JASDF chief flies Tejas, calls Sortie symbol of India-Japan air force trust
Jodhpur, Sep 21. Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) Chief of Staff General Takehiro Morita flew an Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas fighter alongside IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh during a formation sortie at Air Force Station Jodhpur, describing the experience as “truly invaluable”.
The sortie was conducted on September 20 as part of Exercise Veer Guardian 2026, the ongoing India-Japan bilateral air exercise in Rajasthan. While Morita flew a Tejas with an IAF pilot, Air Chief Marshal Singh flew another Tejas as the two aircraft participated in a formation flight lasting about 20-25 minutes.
The formation flew over the airfield before executing a peel-off manoeuvre for landing, according to officials.
Speaking after the flight, Morita praised the Tejas as an embodiment of India’s indigenous aerospace and defence capabilities and the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.
“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.
The JASDF chief said the sortie gave him first-hand insight into the efforts of personnel from India’s armed forces and defence industry involved in developing the aircraft. It also provided him an opportunity to understand the IAF’s training environment and the operational value of Veer Guardian for the Japanese air force.
Morita said he would remember the flight not merely as a significant professional experience but also as a symbol of the trust, confidence and friendship that India and Japan’s air forces have developed over the years.
He noted that Veer Guardian was only the second bilateral fighter exercise between the two air forces and, more significantly, marked the first deployment of JASDF fighter aircraft to India for a bilateral exercise.
India and Japan have progressively expanded their defence cooperation through military exercises and other engagements. Morita recalled Exercise Shinyuu Maitri, the first bilateral air exercise between the two countries, held in India in 2018.
He said the deployment of Japanese fighters to India had been a long-standing aspiration, particularly following the first deployment of IAF fighter aircraft to Japan three years ago.
Morita said advanced bilateral exercises such as Veer Guardian help the two air forces develop a better understanding of each other’s operational procedures, strengthen mutual trust and expand practical cooperation.
“It was with this belief in mind that we finally made it a reality together, bringing our defence cooperation to a new stage,” he said.
The two air chiefs later interacted with the media, emphasising the importance of bilateral exercises in enhancing interoperability, operational understanding and defence cooperation between India and Japan. Tejas and Japan’s F-2A fighters provided the backdrop for the interaction.
The IAF is participating in Veer Guardian with a mix of frontline combat aircraft, including the indigenous LCA Tejas, Su-30MKI and Rafale, while the JASDF has deployed its F-2A fighters.
The exercise is significant as it marks the first-ever operation of JASDF fighter aircraft from Indian soil in a bilateral air exercise, adding an important operational dimension to the steadily expanding India-Japan defence partnership.
(Photos courtesy: Indian Air Force)
