By: Vandana Jhingan

The 21st edition of Exercise Yudh Abhyas, the annual bilateral army-to-army exercise between India and the United States, concluded successfully after two weeks of intensive operations at Fort Wainwright and the Yukon Training Area in Alaska on Sunday.

The exercise brought together around 450 Indian Army personnel from the Madras Regiment with soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 11th Airborne Division. Activities included command post exercises, field training in sub-arctic terrain, sniper and reconnaissance drills, counter-IED operations, and obstacle and demolition training, enabling troops to adapt to each other’s procedures under realistic combat conditions.

Live-fire exercises involving artillery and mortars tested coordination, fire control, and precision targeting, while joint combat medical training enhanced preparedness in extreme climates. The final phase featured combined tactical operations, integrating infantry, artillery, aviation, electronic warfare, and counter-drone systems, observed during a Distinguished Visitor Day on September 11.

Since its inception in 2002, Yudh Abhyas has grown from a platoon-level peacekeeping exercise to one of the largest and most advanced bilateral drills, symbolizing the expanding military cooperation under the India-U.S. Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.