India-US Yudh Abhyas exercise concludes after weeks of drills

The Indian and US armies closed Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2026 in a ceremony on September 27, ending three weeks of joint training.
The 22nd iteration of the annual exercise brought together about 600 soldiers from each country. Training ran simultaneously at Auli in Uttarakhand and the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan.
At Auli, troops trained in jungle warfare, rappelling, counterterrorism, building clearing and long-range sniper shooting. Combined air assaults flew US and Indian platoons together aboard Indian helicopters.
At Mahajan, the armies conducted live-fire training with HIMARS rocket systems, Stinger missiles and the M-LIDS counter-drone system. Soldiers also exchanged weapons and drone platforms.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor visited the troops in Rajasthan. He called it India’s largest bilateral defence exercise with any country.
Col Ben Jackman, the US commander, said the exercise built trust the two armies will carry into future training.
After the exercise, army chiefs from both countries met in New Delhi to discuss Indo-Pacific security and deeper defence cooperation.
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