Desert Knight: A Strategic Trilateral Air Combat Exercise

India, France, and the UAE have initiated the trilateral air combat exercise “Desert Knight” over the Arabian Sea. This operation aims to strengthen defence cooperation, enhance interoperability among their air forces, and prepare for complex combat scenarios. Conducted in a strategically important region, the exercise underscores growing trilateral ties amid evolving global security challenges and geopolitical tensions.

Key Highlights of the “Desert Knight” Exercise

Objective and Purpose

• Enhance trilateral defence cooperation and build synergy among India, France, and the UAE.
• Improve air forces’ interoperability during complex combat scenarios.
• Foster collaborative skills through realistic and challenging operations.

Participants and Assets

India

• Aircraft: Sukhoi-30MKI, Jaguars, IL-78 mid-air refuellers, and AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) systems.
• Base: Operating from Jamnagar on India’s west coast.

France

• Deployed Rafale jets from the Al Dhafra airbase in the UAE.

UAE

• Participated with F-16 fighter jets from the Al Dhafra airbase.

Exercise Details

• Described as a “large force engagement” featuring intensive combat manoeuvres.
• Conducted approximately 350-400 km southwest of Karachi over the Arabian Sea.

Duration

• Three days.
• Builds on earlier trilateral defence initiatives, with a focus on multiple aircraft types operating in realistic combat scenarios.

Strategic Importance

• Strengthens defence ties in the Indo-Pacific and Persian Gulf regions.
• Demonstrates a unified response to challenges such as China’s assertive posturing and expanding influence.
• Builds on the 2022 trilateral framework for defence, technology, energy, and environment cooperation.

Broader Context and Historical Background

Bilateral Partnerships

India-France Defence Cooperation

• Longstanding strategic partnership spanning maritime security, counterterrorism, and defence-industrial collaboration.
• Regular bilateral exercises include,
• Shakti (army)
• Varuna (navy)
• Garuda (air force)

India-UAE Defence Collaboration

• Includes professional exchanges, training programmes, and multi-nation exercises.
• IAF regularly participates in “Desert Flag”, hosted by the UAE at the Al Dhafra airbase.

Previous Trilateral Exercises

Maritime Partnership Exercise (2023)

• Focused on addressing traditional and non-traditional security threats.
• Demonstrated the potential for collaborative defence frameworks in critical regions.

Geopolitical Implications

• Reinforces the importance of like-minded nations collaborating for regional stability.
• Highlights India’s proactive approach to adapting its defence strategies to emerging challenges.
• Establishes deeper operational readiness and resilience against security threats.

Significance of “Desert Knight”

• Strengthens India’s defence diplomacy with two key allies—France and the UAE.
• Advances the trilateral defence roadmap for cooperation across sectors.
• Reinforces the role of joint exercises in preparing for evolving global security dynamics and safeguarding critical regions like the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf.