US and Indian armies conclude Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2026

A ceremony in Auli, India, on Sept. 27 marked the close of Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2026, capping three weeks of bilateral training conducted in Auli and at the Mahajan Field Firing Range.

The 22nd iteration of the annual U.S. Army Pacific-sponsored exercise brought together soldiers from the 11th Airborne Division’s 1st Mobile Brigade Combat Team, elements of the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, and the Indian Army for a Command Post Exercise, a Field Training Exercise, Expert Academic Discussions, and combined live-fire training across the two sites.

In Auli, U.S. and Indian soldiers trained side by side on jungle warfare and rappelling, counterterrorism and building-clearing operations, long-range sniper marksmanship, and combined air assault operations that integrated U.S. and Indian Army platoons aboard Indian Army helicopters. Troops also exchanged weapons systems and drone platforms, flying drones together and testing each other’s small arms.

At Mahajan Field Firing Range, units conducted precision fires training, including HIMARS, Stinger and M-LIDS live-fire events. Midway through the exercise, soldiers from both armies competed in a mixed U.S.-Indian tug-of-war tournament during a morale event.

Col. Ben Jackman, commander of the 1st Mobile Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division, said the training reinforced trust and interoperability. “What we built here over the last three weeks doesn’t end when we get on the plane,” Jackman said. “Our soldiers know each other’s equipment, they know each other’s tactics, and they trust each other. That’s what makes us ready to fight together if we’re ever called to do it.”

He added that the breadth of activities across both locations reflected the depth of the partnership. “From rappelling off a cliff face to flying together in the same aircraft, our soldiers and the Indian Army trained side by side at every level in this exercise,” Jackman said. “That kind of trust doesn’t come from a single event. It comes from three weeks of doing hard things together, and it’s going to carry forward into everything we do with this partner force.”

Final activities for Yudh Abhyas 2026 are scheduled to wrap following the closing ceremony.