India and US Armies Conduct Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2026

The Indian Army and the United States Army launched the 22nd edition of Exercise Yudh Abhyas on September 15, 2026. The two-week bilateral drill involves 1,200 personnel, with 600 from each nation, training simultaneously at the Auli Foreign Training Node in Uttarakhand and the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan.

The exercise focuses on infantry-dominated operations and the employment of Integrated Battle Groups in mountainous and semi-mountainous terrain. Training has progressed from building-clearance and room-intervention drills using robotic dogs and drones in Auli to jungle warfare, rock-face rappelling, and indoor firing with AK-203 assault rifles. In Rajasthan, troops conducted live-firing demonstrations with M777 Ultra Light Howitzers, Dhanush artillery guns, Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers, and L70 air-defence guns.

A central objective of the 2026 iteration is technology infusion, integrating autonomous systems for surveillance and reconnaissance with conventional combat elements. The drills aim to refine combat tactics and improve joint strategic planning in complex battlefield conditions. US Ambassador Sergio Gor visited the Rajasthan site on September 24 to observe the troops training side by side, characterizing the collaboration as a great partnership.