India-US Yudh Abhyas 2025 Kicks Off in Alaska with Focus on High-Altitude, Counter-Drone and Joint Tactics

Fort Wainwright & Yukon Training Area, Alaska — The 21st edition of Exercise Yudh Abhyas, the annual India-United States military exercise, began on 1 September 2025 and will run through to 14 September at Fort Wainwright and the Yukon Training Area, challenging the troops amid sub-arctic conditions.

Some 450 soldiers from the Indian Army ─ notably a battalion of the Madras Regiment ─ are participating, alongside U.S. forces from the 11th Airborne Division, including the Bobcats of the 5th Infantry Regiment, part of the Arctic Wolves Brigade Combat Team.

Scope and Training Focus
The drills encompass a wide spectrum: high-altitude and cold weather warfare; counter-drone and unmanned aerial surveillance systems; heliborne operations; integrated field training involving infantry, artillery, aviation and electronic warfare; obstacle breaching, demolitions, sniper and reconnaissance (recce) training; and coordination under command and control nodes at battalion and brigade levels.

Operational and Strategic Significance
Despite recent trade and tariff tensions between New Delhi and Washington, Yudh Abhyas 2025 is being seen as an affirmation of enduring defence cooperation between the two democracies. The exercise is being held in one of the more austere environments in which India-US joint training has taken place, emphasizing resilience, interoperability and readiness in multi‐domain operations.

Joint Command, Realism and Field Conditions
The exercise features command post drills and working groups where Indian and U.S. officers are together planning, sharing control, coordinating maneuvers, and synchronising logistics. Field phases include live-fire exercises, mortar drills, and combined tactical operations in harsh terrain and weather. Attention to medical readiness, cold-injury prevention, casualty evacuation and force health protection under challenging cold conditions is also part of the programme.

Broader Context
Yudh Abhyas first began in 2002 as a smaller platoon-level exercise, often focusing on peacekeeping and lower intensity operations. Over the years, it has grown in scale, complexity, and technology content. The 2025 edition is among the largest yet, both in terms of troop numbers and in ambitious training aims.

Takeaways & Future Implications
Observers note this iteration reinforces India's push to enhance capabilities in cold weather and high altitude warfare, an area of increasing relevance given geopolitical competition in Arctic-proximate zones. For the U.S., the exercise serves to deepen interoperability with India, especially in unmanned systems, electronic warfare, and rapid deployment in harsh terrain. Defence analysts expect that lessons learned during Yudh Abhyas 2025 will reflect in future exercises, procurement priorities, and strategic planning for both nations.

As Yudh Abhyas draws to a close, both sides will assess performance, refine joint doctrines, and possibly plan for further collaboration — military, technological, and logistical — against a backdrop of evolving global challenges. The exercise underscores that while trade frictions exist, strategic and defense priorities continue to provide strong common ground.