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BIG STORY DECEMBER 09, 2022 | The Indian Eye 5

In order to derive full benefit “The 18th Edition of India-US
from the professional skills & expe- joint training exercise #YudhAbhyas
riences of both armies, a Command is scheduled to be conducted at
Post Exercise and Expert Academic #Auli. The joint exercise will focus
Discussions (EAD) on carefully se- on the employment of an Infantry
lected topics will be carried out. Battalion Group in Peace Keeping &
The scope of the Field Training Disaster Relief operations under the
Exercise includes the validation of #UN Mandate,” tweeted the Addi-
integrated battle groups, force multi- tional Directorate General of Public
pliers, establishment and functioning Information, Indian Army.
of surveillance grids, validation of It will help both countries to
operational logistics, mountain war- counter China by endorsing each
fare skills, casualty evacuation and other. The 15-day exercise were fo-
combat medical aid in adverse ter- cused on high altitude, extremely
rain and climatic conditions. cold climate warfare.
The Defense Ministry said the The previous edition of the exer-
exercise will involve exchanges and cise was conducted at Joint Base El-
practices on a wide spectrum of com- mendorf Richardson, Alaska (USA)
bat skills including combat engineer- in October 2021, read the Ministry of
ing, employment of UAS/Counter Defense press release.
UAS techniques and information Earlier in October, US Chief of
operations. Naval Operations Adm Mike Gilday
The exercise will facilitate both had said that India will be a crucial
Armies to share their wide expe- partner for America in the future,
riences, skills and enhance their playing a key role in countering Chi-
techniques through information ex- Indian and US army personnel take part in the eighteenth edition of India-US joint military na. America’s highest-ranking Navy
change. exercise Yudh Abhyas 2022 on Wednesday (ANI) officer, Gilday had told an in-per-
The Indian Army on Wednesday son seminar hosted by the Heritage
carried out one of the largest field Foundation in Washington that In-
training exercises involving all the en- dia presents China with a two-front
tities of warfighting with the resolve problem. “They now force China to
of “whole of the nation” approach. not only look east, toward the South
Earlier on Wednesday, the women China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, but
soldiers of the Indian and US Army they now have to be looking over
on Thursday, trained together under their shoulder at India,” he said.
the ‘Yudh Abhyas 2022’ exchanging India, in the meantime, draws
the best practices while operating un- the same benefit from China’s diffi-
der the United Nations (UN) man- culties in facing a strong US-Japan
date, the Indian Army informed in a alliance around Taiwan, he said. A
statement. planned joint mountaintop exercise
Meanwhile, India on Thurs- between the US and India in October
day rebuffed China’s objection to is seen as underscoring the potential
the US-India joint military exercise second front for China. The annual
Yudh Abhyas held in Auli, Uttara- joint exercise Yudh Abhyas seems to
khand, 100 kms away from the Line be part of this strategy.
of Actual Control (LAC). While India has hosted the Yudh
In a weekly media briefing by the Abhyas exercise in Uttarakhand be-
official spokesperson of the Ministry fore, including in 2014, 2016 and
of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi An Indian Air Force (IAF) Chinook Helicopter is on a Combat Enabling Operation as part of the 2018, those drills were all held in the
said, “These exercises going on with ‘Yudh Abhyas’ exercise between Indian and the US (ANI) foothills, over 300 km from the China
the US in Auli has nothing to do with boundary. This year’s drills are tak-
the 1993 and 1996 agreements. The ing place at an altitude of over 3,000
Chinese side needs to reflect and think 1996 LAC pacts with India over mili- cials to not interfere with the PRC’s meters in Uttarakhand’s Auli region,
about its own breach of these agree- tary exercise with the US in Auli. relationship with India,” the Penta- less than 100 km from the Line of
ments. India exercises with whomso- Throughout its standoff with In- gon said in its latest report on Chi- Actual Control -- the de facto border
ever it chooses and it doesn’t give a dia along the LAC, Chinese officials nese military build-up. between India and China.
veto to third countries on this issue.” sought to downplay the severity of In a section on the China-India According to the columnist
Speaking on a Pentagon report the crisis, emphasizing Beijing’s in- border, the Pentagon said through- Brahma Chellaney, the Indian army
on China and Beijing’s warning to tent to preserve border stability and out 2021, the PLA sustained the de- activities in the Himalayas could help
American officials not to interfere prevent the standoff from harming ployment of forces and continued in- Taiwan’s defense. It would be “tying
in its relationship with India, Bag- other areas of its bilateral relation- frastructure build-up along the LAC. down a complete Chinese theatre
chi said, “In our relations with the ship with India, the Pentagon said in Negotiations made minimal progress force, which could otherwise be em-
US we will not let anybody veto it. a report on Tuesday. as both sides resist losing perceived ployed against the island,” he wrote
No one can have a veto on India-US “The PRC (People’s Republic of advantages on the border, it said. in an article recently.
ties, China needs to look into its own China) seeks to prevent border ten- India and US held the 18th edi- This could be the main reason
breaches. We want disengagement sions from causing India to partner tion of the joint military training ex- for China’s angry reaction to the In-
and de-escalation,” he said after more closely with the United States. ercise Yudh Abhyas in Auli, Uttara- dia-US exercise in the Himalayas,
China pointed to breach of 1993 and PRC officials have warned US offi- khand, 100 km away from LAC. close to the border.

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