Army's Statement - Exercise Yudh Abhyas is part of an ongoing series of joint exercises
between the Indian and United States Armies since 2005, agreed upon under the
New Framework of India-US Defence Relationship. Commencing at the platoon level,
the exercise has graduated to a command post (CPX) and field training exercise
(FTX).
The seventh edition of Yudh Abhyas is currently underway
since 05 March 2012 in two locations under the South Western Command. The US Army
contingent is from the US Army Pacific (USARPAC), part of their Pacific Command
(PACOM). The Command Post Exercise has an engineer brigade headquarters with
its planners from both sides, while the Field Training Exercise comprises
troops of 2nd Squadron 14th US Cavalry Regiment from 25th Infantry Division, Hawaii,
along with a platoon of Strykers, and a similar sized Indian Army contingent of
mechanized infantry. The event is all the more interesting as a number of key
surveillance, communications and Improvised Explosive Devices detection and
neutralisation technologies, available with both sides have been fielded in the
exercise.
On 13 March 2012, the two sides executed a joint cordon and
search drill to neutralise suspected insurgents, in a specially constructed
training area at the ranges in an abandoned village. The FTX, codenamed Desert Lark, saw the Indian and US troops
establish a cordon using their combat
vehicles at night and then conduct dismounted searches by day to flush
out insurgents as also use the third dimension
(helicopters) as part of the drill.
The CPX (Sarvada Saviours) at Bathinda focussed on the challenges
faced by Sappers in the domain of countering threats of Improvised Explosive Devices, infrastructure development in strife torn regions
and inaccessible areas and execution of rescue
and relief operations during natural calamities or disasters. The exercise provided an excellent
opportunity to both sides to understand functioning of Engineer Brigades with special
emphasis on operations under United Nations mandate in troubled areas.
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