Representative image, Screebgrab from Yuddh Abhyas Indian Army promotional video.
Photo: Twitter
hall: The Indian and US armies will train together barely 100 km from the Chinese border in Uttarakhand’s Auli in a high-altitude war amid bitterly cold conditions.
“The 18th edition of the India-US joint training exercise Yudh Abhyas is scheduled to be conducted in Auli. The joint exercise will focus on the employment of an infantry battalion group in peacekeeping and disaster relief operations under the UN mandate,” the Indian Army informed on Twitter.
This is largely seen as an effort to prepare troops for disaster relief operations and evacuation of injured people from hard-hit areas to check Chinese aggression in its border areas.
By supporting each other, it will enable both countries to face China.
Exercise Yudh Abhyas is held annually between India and the United States with the aim of sharing best practices, tactics, techniques and procedures between the two militaries. The previous version of the exercise was held in October 2021 at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Alaska (USA), according to a news statement from the Ministry of Defense.
The exercise will involve US Army soldiers from the 2nd Brigade of the 11th Airborne Division and Indian Army personnel from the ASSAM Regiment. The training plan focuses on the use of an integrated battle group under Chapter VII of the UN mandate.
According to the statement, troops from both India and the US will rehearse for launching quick and coordinated relief activities after any natural disaster.
A command post exercise and expert academic discussions (EAD) will be conducted to take full advantage of the professional talents and experiences of both armies.
The field training exercise validates integrated battle units, force multipliers, development and operation of surveillance networks, operational logistics, mountain warfare capabilities, casualty evacuation, and combat medical aid in harsh terrain and climatic conditions.
The exercise will include exchanges and training on a wide range of combat capabilities, including combat engineering, UAS/counter-UAS operations and information operations.
