India-U.S. Army exercise Yudh Abhyas opens its 22nd edition with a counter-drone focus
Drones have changed modern battlefields. What are India and the U.S. practising together this year?
Published 11 September 2026. Written by Pratidin from the reports linked at the end; every fact checked by a separate review before publishing. How we work
The 22nd edition of Yudh Abhyas, the annual exercise between the Indian Army and the United States Army, has begun. This year's drills focus on high-altitude warfare, long-range precision fires (striking targets far away with guided rockets and artillery), counter-drone capabilities and integrated multi-domain operations. The U.S. side includes Arctic-trained soldiers of the 11th Airborne Division, based at Fort Wainwright in Alaska, and the 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force, a unit built around precision fires and joint command-and-control. The exercise has a command post exercise (CPX), in which staffs plan and direct operations on maps and networks, and a field training exercise (FTX) with troops on the ground, ending in a combined live-fire demonstration using rocket systems.
For the first time, the U.S. Army has deployed in India its Mobile Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System (MLIDS), a mobile system meant to detect and defeat small drones. 'Low, slow and small' drones are hard to spot on conventional air-defence radars and are cheap to use in large numbers, which is why armies are racing to build layered counter-drone defences. The exercise is conducted under the U.S. Army's Operation Pathways framework, which aims to strengthen information sharing, interoperability (the ability of two forces to operate together) and joint preparedness with partner armies in the Indo-Pacific.
Yudh Abhyas began in 2004 as counter-insurgency training and has grown to cover conventional, unconventional and hybrid threats, peacekeeping, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Venues alternate between the two countries: the 18th edition was held at Auli in Uttarakhand in 2022, the 20th at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan in 2024, and the 21st at Fort Wainwright in 2025. It sits alongside other India-U.S. exercises such as Vajra Prahar (special forces), Cope India (air forces), SALVEX (navies) and the Malabar naval exercise with Japan and Australia. The two countries have built the relationship on four foundational agreements signed between 2002 and 2020, while India continues to buy defence equipment from several countries.
Prelims facts
- Yudh Abhyas is an annual India-U.S. Army exercise that began in 2004; the 2026 edition is the 22nd.
- The 2026 edition focuses on high-altitude warfare, long-range precision fires, counter-drone capabilities and multi-domain operations.
- The U.S. Army deployed its Mobile Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System (MLIDS) in India for the first time.
- U.S. participants include the 11th Airborne Division (Fort Wainwright, Alaska) and the 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force.
- India and the U.S. signed GSOMIA (2002), LEMOA (29 August 2016), COMCASA (September 2018) and BECA (2020).
Quick recall
- Which forces take part in Yudh Abhyas?
- The Indian Army and the United States Army.
- When did Yudh Abhyas begin?
- 2004.
- Edition number in 2026?
- 22nd.
- Where was the 21st edition (2025) held?
- Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
- What does MLIDS stand for?
- Mobile Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System.
- Which U.S. units take part in 2026?
- 11th Airborne Division and 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force.
- When was LEMOA signed?
- 29 August 2016.
- Which agreement was signed at the first India-U.S. 2+2 dialogue in 2018?
- COMCASA.
Prelims practice question
Consider the following pairs:
Exercise : Participants
1. Yudh Abhyas : Armies of India and the United States
2. Cope India : Air forces of India and the United States
3. Vajra Prahar : Navies of India and the United States
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
Show answer
Answer: (b) Only two. 1 and 2 are correct. 3 is wrong: Vajra Prahar is a special forces exercise between India and the U.S., not a naval exercise; SALVEX is a naval one.
Use this in UPSC Mains: previous-year questions
Recurring theme: India-U.S. defence partnership, military exercises and emerging security threats
- How to use this
Yudh Abhyas and the four foundational agreements show the interoperability and technology exposure that India-U.S. defence ties offer.
- India and the U.S. signed GSOMIA (2002), LEMOA (29 August 2016), COMCASA (September 2018) and BECA (2020), the base for operational cooperation.
- The 22nd Yudh Abhyas (2026) covers high-altitude warfare, long-range precision fires and counter-drone operations; the U.S. deployed its MLIDS counter-drone system in India for the first time.
- It runs under the U.S. Army's Operation Pathways framework for interoperability with Indo-Pacific partners, while India continues to buy equipment from several countries.
- How to use this
Continuing India-U.S. drills and the Malabar exercise with Japan and Australia let you argue that security cooperation remains central even as economic agendas grow.
- The Malabar naval exercise with Japan and Australia runs alongside India-U.S. exercises such as Vajra Prahar, Cope India and SALVEX.
- Yudh Abhyas, begun in 2004 as counter-insurgency training, now covers conventional and hybrid threats and multi-domain operations in its 22nd edition.
- It is conducted under Operation Pathways, which aims to strengthen information sharing and interoperability with partner armies in the Indo-Pacific.
Mains practice question
Joint military exercises have become a pillar of India-U.S. defence ties. Discuss their significance for India's security, with reference to emerging threats such as drones. (150 words)
Model answer
Yudh Abhyas, the India-U.S. Army exercise begun in 2004, reached its 22nd edition in 2026 with a focus on high-altitude warfare, long-range precision fires and counter-drone operations.
Significance
- Interoperability: command post and field drills let the two armies plan and fight together, useful for disaster relief and peacekeeping too.
- High-altitude skills: training with Arctic-trained U.S. troops suits India's mountain borders.
- Emerging threats: the first deployment in India of the U.S. MLIDS counter-drone system exposes Indian troops to layered defence against low, slow and small drones.
- Multi-domain operations: linking land forces with air, cyber and space assets reflects how wars are now fought.
- Strategic trust: exercises build on GSOMIA, LEMOA, COMCASA and BECA.
Limits
- Exercises do not transfer technology by themselves.
- India must balance ties with the U.S. against strategic autonomy and other partnerships.
Conclusion
The exercises help India learn fast from others' experience, but lasting security needs domestic counter-drone capability.
The basics
Why this matters
Wars in the last few years have shown that cheap drones can threaten tanks, artillery and soldiers. Armies now train as much to stop drones as to use them. Yudh Abhyas 2026 puts that lesson at the centre of India-U.S. army cooperation, alongside mountain warfare.
The exercise
The Yudh Abhyas exercise series began in 2004 and moves between India and the U.S. every year.
- 2004Series begins as counter-insurgency training
- 2022 (18th)Auli, Uttarakhand
- 2023 (19th)Fort Wainwright, Alaska
- 2024 (20th)Mahajan Field Firing Range, Rajasthan
- 2025 (21st)Fort Wainwright, Alaska
- 2026 (22nd)Counter-drone and precision fires focus; MLIDS deployed in India
How it is run
- 1Command post exerciseStaff officers plan and direct a joint operation on maps and networks.
- 2Field training exerciseTroops carry out the plan on the ground, including high-altitude drills.
- 3Counter-drone trainingTroops train against drone threats, with the U.S. MLIDS system.
- 4Live-fire demonstrationCombined firing with rocket systems and long-range precision fires.
The new focus
Counter-drone warfare matters because small drones fly low and slow and are hard for radars built to track aircraft. Multi-domain operations link ground forces with air, space and cyber assets so that a target seen by one can be struck by another.
- 1Radar, radio-frequency and optical sensors pick up a small drone.
- 2Operators decide whether it is friendly or hostile.
- 3Jam its links or destroy it with guns or missiles.
- 4Check the result and reset for the next threat.
The wider relationship
These drills rest on India-U.S. foundational defence agreements that allow logistics support, secure communications and sharing of geospatial data. Critics caution that exercises are no substitute for India's own capability and that India must guard its strategic autonomy.
Go deeper
In one line: The 22nd Yudh Abhyas brings Indian and U.S. soldiers together to train in high-altitude warfare, precision fires and defence against drones, with a U.S. counter-drone system deployed in India for the first time.
Why it matters for UPSC
Prelims regularly asks which countries and services take part in named exercises. Mains GS3 covers security forces and emerging threats, and GS2 covers India-U.S. relations.
The core idea
The Yudh Abhyas exercise series is the oldest regular India-U.S. army drill. This year it emphasises Counter-drone warfare and Multi-domain operations, two areas where modern conflicts have shown rapid change. The legal and practical base for such cooperation is a set of India-U.S. foundational defence agreements.
Numbers and dates to remember
- 2004: first Yudh Abhyas.
- 22nd edition in 2026; the 21st was at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, in 2025.
- MLIDS: first U.S. deployment of this counter-drone system in India.
- GSOMIA 2002, LEMOA 29 August 2016, COMCASA September 2018, BECA 2020.
Where to go next
- Yudh Abhyas exercise series: history and venues.
- Counter-drone warfare: why small drones are hard to stop.
- Multi-domain operations: fighting across land, air, sea, space and cyber.
- India-U.S. foundational defence agreements: the four pacts behind the partnership.
Go deeper: What does India gain from exercises with the U.S.?
Supporters say exercises such as the Yudh Abhyas exercise series give Indian troops exposure to new tactics and equipment at low cost. Training alongside Arctic-trained U.S. units is relevant to India's high Himalayan borders. Seeing systems such as MLIDS in action helps Indian planners judge what Counter-drone warfare needs, from sensors to jammers. Practice in Multi-domain operations helps an army that is building new integrated structures.
Sceptics raise three points. First, exercises build familiarity but do not transfer technology; India still needs its own industry to make counter-drone systems at scale. Second, closer operational ties could be read as alignment, and India values strategic autonomy and ties with other partners. Third, the value of interoperability depends on how often the two forces would actually operate together.
The India-U.S. foundational defence agreements show how the relationship has deepened: GSOMIA (2002) for protecting classified information, LEMOA (2016) for logistics, COMCASA (2018) for secure communications and BECA (2020) for geospatial data. A balanced Mains answer notes these gains while stressing indigenous capability and a diversified set of partners.
Yudh Abhyas exercise series
History and venues.
In one line: Yudh Abhyas ('war practice') is an annual bilateral exercise between the Indian Army and the U.S. Army, held since 2004.
How it has changed
It began as counter-insurgency training. Over two decades it has grown to cover conventional and hybrid threats, peacekeeping, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The venue alternates between India and the U.S.
Recent editions
The 18th edition was held at Auli, Uttarakhand, in 2022; the 19th at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, in 2023; the 20th at the Mahajan Field Firing Range, Rajasthan, in 2024; and the 21st again at Fort Wainwright in 2025. The 22nd edition in 2026 focuses on high-altitude warfare, long-range precision fires and counter-drone operations.
Where to go next
Counter-drone warfare
Why small drones are hard to stop.
In one line: Counter-drone warfare is the set of sensors and weapons used to detect, identify and defeat hostile unmanned aircraft.
The problem
Small drones are cheap, can be used in large numbers and fly low and slow. Radars built to track fast aircraft struggle to see them, and firing costly missiles at cheap drones is not sustainable.
The response
Armies build layered defences. Sensors such as radar, radio-frequency detectors and cameras spot the drone. Operators identify it. Then it is defeated by jamming its control or navigation signals or by guns, missiles or other interceptors. The U.S. Army's MLIDS, deployed in India for the first time at Yudh Abhyas 2026, is a mobile system of this kind for 'low, slow, small' drones.
Where to go next
Multi-domain operations
Fighting across land, air, sea, space and cyber.
In one line: Multi-domain operations combine land, air, sea, space and cyber capabilities so that each supports the others in a single campaign.
The idea
In older doctrine each service fought largely in its own domain. In multi-domain operations, a target detected by a satellite or drone can be struck by long-range artillery or rockets, while cyber and electronic warfare blind the enemy. This needs shared networks and quick decisions.
In the exercise
The U.S. Army's 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force, which takes part in Yudh Abhyas 2026, is designed around long-range precision fires and integrated command and control. For India, the concept connects with its own efforts to bring the three services together.
Where to go next
India-U.S. foundational defence agreements
The four pacts behind the partnership.
In one line: Four 'foundational agreements' allow India and the U.S. to share classified information, logistics, secure communications and geospatial data.
The four agreements
- GSOMIA (2002): General Security of Military Information Agreement, on protecting shared classified information.
- LEMOA (29 August 2016): Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement, letting each side use the other's facilities for supplies and services.
- COMCASA (September 2018): Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement, signed at the first 2+2 dialogue, for secure communications equipment.
- BECA (2020): Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement, for sharing geospatial products.
Why they matter
Together they make joint exercises and equipment deals smoother. The two countries had also signed a ten-year defence framework in 2005.
Where to go next
Take the 11 September 2026 quiz: 54 Prelims-style questions with answers