WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): The 21st edition of Exercise Yudh Abhyas, the premier annual Army exercise between India and the United States, commenced on 01 September 2025 at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, and will continue through 14 September 2025.

The Indian Army contingent, comprising 450 personnel led by a battalion of the Madras Regiment, arrived in Fairbanks on 31 August. They are training alongside US soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment (“Bobcats”), part of the 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Arctic Wolves), 11th Airborne Division.

The 2025 edition is one of the largest bilateral military exercises for the Indian Army in terms of troops mobilized. This edition emphasizes:

i) Mountain and high-altitude operations under sub-arctic conditions

ii) Heliborne and air-mobility integration, backed by artillery and aviation assets

iii) Electronic warfare, surveillance, and counter-drone systems

iv) Medical evacuation and combat casualty care in field conditions

v) Live-fire tactical drills to validate seamless interoperability

Since its inception in 2002 as a platoon-level exercise, Yudh Abhyas has expanded greatly both in scope and participation. Past editions have explored diverse terrains: high-altitude warfare in India’s Auli and Chaubattia; desert maneuvers in Rajasthan; urban and cold environment training at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Alaska.

Today, Yudh Abhyas stands as a flagship, high-complexity Army-to-Army exercise. It has become one of the cornerstones of India US military cooperation. India conducts more military exercises with the US than with any other country. These exercises, including Yudh Abhyas, Malabar, COPE India, Vajra Prahar, Tiger Triumph and several others, are central to building interoperability and forging mutual trust. It demonstrates how our two democracies continue to work towards peace, security and prosperity, including in the Indo-Pacific region.

(Based on a press Release)