Japan sends fighter jets to India for first time for exercise Veer Guardian 26

Three JASDF F-2As to deploy via Okinawa and Thailand with US Air Force refueling support

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By LineZotpaper

Published27 August 2026

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The Japanese Air Self-Defense Force will deploy three F-2A fighter jets to India for the first time in its history, flying via Okinawa and Thailand to take part in the bilateral air exercise Veer Guardian 26, with the US Air Force providing aerial refueling and other support along the route.

For the first time in its history, the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) will deploy fighter jets to India for a joint air exercise, marking a milestone in Tokyo–New Delhi defense cooperation.

Three F-2A fighters are scheduled to fly to India via Okinawa and Thailand for exercise Veer Guardian 26, according to a report by The Diplomat's Takahashi Kosuke. The US Air Force will provide support along the transit route, including aerial refueling.

The F-2A is a Japanese-developed multirole fighter produced in collaboration with the United States. While the three-aircraft deployment is modest in scale, its symbolic weight is considerable: it marks the first time Japanese combat aircraft have been based in India for a military exercise.

Veer Guardian is a bilateral air exercise between Japan and India. The inaugural edition was held at Japan's Hyakuri Air Base in January 2023, reflecting a broader push by both governments to expand defense ties. Veer Guardian 26 will be the first edition hosted by India, and the first to involve a forward deployment of Japanese fighters to the country.

The transit route via Okinawa — a major staging point for Japanese and US forces — and Thailand highlights the logistical challenges of moving combat aircraft across thousands of kilometers. US aerial refueling support is essential for the single-engine F-2A, which has a limited unrefueled range for such a long-distance deployment.

The exercise also carries strategic significance beyond the two participants. Japan and India are both partners in the Quad framework alongside the United States and Australia, and both have cited the goal of a "free and open Indo-Pacific" in their security strategies. China has consistently viewed such exercises warily, seeing them as part of an effort to balance its growing military influence.

India, however, has carefully calibrated its defense partnerships. New Delhi participates in the Quad and in Malabar naval exercises with the US, Japan and Australia, while maintaining diplomatic and economic ties with both Beijing and Moscow. Hosting Japanese fighters allows India to deepen interoperability with a major Quad partner without formal alliance commitments.

For Japan, the deployment fits a broader evolution of its security posture. Under its 2022 National Security Strategy, Tokyo has moved toward greater military activity, including expanded joint exercises with regional partners. Being able to operate from allied airfields far from home is a practical demonstration of that shift.

The Indian Air Force, for its part, gains exposure to Japanese operational practices and aircraft, potentially building habits of cooperation that could prove useful in a crisis. Whether this first deployment marks the start of a regular pattern will depend on how both sides assess the exercise's outcomes and on the wider regional security climate.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The first-ever JASDF fighter deployment to India transforms Japan–India defense cooperation from symbolic exercises into concrete operational integration on Indian soil.
The route via Okinawa and Thailand, with US Air Force refueling support, demonstrates deepening trilateral military coordination in the Indo-Pacific.
China watches such exercises closely; any expansion of regional defense ties between Quad partners carries geopolitical weight far beyond the three aircraft involved.

Background

Japan and India have steadily expanded defense ties over the past decade. The inaugural Veer Guardian exercise was held at Japan's Hyakuri Air Base in January 2023, following agreements to deepen bilateral security cooperation, including joint exercises and defense equipment. The relationship has operated alongside the Quad framework — involving the US, Japan, India and Australia — and multilateral naval drills such as Malabar.

Japan's 2022 National Security Strategy marked a significant shift toward a more active military posture, including increased defense spending and expanded joint exercises with regional partners. India, traditionally committed to strategic autonomy, has gradually increased military engagement with the US and Japan even as it maintains ties with China and Russia. This deployment builds directly on those foundations, extending an exercise that previously took place on Japanese soil to Indian territory.

Key Perspectives

Japan: Sees the deployment as part of its "free and open Indo-Pacific" strategy and a practical demonstration of its growing capacity to project force and operate with allies beyond its home islands. India: Values the defense partnership as a hedge against China's rise while preserving strategic autonomy; hosting Japanese fighters increases interoperability with a key Quad partner without entering into formal alliance commitments. China: Tends to view expanding US-aligned defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific with suspicion and has historically protested regional military exercises involving foreign forces near its periphery. Critics/Skeptics: Some analysts question the practical significance of a three-aircraft deployment, noting the aging F-2A airframe and the fact that the exercise remains bilateral rather than an operational alliance, limiting its strategic weight.

What to Watch

Whether future Veer Guardian iterations follow a rotating pattern (alternating between Japan and India) and whether the scale of participation grows.
China's official response, including any diplomatic protests or military activity near the exercise venue.
Whether US support expands beyond refueling in future editions, potentially signaling a move toward trilateral air exercises in the Indo-Pacific.

Sources

JASDF Fighter Jets to Visit India for First Time — The Diplomat