NEW DELHI: US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Thursday visited the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan, where Indian and American troops are undertaking combined-arms drills as part of Yudh Abhyas. He described the exercise as a demonstration of the strength of the two countries' defence partnership.
"This exercise reflects the strength of our defence partnership: trust, readiness, interoperability, and shared purpose. Proud of what the US Army and Indian Army are achieving together," Gor posted on X after visiting the exercise area.
The US envoy's visit came days after New Delhi cautioned Washington that a US law targeting countries buying Russian oil could have implications for bilateral ties.
The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, signed by US President Donald Trump last week, authorises tariffs of up to 100% on countries buying Russian oil and gas. The law leaves it to the US President to determine which countries could face such tariffs, the rates and possible waivers.
The Ministry of External Affairs had said after the US Congress passed the bill, that it had raised the issue with US interlocutors and conveyed its concerns over the implications for bilateral ties.
It said India would take all necessary measures to protect its trade and economic interests while remaining committed to ensuring the energy security of its 1.4 billion people.
The latest edition of Yudh Abhyas began in mid September and is for the first time, being conducted simultaneously at the Auli Foreign Training Node in Uttarakhand and at Mahajan. Around 600 personnel from each side are participating in the exercise, which concludes this weekend.
The US contingent is drawn from the Alaska-based 11th Airborne Division, while the Indian contingent is led by the 14 Infantry Division.
At Mahajan, the focus has been on integrating the two armies' fire-support chain, covering target identification, transmission of fire orders, engagement and correction of fire integrating drones.
Indian and US troops have trained together on the M777 ultra-light howitzer, indigenous Dhanush guns and the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher. L-70 air-defence guns and the US Army's M-LIDS counter-drone system have also been deployed.
Indian Army AH-64E Apache attack helicopters have been integrated with ground forces for joint mission planning and precision engagement. The Army's six-helicopter Apache squadron at Jodhpur was completed last December under a $600-million US deal.
The US Army has also said live firing of its HIMARS rocket system and Stinger missiles is planned at Mahajan.
The exercise's mountain component at Auli has involved US paratroopers and soldiers of the Garhwal Rifles operating in integrated squads for jungle warfare and rock-face rappelling. The troops have also fired the homegrown AK-203 rifle.
Four Army dogs have participated in the drills, including two indigenous Rampur Hounds that have detected improvised explosive devices along the Manipur border.
Auli, where the high-altitude component of Yudh Abhyas is being held, is around 100 km from the Line of Actual Control. China had objected to the 2022 edition being held there, citing the 1993 and 1996 border agreements. New Delhi had rejected the objection, saying no third country had a say in India's bilateral military exercises.
The exercise also comes amid an expansion of India-US defence cooperation. Despite tarrif issues in the past year, the two countries renewed the 10-year Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership in October last year. The pact is meant to draw the policy direction for bilateral defence cooperation over the next decade.
India has also recently signed a Rs 292-crore government-to-government emergency procurement deal with the US for Javelin ATGMs ( anti-tank guided missiles). This was followed by an MoU between Tata Advanced Systems and the Lockheed Martin-Raytheon Javelin Joint Venture to explore assembly of the missile in India.
The Indian armed forces already operate several US-origin platforms, including C-17 and C-130J transport aircraft, P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, Chinook and MH-60R submarine hunting copters.
