India and US Begin 22nd Edition of Yudh Abhyas 2026

Yudh Abhyas 2026: India-US Joint Military Exercise  

• India and the United States commenced the 22nd edition of the Yudh Abhyas joint military exercise on 15 September 2026. 
• The exercise is being conducted at two locations: 
  • Auli Foreign Training Node, Uttarakhand 
  • Mahajan Field Firing Range, Rajasthan 
• Around 600 personnel from the Indian Army and 600 personnel from the US Army are participating. 
• Yudh Abhyas is an annual bilateral military exercise between the Indian Army and the US Army. 
• The primary objective is to improve interoperability, joint planning and the ability of both armies to conduct coordinated operations. 
• The exercise focuses particularly on operations in mountainous and semi-mountainous terrain. 
• Training activities include: 
  • Mission planning. 
  • Tactical drills. 
  • Infantry combat exercises. 
  • Joint operational planning and execution. 
  • Coordination between command structures and ground formations. 
• Auli, located in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, provides a high-altitude and rugged Himalayan environment for mountain-warfare training. 
• Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan will be used for live-fire drills and demonstrations of advanced weapon systems.
• The exercise is intended to strengthen: 
  • Military interoperability. 
  • Operational coordination. 
  • Exchange of best practices. 
  • Defence technology cooperation. 
  • Mutual understanding between the two armies. 
• The exercise also focuses on the employment of drones and autonomous systems for:
  • Surveillance. 
  • Reconnaissance. 
  • Intelligence gathering. 
  • Battlefield assessment.

PRELIMS MCQ

Q. With reference to Yudh Abhyas 2026, consider the following statements: 

1- It is a bilateral exercise between the Indian Army and the US Army. 

2- Auli is being used primarily for mountain-warfare training, while Mahajan Field Firing Range is being used for live-fire drills. 

3-The exercise includes training in the use of drones and autonomous systems for surveillance and reconnaissance. 

4-The exercise is exclusively focused on high-altitude warfare and does not involve training in other terrain conditions. 

Which of the statements given above are correct? 

(a) 1 and 2 only 

(b) 1, 2 and 3 only 

(c) 2, 3 and 4 only 

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 

Answer: (b) 1, 2 and 3 only 

Explanation: 

Statements 1, 2 and 3 are correct. Yudh Abhyas is a bilateral Indian Army–US Army exercise. Auli provides the high-altitude mountain-warfare environment, while Mahajan Field Firing Range is used for live-fire drills and weapons demonstrations. Drones and autonomous systems are included for surveillance and reconnaissance. 

Statement 4 is incorrect because the two-location format exposes troops to different operational environments, including mountainous and desert terrain.