September 19, 2026: The mountains of Uttarakhand and the deserts of Rajasthan have become the simultaneous training grounds for India and the United States as the two armies conduct the 22nd edition of Exercise Yudh Abhyas, a major annual bilateral military exercise focused on interoperability, joint planning and preparedness for modern battlefield challenges.
The exercise began on September 15 and is scheduled to continue until September 28, bringing together approximately 600 personnel from each country. For the first time in the exercise’s history, training is being conducted simultaneously at two locations: the Auli Foreign Training Node in Uttarakhand and the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan.
At Auli, in the high-altitude Himalayan terrain, Indian and American troops are training for mountain warfare, cold-weather operations and infantry-dominated missions in mountainous and semi-mountainous environments. The exercise is also designed to strengthen the ability of India’s newly operationalised Integrated Battle Groups to operate alongside their US counterparts.
The other half of the exercise is unfolding hundreds of kilometres away at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan, where the desert landscape provides a very different operational environment. Here, the focus includes live-fire activities and the demonstration of advanced weapons and counter-drone capabilities.
According to the US Army, the exercise includes planned live-fire training involving HIMARS, Stinger systems and M-LIDS, alongside counter-unmanned aircraft system training.
From boots on the ground to drones in the sky
Yudh Abhyas 2026 is not simply about traditional infantry drills. Technology has become a central component of the exercise. Indian and US troops are working with drones and autonomous systems for surveillance and reconnaissance, while training also incorporates counter-drone capabilities. At Auli, troops have conducted exercises involving drones, robotic systems and other surveillance assets during simulated counter-terrorism and building-clearance operations.
The exercise also includes a brigade-level command-post exercise, field training, expert academic discussions and exchanges between military specialists on emerging technologies and multi-domain warfare. Topics include developments across areas such as cyber, space, electronic warfare and artificial intelligence.
The US contingent includes soldiers from the 11th Airborne Division, known as the “Arctic Angels,” while the Indian contingent includes personnel from the 14 Infantry Division.
The significance of this year’s exercise lies partly in the extraordinary contrast between its two training environments. At Auli, soldiers must contend with high-altitude terrain, cold weather and mountainous battle conditions. At Mahajan, they face the demands of desert operations and live-fire training.
The objective, however, remains the same: to ensure that Indian and American forces can plan, communicate and operate together more effectively across complex operational environments.
India’s Ministry of Defence says the exercise is intended to improve joint military capability, exchange operational practices and strengthen joint planning and execution. The US Army similarly describes Yudh Abhyas as a platform for enhancing readiness, cooperation and interoperability between the two forces.
Yudh Abhyas has been conducted annually since 2004, making it one of the longest-running military exercises between India and the United States.
The 2026 edition reflects how military cooperation between the two countries has expanded beyond conventional infantry training. The emphasis now extends into drones, autonomous systems, precision fires, counter-drone warfare, artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities and other elements of multi-domain operations.
The message from the exercise is therefore broader than the sight of two armies marching together. From the Himalayan heights of Auli to the firing ranges of Rajasthan, Yudh Abhyas 2026 is testing how two militaries can train, communicate and operate together across radically different battle environments.
JANPATH NEWS NETWORK (JNN)
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