India and US armies 'battle' it out in Alaska

FP Staff • October 26, 2021, 12:57:56 IST

The 17th edition of the Yudh Abhyas exercise is being conducted at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Alaska from 15 to 29 October

Indian and United States Army personnel are holding their annual bilateral training exercise named Yudh Abhyas 2021 at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. The annual exercises are aimed at enhancing the interoperability of the two armed forces to boost partner capacity for conventional and future contingencies throughout the Indo-Pacific region. News18

Around 300 US Army soldiers belonging to First Squadron (Airborne) of the 40th Cavalry Regiment and 350 soldiers of 7 Madras Infantry Battalion of the Indian Army are participating in the exercise. News18

The previous edition of the exercise took place at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Bikaner in February. “This exercise is another step in the growing military cooperation between the two countries. The exercise aims at enhancing understanding, cooperation and interoperability between two armies,” the Indian Army said. News18

The exercise is focusing on “combined arms manoeuvres in cold climatic conditions and is primarily aimed at sharing tactical level drills and learning best practices from each other”. As per of the exercise, troops of both armies undertook aerial reconnaissance in a UH 60 Blackhawk helicopter. News18

The ‘Yudh Abhyas’ exercise is the longest-running cooperative military training and defence cooperation programme between the two forces. News18

The Indo-US defence ties have been on an upswing in the last few years. In June 2016, the US had designated India a “Major Defence Partner”. The two countries have also signed key defence and security pacts over the past few years, including the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016 and the COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) in 2018. News18