India, U.S. armies step up combat interoperability with 22nd Yudh Abhyas

The Indian and United States armies have commenced the 22nd edition of their annual bilateral military exercise, Yudh Abhyas 2026, with a focus on high-altitude warfare, long-range precision fires, counter-drone capabilities, and greater operational interoperability.

As per the statement, the exercise, being held from September 9 to 28, saw the deployment of Arctic-trained soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 11th Airborne Division, based at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, for high-altitude training in India.

The U.S. Army’s 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force (3MDTF) will also participate in the exercise, bringing advanced long-range precision fires and integrated command-and-control capabilities into the drill.

The drills comprise of a command post exercise and a field training exercise, culminating in a combined live-fire demonstration involving U.S. and Indian long-range precision fires and rocket systems.

A key feature this year is the deployment of advanced counter-drone capabilities to India for the first time under the exercise framework. The U.S. Army’s Mobile Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System (MLIDS) will be integrated into the training, allowing the two armies to jointly work on countering emerging unmanned aerial threats on the battlefield.

Operation Pathways

The exercise is being conducted under the broader strategic framework of Operation Pathways and is aimed at strengthening interoperability, information sharing, and operational readiness between the two forces.

U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and Lieutenant General Joel “JB” Vowell, Deputy Commanding General of the U.S. Army Pacific, are scheduled to attend key training events.

The exercise comes amid growing defence cooperation between India and the U.S., with bilateral military exercises increasingly focusing on multi-domain operations, unmanned systems, precision fires, and high-altitude combat readiness.