India–Thailand Air Exercise

Exercise name: India–Thailand Air Exercise (in‑situ)
Date: 17 February 2026
Participating forces:
India (IAF): Su‑30MKI multirole fighters, IL‑78 aerial refuelling tankers, AWACS aircraft
Thailand (RTAF): SAAB Gripen jets
Location of operations:
IAF assets operated from airbases in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Indian Ocean Region)
Thai Gripens operated from bases within Thailand
Objective: Demonstrate IAF’s reach, interoperability with a Friendly Foreign Country (FFC), and the strategic utility of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) as a forward hub.

The exercise is a continuation of the deepening defence cooperation under India’s Act East Policy (2014), which seeks to strengthen ties with Southeast Asian nations.
Thailand’s complementary ‘Act West’ policy (2016) aligns with India’s regional outreach, emphasizing maritime proximity and shared security interests in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Both nations are members of regional groupings such as the ASEAN‑India Dialogue Partnership and have been expanding cooperation in maritime security, counter‑terrorism, and disaster relief.

Strategic Reach: Validates the IAF’s capability to project power from the remote ANC, enhancing India’s deterrence posture in the IOR.
Interoperability: Provides a platform for joint operational planning, standardisation of procedures, and familiarisation with each other’s platforms, crucial for future multilateral exercises.
Diplomatic Leverage: Reinforces India’s role as a security provider in Southeast Asia, complementing other initiatives like the Quad, Indo‑Pacific Oceans Initiative, and Maritime Security Cooperation.
Economic Angle: Strengthened defence ties can translate into greater trade and investment opportunities, especially in aerospace and defence manufacturing under the Make in India and Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor.

Article 253 of the Indian Constitution empowers the Parliament to enter into international agreements; defence pacts fall under this scope.
Defence Procurement Policy (DPP) 2020 encourages joint development and co‑production, which can be facilitated through such bilateral exercises.
India‑Thailand Strategic Partnership Agreement (2015) provides a framework for defence cooperation, joint training, and technology sharing.

Enhances Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) in the IOR, a region witnessing increasing great‑power competition.
Positions the ANC as a forward operating base, supporting not only air operations but also potential naval and amphibious missions.
Sets a precedent for future multinational exercises involving other ASEAN members, contributing to a collective security architecture.