IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh and his Japanese counterpart Gen Takehiro Morita on Sunday (September 20, 2026) flew in separate Tejas jets, India’s homegrown fighter aircraft, as part of a formation sortie during an ongoing bilateral air exercise in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur.

While Air Chief Marshal Singh flew solo in a Tejas fighter jet, the Chief of Staff of the Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) “flew in a Tejas (trainer aircraft) along with an IAF pilot who is commanding a Tejas unit”, a senior official said.

CAS Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, JASDF Chief of Staff General Takehiro Morita and others during Exercise Veer Guardian-2026.

PTI

The “Tejas formation sortie” was undertaken by the two chiefs during the India-Japan air exercise ‘Veer Guardian’ and lasted about 20-25 minutes, the official said.

Air Chief Marshal Singh, who led the formation sortie, said that the JASDF chief’s decision to fly in Tejas is “a very clear example” of his trust in the country’s homegrown aircraft.

Gen. Morita flew in the trainer aircraft, with the IAF pilot as the captain. The formation flew over the airfield and subsequently carried out a peel-off manoeuvre for landing, the senior official cited above said.

‘Veer Guardian’ is the second bilateral exercise between the IAF and JASDF, also known as Koku Jieitai.

Exercise Shinyuu Maitri, the first bilateral air exercise involving the two air forces, was held in 2018 in India.

The two air chiefs later addressed the media and shared the significance of such exercises in building interoperability and strengthening defence partnerships between India and Japan. India’s Tejas and Japan’s F-2A fighter aircraft, parked on the runway, formed the backdrop.

Gen. Morita said, “Air Chief Marshal Singh, it is a privilege to be with you today, and I would like to show my appreciation for your warm welcome and hospitality. I am deeply grateful for the invaluable opportunity to fly in the Tejas. 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.” He said that during the sortie, he reflected on the efforts of many people, both in the military and in industry, who have contributed to the development of this fighter jet.

“Through this experience on board, I gained a first-hand appreciation of the outstanding training environment available to the Indian Air Force and the tremendous value that this exercise provides to the Japan Air Self-Defence Force, Koku Jieitai,” Gen. Morita said.

It is the second bilateral air combat exercise between the Indian Air Force and the Japan Air Self-Defence Force.

PTI

“I will remember it not only as a truly invaluable experience but also as a powerful symbol of the trust, confidence, and friendship that have been built between our two air services over many years,” he added.

Addressing the media, Air Chief Marshal Singh said, “The sortie that you have flown, I think, is a very clear example of how much faith and trust you have in the homegrown Indian aircraft.” The air chief marshal said he was sure that Gen. Morita has enjoyed the sortie.

“Yes, we had kept it to a benign sortie since we did not want you to feel uncomfortable in the very first time in this heat you are flying,” he added.

“I can assure you that the Indian aircraft industry, the R&D as well as production, is growing at a very fast pace. We’ve been able to operationalise this aircraft, and a large number of these are on orders. Some of these are stuck because of some global supply chain issues,” the IAF chief conveyed to his Japanese counterpart.

But with the next version of Tejas, that is, Tejas Mark II, and the next fifth-generation aircraft that India is making — the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft – “Indian aviation, I will say, the defence aviation industry and R&D are now set to hit much higher heights,” he said.

The IAF chief underlined that Gen. Morita flew with “one of our finest pilots that we have”.

“And I’m sure this sortie will go a long way in our having exchange programmes in even flight training, especially in the fighter aircraft,” he said.

Exercise Veer Guardian is being held at Air Force Station Jodhpur from September 9 to 22.

The IAF is participating with a diverse mix of frontline combat aircraft, including the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, Su-30 MKI and Rafale.

JASDF is taking part with its F-2A fighter aircraft.

This is the first time that JASDF fighter aircraft are operating from Indian soil as part of a bilateral exercise.

During the 14-day exercise, participating air warriors will undertake advanced operational missions and engage in extensive professional interactions.