On 1 September 2025, at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, the 21st edition of Exercise Yudh Abhyas, one of the bilateral military exercises between India and the United States, started. The drill will last through to 14 September and involve the troops of the Indian Army-led Madras Regiment and the US-led 1st Battalion 5th Infantry Regiment Bobcats of the Arctic Wolves Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division.
Focus and Scope
Yudh Abhyas 2025 is based on high altitude and integrated warfare operations, which include heliborne operations, mountain warfare, rock craft, casualty evacuation, and combat medical support. Joint exercises put a focus on the use of artillery, aviation, and electronic warfare systems integrated to create operational synergy.
Tactical Training
The two armies are training surveillance operations using unmanned aerial systems (UAS), counter-UAS, live-fire training and cold, mountainous manoeuvre training. These drills are designed to enhance the response to multi-domain operations and UN peacekeeping operations.
Knowledge Exchange
Both sides, in the form of subject-matter experts, are conducting information warfare, communications, logistics, and electronic warfare workshops to exchange expertise and build on strategies to operate in the conditions of the modern battlefield.
Strategic Importance
The drill occurs against a background of current US-India trade wrangles such as elevated tariffs but highlights the strength of the defence ties. It connotes the level of priority that the two countries have on their strategic relationship in regional and international security.
Significance
Yudh Abhyas improves interoperability between the Indian and the US army, develops the ability to operate jointly in extreme terrain, and reinforces the role of India in world peace. It is also an indication of the ongoing intensity of defence relations, despite economic conflict.
Month: Current Affairs - September 03, 2025
Category: current affairs daily