In order to improve interoperability and share expertise between both armies in peacekeeping and disaster relief operations, the 18th iteration of the India-US joint military exercise Yudh Abhyas is currently taking place in Uttarakhand, about 100 kilometres from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, officials said on Thursday.
According to a statement from the defence ministry, the exercise aims to improve interoperability and knowledge sharing between both armies in peacekeeping and disaster relief missions.
Days before the 60th anniversary of the conclusion of the India-China conflict of 1962, the nearly two-week exercise takes place amid rising tensions between India and China along the LAC.Each year, India and the US hold Yudh Abhyas with the intention of exchange best practises, strategies, techniques, and operational guidelines between their armed forces. In October 2021, Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Alaska hosted the exercise’s prior iteration.
The field training also included instruction in small-arms shooting, medical evacuations, mountaineering, and snow survival in cold and high altitudes. On November 15, the local Ministry of Defense announced that the drill would include both Indian Army members from the Assam Regiment and soldiers from the US Army’s 2nd Brigade of the 11th Airborne Division.
It had stated that the aim of the training programme is the usage of an integrated fighting group in accordance with Chapter VII of the UN Mandate.
