The annual joint humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise ‘Sahayata Setu’ will take place at Air Force Station, Jamnagar, in Gujarat from November 17-19, the IAF said on Tuesday.
Alongside the Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, the Indian Coast Guard and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), as well as international participants, will be part of the exercise, which aims to strengthen inter-agency synergy, operational interoperability, and international response coordination for major disasters, including cyclonic storms, earthquakes, floods, and chemical emergencies, the IAF said.
In a social media post, it also shared a video clip about the upcoming exercise. The Annual Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Exercise 2026 (AJHE-26) will also see participation of several friendly foreign countries and other partners.
Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh are on the list of international participants shared by the IAF.
India had mounted humanitarian assistance in the wake of natural disasters in Sri Lanka (cyclone Ditwah in 2025) and in Nepal, which was ravaged by devastating flash floods in August this year.
Exercise Sahayata Setu, which will be hosted under the South Western Air Command, will foster joint preparedness, and it will include multi-agency capability demonstrations, the IAF video said. There will also be a seminar and a tabletop exercise. IAF said that the exercise aims to strengthen inter-agency synergy, operational interoperability, and international response coordination for disasters.