The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) will send fighter aircraft to India for the first time in September to participate in a bilateral exercise with the Indian Air Force (IAF), marking another milestone in the deepening defense partnership between Tokyo and New Delhi.

The JASDF announced on August 25 that the bilateral exercise, Veer Guardian 26, will take place from September 9 to 21 at Jodhpur Air Force Station in the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan and in surrounding airspace. The overall deployment period, including the journey to and from India, will run from September 1 to 30. 

The JASDF will deploy three F-2A fighters from the 8th Air Wing at Tsuiki Air Base in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, along with about 110 personnel. The exercise will primarily involve air combat training against fighter aircraft.

On August 26, a JASDF spokesman told The Diplomat that Veer Guardian 26 will be the second iteration of the bilateral fighter exercise, following the inaugural Veer Guardian 23 held in Japan in January 2023.

During that exercise, the IAF sent four Su-30MKI fighters, two C-17 transport aircraft, an IL-78 aerial refueling tanker, and about 150 personnel to Japan. The JASDF participated with four F-2 and four F-15 fighters. 

Three years later, the direction of travel will be reversed, with JASDF fighters heading to India for the first time.

The journey to India is itself a significant part of the deployment. The JASDF spokesman told The Diplomat that the three F-2As will fly from Tsuiki Air Base to Jodhpur via Naha Air Base in Okinawa and Thailand. The U.S. Air Force will provide support for the deployment, including aerial refueling.

The JASDF did not disclose the specific base in Thailand where the F-2As will stop, the segment of the journey during which U.S. aerial refueling support will be provided, or the type of U.S. tanker aircraft involved.

Jodhpur lies roughly 5,600 kilometers from Tsuiki in a straight line, underscoring the logistical challenge of deploying a fighter unit far beyond Japan.

Speaking at a press conference at Japan’s Ministry of Defense in Tokyo on August 25, JASDF Chief of Staff General Morita Takehiro emphasized the operational significance of such a long-range deployment.

The JASDF’s top officer said deploying fighters to distant locations involves not only long-distance flight operations but also maintenance, logistics, and personnel transportation, all of which must be conducted “in an integrated and systematic manner.” Such experience, he said, helps improve a unit’s ability to carry out its missions.

Long-distance deployments also require the JASDF to prepare for contingencies such as bad weather and aircraft malfunctions.

Drawing on lessons and knowledge gained from previous overseas deployments, Morita said the JASDF is preparing for the India mission by securing spare aircraft, strengthening its aerial refueling support system, reviewing transit locations, and closely coordinating with relevant countries.

The deployment to India follows the JASDF’s first fighter deployment to Europe in 2025. During that mission, four F-15 fighters flew from Chitose Air Base in Hokkaido to the United Kingdom and Germany via Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska and Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay, supported by tanker and transport aircraft. The JASDF described that deployment as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation with allies and like-minded countries.

Veer Guardian 26 comes as both Japan and India face growing security challenges involving China. Japan has become increasingly concerned not only about Chinese military activities in the East China Sea and around its southwestern islands, but also about the People’s Liberation Army’s expanding operations beyond the First Island Chain and farther into the Western Pacific. India, meanwhile, has a long-running territorial dispute with China along their Himalayan border.

However, when asked by The Diplomat whether Veer Guardian 26 was being conducted with China in mind, the spokesman at the JASDF said the exercise “is not aimed at any specific country.”

Whatever the motivation, Japan and India are deepening their overall defense ties. Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro and Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh met in New Delhi on August 20 and welcomed progress in preparations for Veer Guardian 26, specifically noting that JASDF fighters would visit India for the first time. 

The two ministers also agreed to deepen bilateral exercise cooperation by increasing the complexity of drills, integrating unmanned systems, and pursuing short-notice joint exercises when opportunities arise. They highlighted the expansion of exercises across all three services, including the army exercise Dharma Guardian and the maritime exercise JAIMEX. 

The meeting also saw the signing of a memorandum on maritime security cooperation, while both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening defense cooperation in pursuit of a “free and open Indo-Pacific.” 

For the JASDF, the first deployment of F-2As to India therefore has significance beyond the bilateral exercise itself. It will deepen tactical cooperation and mutual understanding with the Indian Air Force while giving the JASDF another opportunity, following last year’s European deployment, to hone its ability to deploy fighter units far from Japan, again with support from the U.S. Air Force.