# List of exercises of the Indian Air Force

The Indian Air Force engages in multiple military exercises with foreign nations and their air forces to increase interoperability between themselves. Some are also multinational exercise. Some of the regular exercises were IAF participates include:
* Exercise Garuda (India, France)
* Cope India (India, United States)
* SINDEX (India, Singapore)
* Gaganshakti (only India)
* Indradhanush (India, UK)
* Exercise Red Flag (Multinational, Host: USA)
* Exercise Desert Eagle (India, UAE)
* Exercise Eastern Bridge (India, Oman)
* Exercise Iron Fist (only India)
* Red Flag – Alaska (Multinational, Host: United States)
* Siam Bharat (India, Thailand)
* Pralay Shayam (Disaster response exercise)
* Exercise INDRA –bilateral (India, Russia)
* Exercise Blue Flag (Multinational, Host: Israel)
* Exercise DANX (only India)
* Exercise Pitch Black (Multinational, Host: Australia)
* Shinyuu Maitri (India, Japan)
* Vayushakti (only India)
* Exercise Desert Knight (India, France, UAE)
* Exercise Desert Warrior (India, Egypt)
* Exercise Cobra Warrior (Multinational, Host: United Kingdom)
* Exercise Udara Shakti (India, Malaysia)
* Bharat Shakti (Tri-service)
* Exercise Tarang Shakti (Multinational, Host: India)

## List

The following is a list of exercises of the Indian Air Force.
| Name | Participating Country | Units | Date | Location |
| 1963 ||||||
| Exercise Shiksha | Australia, India, United Kingdom, United States | | | Palam AFS, India |
| 2003 ||||||
| Garuda I | France | | | Maharajpur AFS, India |
| 2004 ||||||
| Cope India | United States | Sukhoi Su-30 MKI Dassault Mirage 2000 Mikoyan MiG-27 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 | 16 - 27 February | Gwalior AFS, India |
| Sindex I | Singapore | | | Gwalior AFS, India |
| 2005 ||||||
| Garuda II | France | | | Istres Air Base, France |
| 2006 ||||||
| Sindex II | Singapore | Mikoyan MiG-27 | 3 - 20 January | Kalaikunda AFS, India |
| Gagan Shakti | - | | 4 - 27 September | Western Air Command South Western Air Command |
| Indradhanush I | United Kingdom | | 2 - 13 October | Gwalior AFS, India |
| Sindex III | Singapore | Mikoyan MiG-27 | 8 November | Kalaikunda AFS, India |
| Sindex IV | Singapore | | 8 - 22 December | Paya Lebar Air Base, Singapore |
| 2007 ||||||
| Garuda III | France | Sukhoi Su-30 MKI Dassault Mirage 2000 Mikoyan MiG-27 | 13 - 25 February | Kalaikunda AFS, India |
| Indradhanush II | United Kingdom | Sukhoi Su-30 MKI 1 Ilyushin IL-78 MKI | | RAF Waddington, United Kingdom |
| Sindex V | Singapore | Mikoyan MiG-27, No. 18 Squadron | 26 November - 13 December | Kalaikunda AFS, India |
| 2008 ||||||
| Red Flag | United States France South Korea | 8 Sukhoi Su-30 MKI 2 Ilyushin IL-78 MKI 2 Ilyushin Il-76 247 Garud Commandos | 9 - 23 August | Nellis AFB, United States |
| Exercise Desert Eagle I | UAE | | September | Al-Dhafra airbase, UAE |
| 2009 ||||||
| Cope India | United States | Ilyushin Il-76 Antonov An-32 Mil Mi-17 Garud Commandos | 19 - 23 October | Agra AFS, India |
| Eastern Bridge I | Oman | 6 SEPECAT Jaguar 1 Ilyushin IL-78 MKI 1 Ilyushin Il-76 | 31 October | Jamnagar AFS, India |
| 2010 ||||||
| Garuda IV | France Singapore | 6 Sukhoi Su-30 MKI 3 Ilyushin IL-78 MKI 1 Ilyushin Il-76 | 14 - 25 June | Istres Air Base, France |
| Indradhanush III | United Kingdom | Sukhoi Su-30 MKI Dassault Mirage 2000 Mikoyan MiG-27 Ilyushin IL-78 MKI Beriev A-50 | 18 October - 3 November | Kalaikunda AFS, West Bengal |
| 2011 ||||||
| Eastern Bridge II | Oman | SEPECAT Jaguar (6 Squadron) Mikoyan MiG-29 (28 Squadron) | 22 October | Jamnagar AFS, India |
| 2013 ||||||
| Iron Fist | - | Sukhoi Su-30 MKI SEPECAT Jaguar Mikoyan MiG-29 HAL Tejas Mikoyan MiG-27 Dassault Mirage 2000 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules Antonov An-32 Ilyushin Il-76 Beriev A-50 Mil Mi-8 Mil Mi-17 Mil Mi-35 | February 2013 | Pokhran, India |
| 2014 ||||||
| Garuda V | France | 4 Sukhoi Su-30 MKI 4 Mikoyan MiG-27 4 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 1 Ilyushin IL-78 MKI 1 Beriev A-50 | 2 - 13 June | Jodhpur AFS, India |
| 2015 ||||||
| Indradhanush IV | United Kingdom | 4 Sukhoi Su-30 MKI, No. 2 Squadron 1 Ilyushin IL-78 MKI 1 Boeing C-17 Globemaster III | 30 July | RAF Coningsby and RAF Brize Norton, United Kingdom |
| 2016 ||||||
| Iron Fist | - | Sukhoi Su-30 MKI HAL Tejas Suryakiran Aerobatic Team Garud Commando Force | 18 March | Pokhran, India |
| Red Flag – Alaska 16-1 | United States | 4 Sukhoi Su-30 MKI 4 SEPECAT Jaguar 2 Ilyushin IL-78 MKI 1 Boeing C-17 Globemaster III | 28 April - May 13 | Eielson AFB, United States |
| Desert Eagle II | UAE | 4 Sukhoi Su-30 MKI | May 24 - June 3 | Al-Dhafra airbase, UAE |
| Siam Bharat I | Thailand | | | |
| 2017 ||||||
| Eastern Bridge IV | Oman | Sukhoi Su-30 MKI Mikoyan Mig-29 SEPECAT Jaguar Mikoyan MiG-27 | 16 - 20 January | Jamnagar AFS, India |
| Siam Bharat II | Thailand | | 22 - 26 May | Chiang Mai, Thailand |
| | Sri Lanka | Air warrior drill team | 9 - 14 July | Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Pralay Shayam (Disaster response exercise) | - | Mil Mi-17 HAL Dhruv HAL Chetak | 23 September | Hyderabad, India |
| Indra (tri-service) | Russia | 2 Ilyushin Il-76 | 19 - 29 October | Sergeyvsky Training Ranges, Russia |
| Blue Flag | Israel United States Greece Poland France Germany Italy | 1 Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules 45 Garud Commandos | 2 - 6 November | Uvda Air Force Base, Israel |
| DANX (Defence of Andaman & Nicobar Exercise) | — | SEPECAT Jaguar Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules | 20 - 24 November | Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India |
| 2018 ||||||
| Gaganshakti | — | Sukhoi Su-30 MKI Mikoyan Mig-29 SEPECAT Jaguar HAL Tejas Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 Mikoyan MiG-27 Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules Ilyushin IL-78 MKI | 8 - 22 April | India |
| Pitch Black | Australia United States Netherlands France Germany Canada Indonesia New Zealand Singapore Thailand Malaysia | 4 Sukhoi Su-30 MKI 1 Ilyushin IL-78 MKI 1 Boeing C-17 Globemaster III 1 Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules 145 Garud Commandos | 27 July - 18 August | Darwin Air Force Base, Australia |
| Bi-lateral exercise | Indonesia | 4 Sukhoi Su-30 MKI 1 Ilyushin IL-78 MKI 1 Boeing C-17 Globemaster III 1 Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules 145 Garud Commandos | 20 - 22 August | Subang Air Base, Malaysia |
| Aviaindra | Russia | Sukhoi Su-30 MKI Mikoyan Mig-29 Mil Mi-8 | 17 - 28 September | Lipetsk, Russia |
| Aviaindra | Russia | | 10 - 22 December | Jodhpur, India |
| Cope India | United States | | 3 - 14 December | Kalaikunda and Panagarh Air Force Stations, India |
| Shinyuu Maitri - Bi-Lateral Exercise | Japan | C-17 Globemaster Antonov An-32 | 03-7 December | AFS Agra |
| 2019 ||||||
| Vayushakti 19 | — | | 16 February | Pokhran, India |
| Garud VI | France | Sukhoi Su-30 MKI Dassault Rafale Ilyushin IL-78 C-17 Globemaster | 1 - 12 July | Mont-de-Marsan, France |
| 2021 ||||||
| Exercise Desert Knight 21 | India & France | India- Su-30 MKI, Mirage 2000, Beriev A-50, C-130-J and Il-78MKI France- Rafale, A330 MRTT, A400M | 23 January | Jodhpur AFS, India |
| Desert Warrior- Joint Tactical Air Exercise | Egypt | | 30-31 October | El Berigat Air Base, Egypt |
| 2022 ||||||
| Pitch Black | Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States | 4 Sukhoi Su-30 MKI 1 Ilyushin IL-78 MKI 1 Boeing C-17 Globemaster III | 27 July - 18 August | Darwin Air Force Base, Australia |
| Garuda VII | France | Sukhoi Su-30 MKI Dassault Rafale HAL Tejas SEPECAT Jaguar HAL Prachand Mil Mi-17 1 Ilyushin IL-78 MKI other unspecified AEW&C | 26 October to 12 November | Jodhpur AFS, India |
| 2023 ||||||
| Exercise Cobra Warrior 23-1 | United Kingdom, Belgium, Finland, India, Saudi Arabia, United States | 145 personnel 5 Dassault Mirage 2000 1 Ilyushin IL-78 MKI 2 Boeing C-17 Globemaster III | 6 March to 24 March | RAF Waddington RAF Coningsby |
| 2024 ||||||
| Exercise Desert Knight 24 | India, France, United Arab Emirates | India- Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Jaguar, Beriev A-50, C-130-J and Il-78MKI France- Rafale, A330 MRTT UAE- F-16 | 23 January | Arabian Sea, Indian FIS |
| Vayushakti 24 | — | >121 aircraft Fighter jets – Tejas, Rafale, Mirage 2000, MiG-29, Su-30 MKI, Jaguar, Hawk Transport aircraft – C-130J Helicopter – Prachand, Dhruv, Chinook, Apache, Mi-17 Surface to Air Missiles – Akash, SAMAR | 17 February | Pokhran, India |
| Bharat Shakti (Tri-service) | — | HAL Tejas HAL Dhruv HAL Rudra HAL Prachand | 12 March | Pokhran, India |
| Gaganshakti | — | All units of IAF | 1 - 10 April | India |
| Red Flag – Alaska 24-2 | Germany, India, Netherlands, Singapore, United Kingdom United States | 8 Dassault Rafale 1 Ilyushin IL-78 MKI 1 Boeing C-17 Globemaster III | 4 - 14 June | Eielson Air Force Base, United States |
| Pitch Black | Australia, Canada, France, India, Indonesia, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, United Kingdom United States Brunei, Fiji, Italy, Spain, Papua New Guinea Philippines | 4 Sukhoi Su-30 MKI 1 Ilyushin IL-78 MKI 1 Boeing C-17 Globemaster III | 27 July - 18 August | Darwin Air Force Base, Australia |
| Exercise Udara Shakti | Malaysia | 4 Sukhoi Su-30 MKI 1 Ilyushin IL-78 MKI 1 Boeing C-17 Globemaster III | 5 - 9 August | Kuantan, Malaysia |
| Exercise Tarang Shakti | Phase I India, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom. Phase II India, Australia Bangladesh, Greek, Singapore, United Arab Emirates United States | | Phase I– 6 - 14 August Phase II– 29 August to 14 September | Sulur AFS Jodhpur AFS |
| Exercise Eastern Bridge VII | Oman | India: MiG-29, Jaguar, C-17 Oman: F-16, Hawk | 11 - 22 September | RAFO Masirah |
| Joint Military Training | Singapore | India: Su-30MKI, Mirage 2000, MiG-29, Jaguar, Tejas Singapore: F-16, F-15, G-550 AEW&C, C-130 | 21 October - 9 December | Kalaikunda AFS |