India, US to take part in mega joint military exercise near LAC in October

India and the US will take part in a two-week-long joint military exercise in Uttarakhand's Auli in October. The mega military exercise will be held less than 100 kilometers from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh which has been a site of a dispute in the aftermath of the Galwan Valley face-off with China.

According to officials, a number of complex drills are being planned for the mega exercise which comes as a part of the 18th edition of exercise "Yudh Abhyas". The military drills will be held at an altitude of 10,000 feet in Auli from October 14 to 31, sources in the defence and military establishment said. The exercise is aimed at enhancing understanding, cooperation, and interoperability between the armies of India and the US, sources added.

The "Yudh Abhyas" exercise in Auli assumes significance against the backdrop of the LAC standoff with China. The Ladakh standoff was exacerbated after 21 Indian soldiers including a Commanding Officer were martyred in the Galwan Valley on June 15, 2020, during violent clashes that broke out between the Indian Army and the PLA. The Galwan clash was seen as the biggest flashpoint between the two countries since 1975.

Tensions have continued in the region following China's extensive buildup, including the construction of a bridge near Pangong Tso lake, which sits along the LAC border. So far, 16 rounds of high-level military talks have been held between the two nations with de-escalation at a few friction points.  

India-US defence ties

Notably, the last edition of the "Yudh Abhyas" took place in October 2021 in Alaska in the US. The two nations have expressed their commitment to strengthening Indo-US defence ties over the last few years. In June 2016, the US designated India a "major defence partner" and since then the two have inked key defence and security pacts.

Some of the key agreements 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 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 as well as the BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement), signed in October 2020 to provide for sharing of high-end military technology, logistics and geospatial maps.

(With agency inputs)