Amid tariff rift, India-US military exercise begins in Alaska with focus on high-altitude and counter-drone warfare

India and the United States began the 21st edition of Exercise Yudh Abhyas at Fort Wainwright in Alaska on 1 September. The two-week drill runs until 14 September, bringing together more than 450 Indian soldiers and US troops at one of the most challenging training environments in the subarctic.

Indian troops on Alaska soil
The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that the Indian contingent, drawn from a battalion of the Madras Regiment, has joined the exercise. They are working alongside the US Army’s 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, known as the “Bobcats” of the Arctic Wolves Brigade Combat Team under the 11th Airborne Division.

Photos released by the ministry showed the Indian soldiers disembarking from a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft before the start of the drills.

Exercise Yudh Abhya: What the exercises cover
“Over two weeks, the troops will rehearse joint heliborne 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,” an Army officer said.

According to the Ministry of Defence, subject-matter experts from both armies are conducting working groups on unmanned aerial systems and counter-UAS operations, information warfare, communications, and logistics. The exercise will culminate in live-fire drills and high-altitude tactical manoeuvres, with a focus on preparing for multi-domain challenges and improving capabilities for United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Defence ties under strain
The backdrop to Yudh Abhyas is less cordial. Bilateral ties have been tested since US President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods. Yet defence officials remain confident that two decades of strategic cooperation will hold.

“It’s early days yet…though mutual trust has taken a big hit, there is too much at stake,” an official told TOI.

Since 2007, the US has secured over $25 billion in defence deals from India. Deliveries of 99 GE-F404 turbofan engines, contracted in 2021 for $716 million to power India’s Tejas Mark-1A fighter jets, have begun after delays. India is also preparing to sign another $1 billion contract with General Electric for 113 more engines.

Looking further ahead, India expects to receive 31 armed MQ-9B Predator drones worth $3.8 billion in the 2029-30 timeframe.

Parallel naval exercises
Alongside Yudh Abhyas, preparations are advancing for the 29th edition of the Malabar naval exercise scheduled for November off Guam. The Malabar began as a bilateral India-US drill in 1992 but now includes Japan and Australia under the Quad framework. Its focus is on deterring coercion in the Indo-Pacific, where tensions with China remain high.

India continues to balance its global partnerships. It is re-engaging with China despite border tensions while maintaining its long-standing defence ties with Russia. At the same time, it is keeping the military dimension of its relationship with the US strong, even as trade friction threatens other areas.

Exercises like Yudh Abhyas illustrate how both countries are pushing to deepen operational understanding and readiness despite political strain. From high-altitude manoeuvres to counter-drone warfare, the drills reflect a military partnership that both sides are unwilling to let slip.

(With inputs from TOI, ANI, PTI)