U.S., Indian Forces Fly, Fight Together in Combined Air Assault

Sept. 28, 2026 | By Army Maj. Ian Roth, 11th Airborne Division |

U.S. and Indian Army forces executed a combined air assault during Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2026 near Auli, India, Sept. 25, seizing two objectives in a mission that integrated soldiers from both nations into the same formations. 

The operation began with battalion scouts moving forward to conduct reconnaissance of the area. The lead company then moved into assault positions, isolated the first objective and secured it. The second company isolated the other objective ahead of the air assault.

Soldiers were then transported by an Indian helicopter onto a landing zone near the second objective, before moving into position. Indian soldiers conducted their own air assault shortly after, descending from a helicopter to join the force and seize the objective. Both objectives were accomplished before the combined force transitioned into a hasty defense. 

Army Capt. Gaston Adam, 1st Mobile Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division, deputy operations officer, said the mission's success depended on close coordination between U.S. ground forces and Indian Army aviation. Both forces conducted an air mission coordination meeting the day before, followed by cold load training and aircraft familiarization that allowed soldiers to practice safely entering and exiting the helicopter.

"The integration between the ground force and the aviation task force, particularly the pilots, is integral to an operation like this," Adam said. "You have to be able to look that pilot in the eye and trust they're going to get you there safely. It builds confidence in the soldiers that they're actually going to reach their objective and can focus on their mission." 

The mission's task organization reflected the exercise's emphasis on interoperability between nations. The first company, led by a U.S. commander, included two U.S. platoons and one Indian platoon. The second company, also under U.S. command, was organized the same way. A separate Indian company, serving as a decoy element during the operation, included two Indian platoons and one U.S. platoon. 

"It just goes to show that even though we're mixing our formations together, we can still work together and execute a good plan," Adam said, adding that the exercise's systems and checklists, understood across both armies, were essential to the operation's success.

The mission marked the first of three repetitions planned during the exercise, with additional air assaults scheduled for the following two days under different task organizations.  

"It's been great working with the Indian Army," Adam said. "The planning has been great." 

Yudh Abhyas 2026 is the 22nd iteration of the annual U.S. Army Pacific-sponsored bilateral exercise between the U.S. and Indian armies, designed to enhance bilateral readiness, cooperation and interoperability.

U.S., Indian Army Snipers Train on Long-Range Marksmanship

Sept. 25, 2026 | By Army Maj. Ian Roth, 11th Airborne Division |

U.S. and Indian Army snipers trained on the sniper firing range Sept. 22, near Auli, India, during Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2026, engaging targets out to 580 meters with the Indian Army's Sako TRG rifle chambered in the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge.

Sniper teams paired U.S. and Indian Army soldiers together throughout the training, which began with basic zeroing of the rifle before progressing to shots ranging from 500 to 580 meters in wooded terrain, followed by additional engagements around 520 meters on flatter ground, said Army Sgt. 1st Class Dylan Tinkey, recon platoon sergeant assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Mobile Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division.

Tinkey said he is familiar with the Indian rifle after completing a 25-day subject-matter expert exchange earlier this year at the Indian Army Sniper School in Mhow, India.

"I really do love the rifle," Tinkey said. "If you compare it to the Mark 22, it's very similar. We can change the barrel on our Mark 22, and it's also chambered in .338 Lapua."

Tinkey said he is working to have soldiers in his sniper section lead more of the instruction themselves rather than relying solely on his experience in Mhow.

"What I'm striving to do is have guys in the sniper section do more of the teaching," Tinkey said. "I had a younger guy with me, a specialist, who's punching a little above his weight. I had him come to the sniper school with me, so he's familiar with the rifle, and I want to see him teach it more, so he can develop himself and his juniors. If I have to step in, I absolutely will."

Tinkey said the shooter-spotter process translated easily between the two armies, with only minor communication differences.

"It's pretty universal as far as corrections," Tinkey said. "We use mil corrections, and the communication is pretty much the same. Just minor differences."

Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2026 is the 22nd iteration of the annual U.S. Army Pacific-sponsored bilateral exercise between the U.S. and Indian armies. The exercise is scheduled to conclude Sept. 27, with a formal closing ceremony.

Since 2004, Yudh Abhyas, an Army Pacific-sponsored bilateral exercise with the Indian Army, has enhanced combined interoperability and strengthened the U.S.-India Major Defense Partnership in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.