India and the US on Tuesday began joint military exercise “Yudh Abhyas” which is being conducted simultaneously at Auli in Uttarakhand and the Mahajan field firing range near Bikaner, the Indian Army said.
“The exercise is aimed at enhancing the joint military capability of both armies for employment of integrated battle groups (IBG) in mountainous and semi-mountainous terrain, with emphasis on infantry-dominated operations. “Success in this exercise means our headquarters and small units can seamlessly integrate our capabilities to prevail in any environment.
It will strengthen interoperability, facilitate exchanges of best operational practices and strengthen joint planning and execution,” it said in a statement. The training will include the employment of drones and autonomous systems for surveillance and reconnaissance as well as demonstration of contemporary weapon systems, the army said. The US Army, in a statement, said the two-week drills will focus on readiness, interoperability and cooperation. “Training will include a brigade-level command post exercise, field training exercise, expert academic discussions, mountain warfare and cold-weather operations, counter-unmanned aircraft system training at Auli, and live-fire exercises with the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS ; Stinger; and the Mobile Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System, or M-LIDS, at the Mahajan Field Firing Range,” it said. Jackman said the forces will evaluate their ability to synchronise combined-arms operations and rapid land-power projection throughout the exercise. When we conclude this training, our soldiers will stand side by side as a more lethal, coordinated and ready force,” he said.
