that the Tejas sortie flown by Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) Chief of Staff General Takehiro Morita was a “very clear example” of the “faith and trust” on the “homegrown aircraft”.
“The defence aviation industry and R&D is now set to hit much higher heights,” he said.
CAS Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, JASDF Chief of Staff General Takehiro Morita and others during Exercise Veer Guardian-2026. | Photo The chiefs of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the JASDF flew together in a Tejas formation in Jodhpur, underscoring the growing operational cooperation between the two air forces amid the expanding India-Japan defence partnership.
According to the IAF, Air Chief Marshal Singh led the formation in a fighter aircraft, while General Morita flew in a trainer aircraft with Group Captain I.
Samrat, Commanding Officer of the Tejas squadron, as the captain.
Air Chief Marshal Singh said the India-Japan air partnership was based on “mutual respect, professional trust, and shared commitment to peace and stability”.
He described the synergy between the two air forces as ‘kizuna’, the Japanese word for enduring bonds forged through trust and support.
It is the second bilateral air combat exercise between the Indian Air Force and the Japan Air Self-Defence Force. | Photo General Morita described his Tejas sortie as a “powerful symbol of trust, confidence, and friendship” and said the bilateral engagement had moved beyond exercises aimed merely at refining tactical capabilities.
He said increasingly sophisticated training was strengthening the two air forces to contribute to regional peace and stability and pointed to cooperation across exercises, leadership interactions, subject-matter exchanges, and potentially the space domain.
The formation flew over the airfield before carrying out a peel-off manoeuvre for landing.
The sortie was part of the second edition of the bilateral air exercise Veer Guardian 2026, which is being held at Air Force Station, Jodhpur, from September 9 to 22.
It provided Gen.
Morita the opportunity to experience the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas and its systems.
Watch: IAF chief A.P.
Singh welcomes JASDF chief Gen Takehiro Morita in Jodhpur The IAF is participating in the exercise with Tejas, Su-30MKI and Rafale fighters, while the JASDF has brought F-2A fighters.
For the first time, JASDF fighter aircraft have operated from Indian soil as part of a bilateral exercise.
The F-2A fighters were brought to Jodhpur from Tsuiki Air Base in Japan.
The exercise includes operational flying, advanced mission planning, professional exchanges, and discussions on engineering and aerospace safety.
It will conclude on September 22, after which the JASDF contingent will return to Japan.
