New Delhi, Sep 2 — A contingent of the Indian Army has arrived at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, to participate in the 21st edition of the Indo-US joint military exercise ‘Yudh Abhyas 2025’, being held from September 1 to 14, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Tuesday.
“An Indian Army contingent has reached Fort Wainwright, Alaska, for the 21st edition of Yudh Abhyas 2025 (01–14 Sept),” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on social media platform X. “Alongside US 11th Airborne Division troops, they’ll train in heliborne ops, mountain warfare, UAS/counter-UAS and joint tactical drills — boosting UN PKO & multi-domain readiness.”
An image shared by the MEA showed Indian soldiers standing in front of the C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, symbolising the strategic airlift and cooperation underpinning the exercise.
According to the Defence Ministry, the Indian Army’s contingent includes troops from a battalion of the Madras Regiment, while the US side is represented by soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment — the “Bobcats” of the Arctic Wolves Brigade, part of the 11th Airborne Division.
Over the two-week exercise, soldiers from both countries will undertake intensive training, including heliborne operations, mountain warfare, casualty evacuation, combat medical drills, and integration of artillery, aviation, and electronic warfare systems. Joint working groups led by subject-matter experts will also focus on critical areas such as information warfare, counter-drone tactics, communication networks, and logistics.
The exercise will culminate in jointly planned tactical manoeuvres, live-fire exercises, and high-altitude combat simulations, demonstrating enhanced interoperability and readiness for multi-domain operations.
Yudh Abhyas, a flagship exercise in Indo-US defence ties, aims to strengthen coordination in peacekeeping missions while reflecting growing strategic convergence between the two democracies amid shifting global geopolitics.
