Future military power will depend on decision-making speed, not platform numbers: Rajnath Singh

Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 was a multinational air exercise hosted by the Indian Air Force. Its central purpose was to help participating air forces plan missions together, test procedures and learn from one another. It reflects the changing character of warfare, where cooperation and speed increasingly matter alongside aircraft numbers.

Seven countries sent air forces: Australia, Bangladesh, France, Germany, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. Thirty-two more nations joined as observers. Combat, transport, surveillance and air-to-air refuelling capabilities took part, alongside Indian platforms such as Tejas and Prachand.

The exercise ran from September 26 to October 12 and followed its inaugural 2024 edition. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh urged the IAF to apply its lessons to training, tactics, technology, doctrine and future capability development. The intended result was stronger coordination and better preparedness for complex operations.

Tarang Shakti 2026 involved 39 countries when both active participants and observers are counted. Seven countries contributed air forces to the exercise. Another 32 nations attended as observers, giving them a chance to follow the activity and learn from the multinational event.

The seven participating countries were Australia, Bangladesh, France, Germany, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. Their air forces brought different combat, transport, surveillance and air-to-air refuelling capabilities. Indian aircraft, including Tejas and Prachand, also featured.

This scale mattered because the exercise was built around operational learning and closer coordination. Singh said multinational exercises help air forces exchange knowledge, test procedures and compare training and mission-planning methods. The 39-country footprint therefore extended the exercise’s learning value beyond the forces flying missions.

The phrase describes a complete decision cycle. A military first detects what is happening, then makes sense of the information, chooses a response and carries it out. Speed matters because modern operations can change quickly across several connected areas, not only on land, at sea or in the air.

For example, surveillance systems may identify a developing situation. Commanders and operational networks must then understand its importance, select an appropriate action and direct aircraft or other systems to respond. The article connects this cycle with drones, artificial intelligence, electronic warfare and long-range precision weapons.

Singh argued that future military power will depend less on platform numbers and more on this ability to process information and act quickly. Tarang Shakti was intended to strengthen that ability through joint planning, tested procedures, shared operational knowledge and closer coordination among different air forces.

More aircraft, ships or other platforms do not automatically produce more military power. A force must first detect events, understand them, choose a response and act. If that process is slow, extra platforms may arrive too late or be used against the wrong problem.

A faster force can identify a developing situation, coordinate its available systems and deliver an appropriate response sooner. The article points to drones, unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, electronic warfare and long-range precision weapons as technologies reshaping operations. These capabilities make information, timing and accurate action increasingly important.

This is why Singh said future military power will depend less on platform numbers. He urged the IAF to use Tarang Shakti’s lessons in training, tactics, technology, doctrine and capability development. The implication is that India and its partners must build faster decision systems alongside aircraft and other hardware.

These technologies broaden what air forces can do and how they conduct operations. Drones and other unmanned systems add tools for surveillance or action without requiring a pilot in every vehicle. Artificial intelligence can support the rapid handling of information. Together, they reinforce the need for quick decisions.

Electronic warfare makes the electromagnetic environment part of an operation. It can affect how systems communicate, detect and operate, while long-range precision weapons extend the distance from which forces can engage targets. The article presents all four capabilities as increasingly important in modern military operations.

Their combined effect is a shift from relying mainly on the number of conventional platforms. Air forces must connect sensing, analysis, coordination and precise action across several domains. Singh therefore urged the IAF to absorb lessons from Tarang Shakti into training, tactics, technology, doctrine and future capability development.

Countries may use different aircraft, procedures and doctrines, so cooperation cannot be assumed. A multinational exercise creates a controlled setting where forces can work together, compare methods and identify coordination challenges before a real operation. This makes shared learning a practical part of military preparedness.

Tarang Shakti brought together combat, transport, surveillance and air-to-air refuelling capabilities. Participants conducted joint mission planning, exchanged operational knowledge and tested procedures. They also learned from different approaches to training and mission planning, while Indian platforms such as Tejas and Prachand operated in the exercise.

Singh said these activities build closer coordination among air forces. The exercise included seven participating countries and 32 observer nations, widening the pool of experience. Its lessons can now inform training, tactics, doctrine, technology and future capability development, helping partners work more effectively despite different equipment and practices.

The electromagnetic spectrum and information domain are additional areas of military competition beyond land, sea and air. The spectrum is the environment used by electronic systems and communications. The information domain concerns the information that forces collect, share, interpret and use. The article identifies both as parts of modern warfare.

Their importance follows from the growing reliance on networked and information-heavy operations. Drones, unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, electronic warfare and precision weapons all increase the value of timely information and reliable electronic activity. Disruption or confusion in these areas can affect how forces understand situations and act.

Singh said modern warfare is expanding across space, cyberspace, the electromagnetic spectrum and the information domain. This means future capability development must address more than aircraft and other platforms. Training, tactics, technology and doctrine must prepare forces to operate across these connected areas.