India, US Army exercise 'Yudh Abhyas 2025' starts at Alaska amidst tariff tension

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing tariff tension with the US, Indian Army soldiers have travelled to Alaska for a two-week long exercise with the US military, signalling a steady strategic relation between the two nations.

An Indian Army contingent, comprising a battalion from the Madras regiment, would participate in the India–US Joint Military Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2025 at Fort Wainwright, Alaska between September 1-14, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The Indian contingent will train alongside soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment 'Bobcats' of the Arctic Wolves Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division of the US.

Over two weeks, troops will rehearse a spectrum of tactical drills including helicopter-borne operations, employment of surveillance resources and unmanned aerial systems, rock craft, mountain warfare, casualty evacuation, combat medical aid and the integrated use of artillery, aviation and electronic warfare systems.

In addition, experts from both armies will give hands-on training on critical domains such as unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and counter-UAS operations, information warfare, communications and logistics.

The exercise will culminate in jointly planned and executed tactical manoeuvres, ranging from live-fire exercises to high-altitude warfare scenarios, with a focus on improving capabilities for United Nations peacekeeping operations and strengthening preparedness for multi-domain challenges.

The 21st edition of the bilateral army exercise comes days after US submarine support ship USS Frank Cable visited Chennai.

During the visit – the second one for the US support ship in two years – Indian submarine INS Sindhuvijay moored alongside USS Frank Cable to demonstrate the submarine tender’s capacity to maintain and repair allied and partner submarines throughout the Indo-Pacific.

Frank Cable is supporting the 7th Fleet, the US Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, operating with allies and partners with the objective of preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Despite the bitterness on the trade and traffic front, the strategic relations between New Delhi and Washington remained steady as two countries were likely to renew a 10-year military cooperation agreement soon, sources said.