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Exercise Yudh Abhyas - Latest Update, History, Previous Editions of The Exercise And More!

Last Updated on Dec 28, 2023
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Yudh Abhyas is the largest bilateral joint military exercise between India and the United States. Yudh Abhyas military exercise started in 2002, and since then, it has been undertaken by the armies of both countries to promote and deepen defence cooperation. The latest edition, i.e.19t the edition of the Yudh Abhyas Exercise, was held from 25th September to 8th October 2023 in Fort Wainwright, Alaska, USA. The last edition of the exercise was held from October 14 2022 to October 31 2022, in Uttarakhand, India.

Source: PIB

Military Exercises between India and different countries are very important for the UPSC Civil Services exam under the theme of International relations, Current affairs and Security. Time and again, questions have been asked about the topic of Military exercises. This article on the Yudh Abhyas exercise will help you prepare for your UPSC IAS Exam.

This article will discuss in a detailed way about Recent Updates, quick facts, the latest edition, the List of previous editions of the Yudh Abhyas Exercise, etc. We will also learn about the India-US Defence relationship.

Download the PDF on Yudh Abhyas for the UPSC Exam here!

What is Yudh Abhyas?

Yudh Abhyas is a bilateral military exercise between the Indian Army and the United States Army. It is one of the largest joint military training exercises between the two countries. The exercise is held alternately in India and the United States. The primary objective of Yudh Abhyas is to enhance interoperability and cooperation between the two armies. The exercise also aims to promote mutual understanding and trust between the two countries.

युद्ध सैन्य अभ्यास के बारे में हिंदी में भी जानें!

Overview of Exercise Yudh Abhyas

Some of the important facts related to the Yudh Abhyas exercise are given in the table below:

Quick Facts about Yudh Abhyas

Name of Exercise

Yudh Abhyas

Objective

To enhance understanding, cooperation and interoperability between Armies of India and the US.

Type of exercise

Annual Army Exercise

Participating Countries

India and the United States

Started in

2002

Hosted by

alternately by the two countries (Since 2004)

Latest Edition

18th edition in 2022 in Uttarakhand, India between 13-15 October, 2022

Upcoming Edition

25th September to 8th October 2023 in Fort Wainwright, Alaska, USA

Activities

  • Military Training
  • Cultural Exchanges
  • Developing Joint Operational Skills
  • Fostering friendships
  • Exchange of knowledge

Other details

  • The training and exercises in Yudh Abhyas take place at the Battalion level.
  • The joint planning of Yudh Abhyas is decided at the Brigade level.

Check out the Article Malabar Exercise here!

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19th Edition of Exercise Yudh Abhyas

The key highlights of the 19th Edition of Exercise Yudh Abhyas:

    • Dates: 25th September to 8th October 2023
    • Location: Fort Wainwright, Alaska, USA
    • Significance: This edition marked the first time the exercise was held in the challenging, cold-weather environment of Alaska. It further tested the interoperability and capabilities of both armies.
    • Focus: The exercise focused on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in a cold-weather setting, including:
      • Mountain warfare techniques
      • Combat engineering in snow and ice
      • Counter-drone operations
      • Communication and coordination in a harsh environment
  • Participants:
    • Indian Army: A battalion from the Gorkha Rifles regiment, known for their skill and experience in mountain warfare.
    • US Army: A battalion from the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, with expertise in arctic and cold-weather operations.
  • Outcomes: The exercise successfully enhanced the ability of both armies to operate in a complex and unfamiliar environment. It strengthened their tactical skills and cooperation. It also fostered mutual understanding and trust between the Indian and US forces.

Learn more about the India-China hand-in-hand exercise!

18th Edition of Exercise Yudh Abhyas

The 18th edition of the India-US joint military exercise, Yudh Abhyas, took place from November 16th to December 2nd, 2022. It marked the first time the exercise was hosted in the high-altitude terrain of Auli, Uttarakhand, India. This strategic location, approximately 100 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC), presented a unique challenge.

Yudh Abhyas 18 focused on sharpening skills for the unforgiving environment of the Himalayas. Indian troops from the Gorkha Rifles joined forces with their US counterparts from the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

The exercise primarily focused on honing mountain warfare skills and enhancing interoperability between the two armies. 

Learn more about the Mitra Shakti Military Exercise!

List of Previous Edition of Yudh Abhyas Exercise

The Yudh Abhyas military exercise between the two nations started in 2002. It has taken place annually since its inception. You can find out the details of all the Previous Edition of Yudh Abhyas Exercise in the table given below:

List of Previous Edition of Yudh Abhyas Exercise

Edition

Year

Host Country

Location

First

2002

India

Agra (Uttar Pradesh)

Second

2004

India

Vairengte (Mizoram)

Third

2005

USA

Schofield Army Base barracks

Fourth

2006

India

Chaubatia (Uttarakhand)

Fifth

2007

United States

Honalu

Sixth

2009

India

Babina (Uttar Pradesh)

Seventh

2010

United States

Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson

Eighth

2012

India

Jaisalmer (Rajasthan)

Ninth

2013

United States

Fort Bragg

Tenth

2014

India

Ranikhet (Uttarakhand)

Eleventh

2015

United States

Joint Base Lewis McChord

Twelfth

2016

India

Chaubatia (Uttarakhand)

Thirteenth

2017

United States

Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

Fourteenth

2018

India

Chaubatia (Uttarakhand)

Fifteenth

2019

United States

Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington

Sixteenth

2021

India

Mahajan Field Firing Range, Rajasthan

Seventeenth

2021

United States

Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska

Eighteenth

2022

India

Auli, Uttarakhand

Nineteenth

2023

United States

Fort Wainwright, Alaska

Check out the list of Important Military Exercises.

Latest Update on India-US Defence Relationship

India and the US are planning to expand defence ties in the field of cyber and space domains – India and the US are committed to strengthening their major defence partnership by expanding cooperation in new domains such as the space segment and cyber segment, and both nations are also planning to launch a dialogue on Artificial Intelligence in 2022.

Learn more about the simbex exercise!

Previous Defence Cooperation between India-US
  • Apart from the Yudh Abhyas exercise, India and the US participate in the following bilateral and multilateral exercises:
    • Exercise Tiger Triumph – It is a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief exercise.
    • Exercise Vajra Prahar – It is a Special Forces’ Exercise
    • Cope India Exercise – In this exercise, the Air Force of both nations participates.
    • Malabar Exercise – This is a Quadrilateral naval exercise of India, the USA, Japan and Australia.
    • Red Flag Exercise – It is a multilateral air exercise led by the US in which India also participates.
    • RIMPAC Exercise – It is the largest biennial multilateral Naval exercise led by the US in which India also participates.
  • India and the USA have signed the following four agreements:
    • GSOMIA (General Security of Military Information Agreement) – Signed in 2002
    • LEMOA (Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement) – Signed in 2016
    • COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) – Signed in 2018
    • BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement) – Signed in October 2020
  • India has purchased nearly billions of dollars worth of weapons and arms worth billions of dollars from the US. Some of the major purchases are as follows:
    • C-17 and C-130J transport planes
    • state-of-the-art P-8i maritime reconnaissance aircraft
    • Harpoon missiles
    • Apache and Chinook helicopters and
    • M777 howitzers
  • India is also emphasising the Make in India Programme for manufacturing defence products.

We hope all your doubts related to the topic of Yudh Abhyas are addressed after going through this article. Testbook provides comprehensive notes for Civil services and various other competitive examinations. It has always assured the quality of its products like content pages, live tests, Gk and current affairs, mocks, and so on.Ace your UPSC preparation with Testbook. Download the Testbook App now!

More Articles for IAS Preparation

Yudh Abhyas Military Exercise FAQs

Yudh Abhyas is the largest bilateral joint military exercise between India and the United States. The latest edition of the Yudh Abhyas Exercise is scheduled to take place from October 14 to 31,2022 in Uttarakhand in India.

Sampriti exercise is the bilateral defence cooperation endeavour between India and Bangladesh which is hosted alternately by both countries

The 17th edition of Yudh Abhyas was held in Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska (US) in 2021.

Yudh Abhyas military exercise started in 2002

RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific Exercise) is the largest military exercise in the world.

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