India and US begin joint military exercise ‘Yudh Abhyas’

Bikaner: India and the United States started the joint military exercises ‘Yudh Abhyas’ with the participation of 270 US soldiers, tanks, armoured vehicles and helicopters, on Monday. These war exercises are being held at Suratgarh in Rajasthan. The practices will continue for the next two weeks. These are the second war exercises being held in Rajasthan in the last two months. Before this, Passage Exercise – PASSEX, between India and France were held here.

The India and US militaries started ‘Yudh Abhyas’ war exercises in 2004. This is the sixteenth year of these annual exercises. Last year, these exercises were held at a military base in Seattle in the United States. Counter-terrorism actions and other aspects are practised in these exercises. While many programs have been rescheduled this year, this annual military exercise’s timetable almost remained unchanged because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Yudh Abhyas is considered the most significant military training and practice exercise between the Indian and the US militaries. The Indian soldiers are participating in the activities under Brigadier Mukesh Bhanwala, Commander of the 170 Infantry Brigade. Colonel Amitabh Sharma, the spokesman of the Indian Army, informed that stress, during the Yudh Abhyas, will be on the ideological exchange, concepts and exercises of the Army. The practices are looked at from the point of view of promoting bilateral military cooperation and mutual efficiency.

Along with the US soldiers, a Globemaster aircraft and striker-armoured vehicles of the US Army also have reached Rajasthan to participate in the exercises. Whereas, India‘s Rudra, MI-17 and Chinook helicopters and BMP-2 military vehicles will be seen in the practices. The number of Indian soldiers participating in the activities has not been clarified. Nevertheless, it is claimed that the exercises will strengthen the India-US military ties further.