US and India Launch 21st Yudh Abhyas Exercise in Alaska

The Indian Army and US Army Pacific launched the 21st edition of Yudh Abhyas on September 1, 2025. The bilateral exercise, which runs through September 14, is hosted at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, following the arrival of the Indian contingent in Fairbanks on August 31.

This iteration involves 450 personnel from the Indian Army's Madras Regiment training alongside US soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment. The training program focuses on five primary operational areas: sub-arctic mountain operations, medical evacuation, live-fire tactical drills, heliborne and air-mobility integration, and electronic warfare and counter-drone systems.

The United States Embassy in India announced the upcoming 2026 edition of the exercise alongside the current drills. The embassy stated that the annual event has enhanced combined interoperability and strengthened the US-India Major Defense Partnership in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific since 2004.