In an effort to further strengthen military to military level ties between the two countries, India and the US will hold a two-week-long Drill in Uttarakhand's Auli in October amid the fast-evolving regional security scenario.
The "Yudh Abhyas" exercise will take place in the backdrop of the ongoing stand-off between the armies of India and China for the last two years in eastern Ladakh.
The 18th edition of exercise "Yudh Abhyas" will be held from October 14 to 31, sources said here on Thursday. A number of complex drills is being planned for the mega exercise, they said.
The last edition of the exercise took place in October 2021 in Alaska in the US. The Indo-US defence ties have been on an upswing for the past few years. In June 2016, the US designated India a "Major Defence Partner". The two countries have also inked key defence and security pacts over the past few years, including the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016 that allows their militaries to use each other's bases for repair and replenishment of supplies as well as provides for deeper cooperation.
The two sides also signed the COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) in 2018 which provides for interoperability between the two militaries and provides for the sale of high-end technology from the US to India.
In October 2020, India and the US sealed the BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement) to further boost bilateral defence ties. The pact provides for sharing of high-end military technology, logistics and geospatial maps between the two countries.