Joint US-Indian Military Exercise in Alaska

Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 11th Airborne Division and Indian Army officially opened Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2025 at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, Sept. 2, marking the start of two weeks of combined training designed to enhance interoperability, readiness, and cooperation between the two nations’ land forces.

The bilateral exercise, now in its 18th iteration, will take place Sept. 1–14 at Fort Wainwright, the Yukon Training Area and Donnelly Training Area, Alaska.

Sponsored by U.S. Army Pacific Command, Yudh Abhyas 25 includes U.S. Army Soldiers, primarily from the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment “Bobcats,” 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Arctic) and a comparable Indian Army contingent of the 65th Infantry Brigade.

Yudh Abhyas, which means “Preparing for War” in Hindi, began in 2004 as a counterinsurgency training exchange.

Over the years, it has evolved to include brigade-level command post exercises and field training exercises focused on conventional, unconventional and hybrid threats, as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

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