Yudh Abhyas - Facts about Yudh Abhyas Exercise between India & US Armies

Yudh Abhyas is a joint military exercise, bilaterally occurring between India and the US. It started in 2002 and is undertaken by the armies of both countries to promote defence cooperation. The latest edition (17th edition) of the Yudh Abhyas Exercise is currently underway at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Alaska, USA.

The 16th edition of the Yudh Abhyas exercise took place between February 8 and February 21, 2021, at Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan.

Questions in the IAS Exam are sometimes asked from Joint Military exercises and this article will provide some relevant facts about Yudh Abhyas exercise.

Aspirants can read articles related to India and the US from the links mentioned in the table below:

The list of Indian Army Exercises is mentioned in the linked article. Aspirants can read about Sampriti, Maitree, CORPAT etc. by visiting this page.

Facts about Yudh Abhyas Exercise for UPSC

The table below mentions the relevant facts about the bilateral exercise – Yudh Abhyas:

Exercise Yudh Abhyas (2021 – 17th Edition)

Over 300 US Army soldiers and 350 soldiers of the 7 Madras infantry battalion group of the Indian Army are participating in the exercise. The 14-day training schedule includes activities on joint training in a counter-insurgency/counter-terrorism environment under a United Nations mandate. It is taking place in Alaska, USA.

List of Yudh Abhyas Exercises (Year-Wise)

India-US Defence Cooperation

Candidates should know some important points related to India-US defence cooperation:

1. India and the US participate in the following joint exercises apart from Yudh Abhyas:
   1. Cope-India (Air Force)
   2. Vajra Prahar (Special Forces)
2. A few multilateral exercises that India and the US participate in are:
   1. MALABAR
   2. RED FLAG
   3. RIMPAC
3. To acknowledge the connectivity between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, United States recently renamed its Pacific Command as the US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM)
4. Maritime Cooperation in the western Indian Ocean is promoted between the Indian Navy and the US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT).
5. Since 2008, India has purchased nearly US$ 18 billion worth of arms from the US, including:
   1. C-17 and C-130J transport planes
   2. state-of-the-art P-8i maritime reconnaissance aircraft
   3. Harpoon missiles
   4. Apache and Chinook helicopters and
   5. M777 howitzers
6. India is focusing on the Make in India programme in defence manufacturing
7. India and USA have signed the following three agreements:
   1. General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA, 2002)
   2. Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA, 2016) and
   3. Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA, 2018)

Yudh Abhyas Joint Military Exercise – UPSC Notes:-Download PDF Here

Also, Read | Surya Kiran Exercise

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