Indian and the United States troops will conduct the 18th edition of the “Yudh Abhyas” series of war games in Uttarakhand’s Auli between October 14 to 31.
The massive military exercise, which will be held less than 100 kilometers from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, is aimed at enhancing cooperation, understanding and interoperability between the two armies.
The US and Indian armies will take place is exercise near a disputed area of the Chinese-Indian border.
The “Yudh Abhyas” exercise assumes significance against the backdrop of the LAC standoff with China which was exacerbated after 21 Indian soldiers including a Commanding Officer were martyred in the Galwan Valley on June 15, 2020, during violent clashes that broke out between the Indian Army and the PLA.
According to the officials, various complex drills are being planned for the mega exercise that will be held in the Himalayan mountain range at an altitude of 10,000 feet near the city of Auli.
“At this time, we expect the main element will come from the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division, based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska,” Maj. Jonathon M. Lewis of US Army Pacific Public Affairs told Overt Defense.
The bilateral exercise first began in 2002 and this year will be the 18th edition of the joint drills.
The previous edition of the exercise called ‘Yudh Abhyas’ (‘War Practice’ in English) took place at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in the US state of Alaska in October 2021. The joint exercise is hosted alternately between both countries to enhance cooperation between the two forces.
The two nations have committed to strengthening Indo-US defense ties over the last few years. In June 2016, the US designated India a “major defense partner” and since then the two have inked key defense and security pacts.
Major US-India defense and security pacts
Some of the previous key defense and security agreements that got signed between the two countries include:
- Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) 2016 allows their militaries to use each other’s bases for repair and replenishment of supplies as well as provides for deeper cooperation
- The COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) in 2018 provides for interoperability between the two militaries and provides for the sale of high-end technology from the US to India
- The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) was signed in October 2020 to provide for sharing of high-end military technology, logistics, and geospatial maps