The US Army 2d Brigade of the 11th Airborne Division and the Indian Army’s 9th Assam Regiment are wrapping up the Joint Exercise Yudh Abhyas 22 which began on 18 November 2022.
Begin in the early 2000’s this is the eighteenth time this Indo-US exercise has been conducted which each alternating between a location in India and the United States. Yudh Abhyas was held at Fort Richardson in Alaska in 2021. This exercise was conducted around Auli, a hill station in the northern state of Uttarakhand. The region consists of plateaus and mountains requiring operations in high altitude conditions. It is also only 100 kilometres from the Indo-China border.
In an official statement the Indian Army explained that “The training schedule focuses on the employment of an integrated battle group under Chapter VII of the UN Mandate.” Training events covered operations related to peace keeping & peace enforcement with troops from both armies working together to achieve common objectives.
The joint exercise also focuses on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations. The approximately 350 soldiers from both armies exchanged procedures and practiced combat skills including combat engineering, employment of UAS/Counter UAS techniques and information operations over the exercise.
In addition to a Command Post Exercise, Expert Academic Discussions (EAD) are being conducted with soldiers sharing information various professional topics. “The Field Training Exercise includes integration and exercise of joint battle groups, establishing and conducting surveillance, validation of operational logistics, heliborne operations in high altitudes, mountain warfare skills, casualty evacuation and combat medical aid in adverse terrain and climatic conditions.”
Brigadier General Pankaj Verma of the Indian Army shared that “Overall, it has been a great learning experience. There has been sharing of best practices between both the armies”. The Exercise Yudh Abhyas 22 is a two-week event which concludes on 2 December.
by Stephen W. Miller
