New Delhi, Sept. 15 -- A joint military exercise -- 'Yudh Abhyas' -- involving the troops of Indian and US armies, which seeks to bolster interoperability among the two forces and address emerging challenges while further strengthening the bilateral defence partnership, kicked off on Tuesday.
The opening ceremony of the 22nd edition of the exercise was held at Auli Foreign Training Node in Uttarakhand.
The exercise is simultaneously being conducted at Auli and
Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan, the Indian defence ministry said.
"The exercise is aimed at enhancing the joint military capability of both armies for employment of Integrated Battle Groups in mountainous and semi-mountainous terrain, with emphasis on infantry-dominated operations. It will strengthen interoperability, facilitate exchanges of best operational practices and strengthen joint planning and execution," it said in a statement.
Maj Gen Amaresh Gunjan, General Officer Commanding, 14 Infantry Division and Col Benjamin Jackman, Commander, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division, US Army, addressed the participating contingents comprising 600 personnel from each side, the ministry said.
Technology infusion will form a key focus area. The training will include the employment of drones and autonomous systems for surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as demonstration of contemporary weapon systems, which will be undertaken at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, officials said.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.