India, US to hold joint military exercise in September in Uttarakhand
The Indian Army and the United States army will participate in a joint military exercise in Uttarakhand in September this year in a bid to share ‘experiences and techniques’.
The Indian Army and the United States army will participate in a joint military exercise in Uttarakhand in September this year in a bid to share ‘experiences and techniques’.
This year it will be the 12th edition of the exercise in the ‘Yudh Abhyas’ series that started in 2004 as part of US Army Pacific partnership programme, an army official said. It will be held at the Chaubatia Military Station in Ranikhet, where a joint exercise of both the armies was also conducted in 2014.
Last year, armies of both the nations met at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord in the US.
“Indo-US joint training exercise will be a battalion level exercise. As part of the combined training, the contingents are (already) sharing tactics, techniques, procedures and operational experiences to improve interoperability between the two armies,” an Indian Army spokesperson said.
Earlier this week, a three-day long meeting was conducted between the US and Indian Army officials at Ranikhet to chalk out a plan for the proposed drill. Sources said officials deliberated on issues related to coordination, conduct and training aspects of the exercise.
Dehradun-based Brigadier (retd) KG Behl said the joint military drills are crucial for the forces as they learn new techniques.
“Such drills help in a big way. The jawans and officials learn about new weaponry, warfare techniques and also they get a chance to showcase strength,” Brig (retd) Behl said.
In the backdrop of unfolding strategies on the global defence arena, the countries sharing a “common interest” are coming on a single platform. Earlier in June, a trilateral naval exercise was held between India, US and Japan close to the South China Sea.