Sukhoi-30 vs Gripen: India, Thailand set for key aerial showdown on Feb 9

Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF) will participate in a joint air exercise with Gripen fighters of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) near the Malacca Strait on February 9, defence sources told India Today.

The exercise, to be held near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the North Malacca Strait, will mark the IAF’s first international air drill of 2026. It comes amid heightened operational engagements following Operation Sindoor.

India will deploy four to six Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft operating from air bases in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, while a similar number of Gripen jets will fly in from Thai air bases. The drill will also involve IAF mid-air refuelling tankers and an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, adding significant operational complexity.

Defence officials said the primary aim of the exercise is to enhance interoperability, coordination and the exchange of best operational practices between the two air forces.

The joint drill will also include maritime search and rescue operations, with naval vessels deployed at sea to support air manoeuvres. A key objective is to test logistics endurance and operational sustainability in island territories -- a crucial capability in the strategically sensitive Indian Ocean Region.

The India–Thailand engagement forms part of an increasingly packed exercise calendar for the IAF after Operation Sindoor. Over the next two months, the force is scheduled to participate in three major air exercises with friendly foreign air forces, including those of France, the United States and Greece.

Since Operation Sindoor, India has already taken part in several high-profile drills, including Exercise Garud with France, AviaIndra with Russia, and other multinational exercises involving partner nations.

The Ministry of External Affairs has highlighted Thailand’s strategic importance, noting that the two countries share maritime boundaries and that Thailand’s geographical location makes it a key player in Southeast Asia.

Defence cooperation between India and Thailand has expanded steadily under India’s ‘Look East’ policy, later upgraded to the ‘Act East’ policy. A Joint Working Group on security cooperation, set up in 2003, identified military cooperation as a priority area.

The partnership was further institutionalised with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on defence cooperation in January 2012. The pact provides for regular joint exercises, coordinated maritime patrols near international maritime boundaries, counter-terrorism and anti-piracy operations, training exchanges and high-level defence visits.

With the upcoming air drill, both countries are expected to further deepen operational coordination in a region of growing strategic significance.