India-US exercise Yudh Abhyas begins at Auli, Mahajan range
India and the US on Tuesday began the joint military exercise Yudh Abhyas simultaneously at Auli in Uttarakhand and the Mahajan field firing range near Bikaner, the Indian Army said. The 22nd edition involves 600 personnel from each side and aims to enhance the use of integrated battle groups in mountainous terrain and improve interoperability. The two-week drills include drones, mountain warfare, and live-fire training with HIMARS, Stinger and M-LIDS, the US Army said.
Source
Hindustan Times — India · read the original report ↗
Desk check · compared with the source
What the desk checked (5)
- Yudh Abhyas began Tuesday at Auli, Uttarakhand and Mahajan field firing range near Bikaner. — Attributed to the Indian Army statement in the source.
- This is the 22nd edition, with 600 personnel from each side. — Figures appear in the source, attributed to the Indian Army.
- Drills run two weeks and include HIMARS, Stinger and M-LIDS live-fire at Mahajan range. — Attributed to a US Army statement quoted in the source.
- The Indian Army operationalised the integrated battle group concept two months ago. — Stated in the source without direct attribution or date.
- Quotes from Colonel Benjamin Jackman on synchronising combined-arms operations. — Directly quoted and attributed in the source.
Analysts’ view opinion
At its 22nd edition, 'Yudh Abhyas' is less a one-off drill than a political signal that the India-US defence relationship has outlasted changes of government on both sides. The choice of venues — mountain and cold-weather warfare at Auli in Uttarakhand, live fire at Mahajan in Rajasthan — carries a diplomatic message that does not need to be spoken aloud. Crucially, the exercise tests the Integrated Battle Group concept the Indian Army operationalised only two months ago, giving a home-grown military reform an international stamp.
- Twenty-two uninterrupted editions tell both capitals that this cooperation is not tied to any single administration or party.
- Testing the newly operationalised IBG concept in a joint setting gives the government a demonstrable deliverable on defence reform.
- Live-fire training alongside American systems such as HIMARS, Stinger and M-LIDS indirectly strengthens the backdrop for procurement and technology-partnership conversations.
- Voices that stress strategic autonomy could question such drills as drifting closer to Washington; the government's framing will be that this is training, not alliance.
- The emphasis on drones and counter-drone training keeps the public debate on modern warfare readiness on ground favourable to the government.
What to watch — Watch the language of the closing statements after the two-week drill, and how far the government converts praise for the IBG model into political messaging.
The story covers the exercise itself and does not establish that it targets any particular country, that it will lead to any arms deal or policy shift, or that any political reaction has followed.
Deep dive
Research brief · 8 facts · 3 dates · exam-readyThe brief
Context
Yudh Abhyas is the annual India-United States joint army exercise. Its 22nd edition began on Tuesday and is being conducted simultaneously at the Auli foreign training node in Uttarakhand and at the Mahajan field firing range near Bikaner. The focus is on employing integrated battle groups (IBGs) in mountainous and semi-mountainous terrain with infantry-dominated operations, and on strengthening interoperability between the two armies. The Indian Army operationalised the IBG concept two months ago.
Key facts
- The 22nd edition of Exercise Yudh Abhyas began on Tuesday at Auli in Uttarakhand and the Mahajan field firing range near Bikaner.
- Each side is fielding 600 personnel, according to the Indian Army.
- The drills will run for two weeks, the US Army said.
- The Indian Army operationalised the integrated battle group (IBG) concept two months ago.
- The opening ceremony was addressed by Major General Amaresh Gunjan, GOC, 14 Infantry Division, and Colonel Benjamin Jackman, commander, 1st Mobile Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division, US Army.
- Training components include a brigade-level command post exercise, field training exercise, expert academic discussions, mountain warfare and cold-weather operations, and counter-unmanned aircraft system training at Auli.
- Live-fire exercises at Mahajan will involve HIMARS, Stinger and the Mobile Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System (M-LIDS).
- The exercise will include employment of drones and autonomous systems for surveillance and reconnaissance and demonstration of contemporary weapon systems.
Timeline
- Two months before the exerciseIndian Army operationalised the integrated battle group (IBG) concept, aimed at agile, self-contained, mission-oriented formations.
- Tuesday (date not stated in the source)22nd edition of Yudh Abhyas begins; opening ceremony held at the Auli foreign training node.
- Two weeks from commencementScheduled conclusion of the drills, per the US Army statement.
Who has a stake
- Indian Army — Testing employment of newly operationalised IBGs in mountainous terrain and infantry-dominated operations.
- US Army (1st Mobile Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division) — Building readiness, interoperability and rapid land-power projection with an Indian partner force.
- 14 Infantry Division, Indian Army — Host formation for the Auli phase; its GOC Major General Amaresh Gunjan addressed contingents.
- Auli (Uttarakhand) and Mahajan range (Bikaner) — Serve as the high-altitude foreign training node and the live-fire range respectively.
- 1,200 participating soldiers (600 from each side) — Exchange of tactics, techniques and procedures and joint planning and execution experience.
Why it matters
Yudh Abhyas is now the venue where India's newly operationalised integrated battle groups are being trialled alongside a foreign army in high-altitude terrain, linking doctrinal reform to practical validation. The mix of counter-drone training, autonomous surveillance systems and live firing with HIMARS, Stinger and M-LIDS reflects how mountain warfare is being reshaped by unmanned threats. For India-US defence ties, the 22nd edition signals sustained interoperability-building across command post, field and live-fire levels.
UPSC angle
Prelims pointers
- Yudh Abhyas is the India-US joint army exercise; the 22nd edition is held at Auli (Uttarakhand) and Mahajan field firing range (near Bikaner, Rajasthan).
- Participation: 600 personnel from each side; duration two weeks.
- IBG = Integrated Battle Group: agile, self-contained, mission-oriented formation; operationalised by the Indian Army two months before the exercise.
- HIMARS = High Mobility Artillery Rocket System; M-LIDS = Mobile Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System; Stinger is a man-portable air-defence missile as named in the source.
- US contingent drawn from the 1st Mobile Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division; Indian side hosted by 14 Infantry Division.
- Auli functions as a foreign training node for mountain warfare and cold-weather operations.
Mains framing
The 22nd Yudh Abhyas illustrates how India is converting doctrinal change into operational practice: the integrated battle group concept, operationalised only two months ago to create agile, self-contained and mission-oriented formations, is being exercised with a foreign partner in mountainous and semi-mountainous terrain with an emphasis on infantry-dominated operations. The design of the exercise reveals the emerging character of high-altitude conflict — drones and autonomous systems for surveillance and reconnaissance, counter-unmanned aircraft system training at Auli, and live firing with HIMARS, Stinger and M-LIDS at Mahajan — implying that mobility, precision fires and counter-drone defence are now central to mountain readiness. Simultaneous conduct at two widely separated locations, along with a brigade-level command post exercise, field training exercise and expert academic discussions, tests joint planning, execution and the synchronisation of combined-arms operations and rapid land-power projection. The way forward, as framed by both armies, lies in institutionalising the exchange of tactics, techniques and procedures, deepening interoperability between headquarters and small units, and carrying validated lessons from such drills back into force structuring for varied terrain and operational environments.
Key terms
- Yudh Abhyas
- Joint military exercise between the Indian and US armies; the 22nd edition is under way at Auli and Mahajan.
- Integrated Battle Group (IBG)
- Agile, self-contained, mission-oriented Indian Army formation meant to respond faster across varied operational scenarios; operationalised two months ago.
- Interoperability
- The ability of two forces to operate together seamlessly by sharing tactics, techniques, procedures and integrating capabilities.
- HIMARS
- High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, used in the live-fire exercises at Mahajan field firing range.
- M-LIDS
- Mobile Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System — a counter-drone system used in the live-fire phase.
- Mahajan Field Firing Range
- Range near Bikaner where the live-fire component of the exercise, including HIMARS, Stinger and M-LIDS, is conducted.
Practice questions
- Discuss how the operationalisation of Integrated Battle Groups is shaping India's approach to mountain warfare, using the 22nd Yudh Abhyas exercise as an illustration.
- Counter-unmanned aircraft systems and precision rocket artillery increasingly define high-altitude readiness. Examine with reference to the training components of Yudh Abhyas.
- What role do bilateral military exercises such as Yudh Abhyas play in building interoperability in India-US defence cooperation?
Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.