Delhi: Commodore Andrew Dowling, Defence Adviser of New Zealand, praised the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian military for organising Tarang Shakti, highlighting the complexity of conducting a large-scale multinational air exercise.

Speaking at a seminar organised by the Centre for Aerospace Power and Strategic Studies (CAPSS) on the central role of air power in the evolving battlespace, Dowling said coordinating an intensive exercise involving countries with different operational practices was a challenging task.

Andrew Dowling Praises Tarang Shakti

Dowling congratulated the Indian Air Force and the Indian military for conducting Tarang Shakti. He noted that organising a high-intensity, complex air exercise involving multiple countries required considerable coordination, particularly because participating nations follow different procedures.

His remarks highlighted the organisational effort involved in bringing international military forces together for joint exercises.

#WATCH | Delhi: Speaking at the Centre for Aerospace Power and Strategic Studies (CAPSS) seminar on the central role of air power in the evolving battlespace, Commodore Andrew Dowling, Defence Adviser, New Zealand, says, "I just have to congratulate the Indian Air Force and the Indian military for putting on Tarang Shakti. It's really, really difficult to be able to generate and organise a high-intensity, very complex air exercise with lots of different countries who do it differently. We'll do it differently, so that doesn't make it easy..." He adds, "At a slightly more Air Force to Air Force level, we operate lots of the same types. So, the C-130J Hercules that you operate, we operate. So there's a really good basis for how we generate our relationship together. And I think Tarang Shakti is a real cornerstone, certainly for the Air Force relationship. And so I'm sure we'll be back in a couple of years..."

— ANI (@ANI) October 9, 2026

India-New Zealand Air Force Cooperation

Dowling also discussed the operational similarities between the Indian and New Zealand air forces, pointing to their use of the C-130J Hercules aircraft.

He said operating the same aircraft type provided a strong foundation for cooperation and helped strengthen the relationship between the two air forces.

Tarang Shakti as a Cornerstone of Defence Ties

Dowling described Tarang Shakti as a cornerstone of the India-New Zealand Air Force relationship. He also expressed confidence that New Zealand would participate again in a future edition of the exercise, potentially in a couple of years.

His comments underscored the role of multinational air exercises in promoting cooperation, coordination and professional engagement among participating air forces.