Full Breakdown
Japanese Air Chief Takes Flight in India’s Tejas, Marking a Milestone in Indo-Japan Defence Ties
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Core Event: Historic Tejas Sortie During Exercise Veer Guardian-2026
On September 20, 2026, General Takehiro Morita, Chief of Staff of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, flew a twin-seat Tejas trainer with Group Captain I. Samrat as captain from Air Force Station Jodhpur. Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh led a separate Tejas fighter. The formation performed a peel-off maneuver before landing; the sortie lasted roughly 20-25 minutes.
Background & Context
Exercise Veer Guardian-2026, the second bilateral fighter drill between the Indian Air Force and JASDF, runs from September 9 to September 22, 2026. The IAF fielded indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas alongside Su-30MKI and Rafale jets, while the JASDF deployed F-2A fighters—the first Japanese combat aircraft to operate from Indian soil, arriving on September 8, 2026. The exercise includes operational missions, planning conferences, expert exchanges and engineering-safety interactions.
Data & Statistics
- Aircraft involved: IAF – LCA Tejas fighters and twin-seat trainers; JASDF – F-2A fighters.
- Exercise length: 14 days (September 9 – September 22, 2026).
- Recent delivery: On September 18, 2026, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd handed over the final two Tejas Final-Operational-Clearance twin-seat trainers, completing the 40-aircraft contract.
Official Statements & Responses
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in a September 10 post, called the deployment of Japanese fighters a “significant milestone” for the India-Japan defence partnership.
Verbatim Quotes
- “This exercise, especially because the Japanese fighters are operating from Indian soil for the first time, is a great milestone in our history of our relationship and our partnership,” — Marshal Amar Preet Singh.
- “As an aircraft born from indigenous defence capabilities, Tejas stands as a symbol of India's technological innovation and embodies the Make in India initiative,” — General Morita.
Why It Matters
The joint sortie demonstrates operational interoperability and confidence in India’s indigenous fighter programme, reinforcing the shared strategic vision of a “free, open and rule-based Indo-Pacific.” Allowing a senior foreign air-force chief to fly the Tejas signals the aircraft’s maturity to external partners and may influence future export or collaborative development opportunities.
What’s Next
Veer Guardian-2026 will conclude on September 22, 2026, after which the JASDF contingent returns to Japan. Both nations have indicated that further bilateral engagements will build on the “special strategic and global partnership” reaffirmed during recent summit meetings.