Exercise Veer Guardian 2026: India-Japan Bilateral Air Exercise at Jodhpur — Second Edition, F-2A Fighters on Indian Soil for the First Time

Why in News

The Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) are conducting Exercise Veer Guardian 2026, the second edition of their bilateral air exercise, at Air Force Station (AFS) Jodhpur, Rajasthan, from September 9–22, 2026 (14 days). This edition marks the first time Japanese fighter aircraft have ever operated from Indian soil. Both air chiefs — Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh (IAF Chief of Air Staff) and General Takehiro Morita (JASDF Chief of Staff) — were present at Jodhpur and flew sorties in the indigenous LCA Tejas. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described Tokyo's decision to send its fighters to India as a "significant milestone" in the bilateral defence partnership.

Background

India and Japan elevated their bilateral relationship to a Special Strategic and Global Partnership in 2014. Since then, defence cooperation has deepened progressively across the three services:

• Dharma Guardian — annual India-Japan Army exercise (since 2018)
• JIMEX — India-Japan Maritime Exercise (since 2012)
• Veer Guardian — India-Japan Air Exercise (since 2023)

First Edition: Veer Guardian 2023

The maiden edition of Veer Guardian was held from January 16–26, 2023 at Hyakuri and Iruma Air Bases, Japan — making it the first-ever bilateral air combat exercise between IAF and JASDF. At that time, IAF's Rafale and Su-30 MKI flew alongside Japan's F-2 fighters on Japanese soil.

Japan's Evolving Strategic Posture

Japan's 2022 National Security Strategy marked a watershed — it authorised a Counterstrike Capability (preemptive strike potential), nearly doubling the defence budget to 2% of GDP by 2027. Japan's constitutional Article 9 (pacifist clause) was reinterpreted in 2015 to allow collective self-defence. These shifts have enabled more robust engagement with partners like India.

Key Bilateral Treaties

• 2015: India-Japan Agreement on Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology
• 2020: Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) — mutual logistics support, supplies, services between armed forces
• 2022: India-Japan Cyber Security Agreement
• India-Japan 2+2 Dialogue (Foreign + Defence Ministers) established in 2019

Current Developments

Key features of Veer Guardian 2026:

• Venue: Air Force Station Jodhpur, Rajasthan (India) — 2026 is the first edition hosted on Indian soil
• Duration: 14 days (September 9–22, 2026)
• IAF aircraft: LCA Tejas (indigenous), Su-30 MKI, Rafale
• JASDF aircraft: F-2A fighters (Japanese multirole fighter, developed jointly with the US on the F-16 platform)
• Milestone: Japanese F-2A fighters operated from Indian soil for the first time ever
• Both air chiefs flew sorties in the LCA Tejas, signalling confidence in India's indigenous programme
• Activities include air combat manoeuvres, mission planning conferences, engineering exchanges, aerospace safety knowledge sharing

Key Facts

Constitutional Provisions

• Article 253: Parliament's power to legislate for implementing international treaties/agreements/conventions — legal basis for ratifying defence pacts with Japan
• Article 73: Executive power of the Union extends to matters on which Parliament can make laws, including defence and foreign affairs
• Seventh Schedule, Union List Entry 1: Defence of India and every part thereof; armed forces of the Union
• Seventh Schedule, Union List Entry 14: Entering into treaties and agreements with foreign countries, and implementing such treaties

Legal Framework

• Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020: Governs indigenous procurement including Tejas aircraft
• India-Japan ACSA (2020): Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement — enables logistics interoperability between armed forces (fuel, ammunition, spare parts, maintenance)
• India-Japan Agreement on Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology (2015): Basis for potential future co-development/co-production
• Japan's Three Principles on Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology (2014): Replaced Cold War-era arms export ban; allows technology transfer to partner nations under conditions

Institutional Framework

• Indian Air Force (IAF): Established 1932; Chief: Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh; HQ: New Delhi
• Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF): Established 1954 under Self-Defence Forces Act; Chief: Gen Takehiro Morita
• Ministry of Defence (India): Nodal ministry; Raksha Mantri: Rajnath Singh
• Japan Ministry of Defense: Counterpart
• Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue): India, USA, Japan, Australia — strategic partnership for free and open Indo-Pacific; Veer Guardian deepens the bilateral pillar of Quad
• India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue: Annual dialogue between EAM + Defence Minister of both sides (established 2019)

Economic Dimensions

India-Japan bilateral trade stood at approximately ₹1.7 lakh crore (USD ~20 billion) in 2024–25. Japan is among India's top five foreign investors. Defence cooperation holds economic significance:

• Potential for Japan's US-2 amphibious aircraft transfer to India (under consideration)
• Strengthened defence partnership supports India's defence export target of ₹50,000 crore (≈ USD 6 billion) by 2029
• Co-production possibilities would boost Make in India in Defence
• Japan is the largest bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) provider to India (Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail, Metro projects, Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor)

Environmental Dimensions

While primarily a defence exercise, the conduct at Jodhpur (a desert ecosystem) involves:

• Low-level flying operations subject to MoEFCC environmental clearances for military airfields
• Both nations are Quad partners committed to climate cooperation — Japan's Green Transformation (GX) and India's National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) share clean energy goals

International Relations

Veer Guardian 2026 carries deep strategic significance across multiple dimensions:

• Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP): Japan proposed FOIP in 2016; India's Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI, 2019) aligns with it. Military exercises operationalise this alignment.
• China factor: Both India (LAC standoffs) and Japan (Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands dispute) face common challenge from Chinese assertiveness; exercises signal deterrence without targeting any country
• Quad framework: India-Japan bilateral military deepening complements the multilateral Quad summits
• North Korea: Japan's security concerns over North Korean ballistic missiles align with Indian interest in non-proliferation
• UN Security Council: Japan supports India's permanent membership — bilateral exercises strengthen political solidarity
• India-Japan hold annual summit-level meetings; last bilateral summit: PM Narendra Modi with Japanese PM (2025)

Challenges

• Japan's Article 9 (pacifist constitution), though reinterpreted, still limits full offensive alliance
• Different procurement ecosystems: Japan relies on US platforms (F-35, F-2), India on Russian (Su-30) and European (Rafale) — interoperability is partial
• India's traditional strategic autonomy limits formal alliance commitments
• Geographical distance between India and Japan reduces direct mutual security guarantees
• Japan's public opinion on defence expansion remains cautious

Government Initiatives

• iCET (Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology): India-US-Japan tech partnership discussions
• India-Japan Defence Industry Forum: Platform for private sector cooperation in defence manufacturing
• JIMEX 2025: Navy exercise strengthened maritime domain awareness
• Joint Working Group on Defence Equipment and Technology Transfer: Active since 2015
• India's Aerospace and Defence exports growing: ₹21,083 crore in 2023–24 (a record)

Way Forward

• Regularise Veer Guardian to annual frequency — currently biennial
• Expand exercise to include trilateral format (India-Japan-US) within Quad's operational pillar
• Pursue co-development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and counter-drone systems under India-Japan tech partnership
• Operationalise India-Japan ACSA: designated logistics hubs, pre-positioned stocks for mutual use
• As recommended by the Naresh Chandra Task Force (2012) on defence reforms: deepening bilateral exercises must be backed by compatible doctrine and joint operating procedures
• The Economic Survey 2025–26 emphasised that strategic partnerships with like-minded democracies directly support India's goal of becoming a USD 5 trillion economy and a defence export hub

Previous UPSC Questions

No direct PYQ on Veer Guardian specifically, but related Prelims questions:

• UPSC Prelims 2019: Asked about India-Japan ACSA (Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement)
• UPSC Prelims 2021: Quad grouping composition and significance

Possible Mains Questions

1. "Bilateral defence exercises have become a central instrument of India's strategic diplomacy. Examine the significance of Exercise Veer Guardian 2026 in the context of India's Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy." (GS-II, 250 words)
2. "Assess the evolution of India-Japan defence partnership since 2014 and its implications for regional security architecture in the Indo-Pacific." (GS-II, 150 words)

Possible Prelims MCQs

1. Exercise Veer Guardian 2026 is a bilateral air exercise between India and — (a) USA (b) France (c) Japan (d) Australia Answer: (c)
2. The 2026 edition of Veer Guardian was held at — (a) Hindan, Ghaziabad (b) Jodhpur, Rajasthan (c) Pune (d) Bangalore Answer: (b)
3. Which Indian aircraft did both Air Chiefs fly during Veer Guardian 2026? (a) Rafale (b) Su-30 MKI (c) LCA Tejas (d) Mirage 2000 Answer: (c)
4. The India-Japan Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) was signed in — (a) 2015 (b) 2018 (c) 2020 (d) 2022 Answer: (c)
5. The first edition of Exercise Veer Guardian was held in — (a) India (b) Japan (c) Australia (d) USA Answer: (b)

Essay Dimensions

1. Defence diplomacy as a pillar of India's emerging global power status
2. The India-Japan partnership: from cultural ties to strategic convergence
3. Free and Open Indo-Pacific: rhetoric vs. operational reality
4. India's indigenous defence industry: from importer to exporter
5. Quad: can it evolve into a formal security alliance?

Interview Questions

1. Why does India maintain strategic autonomy even while deepening bilateral defence ties with Japan and the Quad? Is this contradiction manageable?
2. What does it mean that Japanese F-2 aircraft operated from Indian soil for the first time? What are the practical and symbolic implications?
3. How does the ACSA enable logistical interoperability between India and Japan? What gaps remain?
4. Should India consider a formal defence treaty with Japan on the lines of the US-Japan Mutual Security Treaty? Arguments for and against.
5. You have been posted as a diplomat at the Indian Embassy in Tokyo. How would you leverage the momentum from Veer Guardian 2026 to advance the bilateral agenda?

FAQ

Q1. What is Exercise Veer Guardian?

Veer Guardian is a bilateral air force exercise between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF). The first edition was held in Japan in January 2023; the second (2026) is at Jodhpur, India.

Q2. What is the significance of JASDF's F-2A operating from Indian soil?

It marks the first time Japanese combat aircraft have ever operated from Indian soil, reflecting a qualitative leap in defence trust and interoperability. It also signals Japan's expanded strategic posture following its 2022 National Security Strategy.

Q3. How is Veer Guardian related to the Quad?

Veer Guardian is a bilateral exercise between two of the four Quad members (India and Japan). It strengthens the bilateral pillar of the Quad, complementing wider multilateral Quad summits and exercises like Malabar (India-US-Japan Navy).

Q4. What is the India-Japan ACSA?

The Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), signed in 2020, allows the armed forces of India and Japan to provide each other with logistic support, supplies, and services (such as fuel, ammunition, and maintenance) — greatly enhancing operational interoperability.

Further Reading

• DD News: India-Japan bilateral air exercise Veer Guardian 2026
• MEA: India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership
• Japan Ministry of Defense (official)