Indo-US Armies commence massive Joint Exercise ‘Yudh Abhyas’ to enhance counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism skills

New Delhi, September 17: The two-week 14th Indo-US Joint Military Training Exercise Yudh Abhyas – 2018 commenced on Sunday with an impressive opening ceremony in the foothills of Himalayas at Chaubattia in Uttarakhand. The two Armies will jointly be doing training to enhance counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism skills under United Nation charter. 

The joint exercise Yudh Abhyas 2018 will simulate a scenario where both nations will work together in counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism environment in mountainous terrain under United Nation charter. The two-week exercise will witness participation of about 350 personnel of the US Army and similar strength of the Indian Army.

The exercise curriculum is progressively planned where the participants are initially made to get familiar with each other’s organizational structure, weapons, equipment, confidence training and tactical drills. Subsequently, the training advances to joint tactical exercises wherein the battle drills of both the armies are coherently unleashed. The training will culminate with a final validation exercise in which troops of both countries will jointly carry out an operation against terrorists in a fictitious but realistic setting.

Over the years the two countries have decided to progressively increase the scope and content of this joint exercise. Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2018 will witness a Division Headquarter based Command Post Exercise, an Infantry Battalion carrying out Field Training Exercise and discussions on issues of mutual interest by experts of both countries.

Both armies have vast experience in active counterinsurgency & counter-terrorism operations and sharing each other’s tactics and drills in such diverse environment is of immense value. The exercise is a great step for the armies of the two democratic countries to train together and gain together from each other’s rich operational experiences. The latest exercise will help further build interoperability between the forces of both the nations.

Importantly, the two-week 13th Indo-US Joint Military Training Exercise Yudh Abhyas – 2017 with an aim to get jointly trained, plan and execute a series of well-developed operations for neutralization of threats of varied nature concluded 28 September last year at Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM), Washington, USA.