The Indian Army and the United States Army opened the 22nd edition of Exercise Yudh Abhyas on September 15, 2026, with a formal ceremony held simultaneously at two contrasting locations: Auli in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, near the Line of Actual Control with China, and the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges near Bikaner, Rajasthan, close to the border with Pakistan. The exercise, which the Ministry of Defence describes as a flagship pillar of the India-US Major Defense Partnership, will run until September 28, 2026.
This year’s edition marks a departure from past practice. Since its inception in 2002 as a platoon-level drill, Yudh Abhyas has typically been held at a single venue in a given year, alternating between India and the United States. The 2026 edition is the first to combine two operationally distinct theatres — arid desert warfare and high-altitude mountain operations — within a single iteration of the exercise.
Quick Facts
- Exercise: Yudh Abhyas 2026 (22nd edition)
- Participating nations: India and the United States
- Duration: September 9 to September 28, 2026 (opening ceremony held September 15)
- Locations: Auli, Uttarakhand (high-altitude) and Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan (desert)
- Troop strength: Approximately 700 total — around 350 from each army
- US formation involved: 11th Airborne Division (based at Fort Wainwright, Alaska)
- Sponsoring US command: US Army Pacific
- Key focus areas: High-altitude warfare, long-range precision fires, counter-drone operations, interoperability
- Previous (21st) edition: Held in 2025 at Fort Wainwright, Alaska
Why Two Theatres, and Why Now
The decision to run Yudh Abhyas across two geographically and operationally distinct settings in a single edition is being described as a deliberate first for the exercise. At Mahajan, troops are training in open desert manoeuvre warfare, long-range fires, and precision strike operations — conditions suited to testing mobility and artillery coordination across expansive terrain. At Auli, roughly 95 kilometres from the Line of Actual Control with China, the focus shifts to high-altitude combat, mountainous terrain operations, air mobility, and the logistical challenges specific to operating at elevation.
Structuring the exercise this way allows the same cohort of participating units to be tested against sharply different operational demands within a single training cycle, rather than specializing in only one type of terrain per year as in previous editions.
Exercise Components
| Phase | Focus |
|---|---|
| Command Post Exercise (CPX) | Joint planning, command and control, coordination between headquarters |
| Field Training Exercise (FTX) | On-ground tactical drills, manoeuvre, and combined operations |
| Combined Live-Fire Demonstration | Joint firepower demonstration integrating both armies’ weapon systems |
What’s Being Tested
Beyond general interoperability, this year’s Yudh Abhyas places specific emphasis on long-range precision fires and counter-drone capabilities, alongside high-altitude warfare readiness. Reports on the desert phase at Mahajan indicate the Indian Army is expected to field Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers and K9 Vajra self-propelled howitzers, while the US Army is expected to bring its HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System). AH-64E Apache attack helicopters are also expected to take part, demonstrating fire-support capabilities including Hellfire missiles, 70mm rockets, and 30mm cannon systems.
The broader objective, as with past editions, extends beyond weapons handling: the exercise is designed to improve joint command and communications, fire support coordination, and logistics between the two armies, while giving both sides a structured opportunity to exchange operational experience and familiarity with each other’s equipment and doctrine.
A Two-Decade Partnership
Yudh Abhyas has run annually since 2004 (building on an earlier platoon-level exercise dating to 2002), making the 2026 edition its 22nd iteration. Past editions have taken place across a wide range of settings, including high-altitude training in Auli and Chaubattia, desert exercises in Rajasthan, and cold-weather and urban environments at US Army installations such as Joint Base Lewis-McChord and locations in Alaska — where the most recent, 21st edition was held in 2025 with the US Army’s 11th Airborne Division.
India’s defence establishment has noted that it conducts more military exercises with the United States than with any other country, with Yudh Abhyas sitting alongside exercises such as Malabar, COPE India, Vajra Prahar, and Tiger Triumph as central pillars of that relationship. Officials have described these exercises collectively as central to building interoperability and mutual trust between the two militaries as part of a broader strategic partnership oriented around a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Why This Edition Matters
Running Yudh Abhyas across two theatres in one edition is a logistically more demanding format than previous years, and reflects an intent to test the India-US military relationship against a broader range of operational scenarios rather than a single terrain type. With Auli’s proximity to the China border and Mahajan’s proximity to the Pakistan border, the geographic spread of this year’s exercise also places it in the context of India’s wider security considerations along both its northern and western frontiers, even as the exercise itself remains a bilateral training and interoperability drill rather than a response to any specific event.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is the 22nd edition of the annual India-US bilateral Army exercise, running from September 9 to September 28, 2026, with its formal opening ceremony held on September 15 simultaneously at Auli, Uttarakhand and Mahajan, Rajasthan.
Around 700 troops in total, with roughly 350 from the Indian Army and 350 from the US Army.
For the first time in the exercise’s history, Yudh Abhyas is combining two contrasting operational theatres — desert warfare at Mahajan and high-altitude mountain warfare at Auli — within a single edition, rather than focusing on one terrain type per year.
The US Army’s 11th Airborne Division, based at Fort Wainwright, Alaska — the same formation that hosted India’s troops during the 21st edition in 2025.
Reports indicate the Indian Army is expected to deploy Pinaka rocket launchers and K9 Vajra howitzers, the US Army its HIMARS rocket system, and both sides are expected to involve AH-64E Apache attack helicopters during live-fire demonstrations.
Since 2004 as an annual bilateral exercise (building on an earlier platoon-level drill from 2002), making 2026 its 22nd edition.
Yudh Abhyas is considered a flagship pillar of the India-US Major Defense Partnership, and India conducts more military exercises with the United States than with any other country, reflecting the depth of the bilateral defence relationship.
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