Yudh Abhyas counterterrorism drill exercises brought Indian Army and US Army assault teams into a building clearance and room intervention drill at Auli in Uttarakhand on Thursday, part of the ongoing Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2026. The drill was designed to replicate close quarter operational scenarios, official sources said.

Drones, robotic dogs and snipers on the same objective

The assault teams were backed by drones, robotic dogs, canines and snipers together, underlining the coordinated employment of specialised personnel and technology in the drill, according to official sources.

A role for unmanned ground systems

Robotic platforms working alongside military working dogs is a relatively recent addition to Yudh Abhyas drills, part of a broader push across the Indian Army to bring unmanned ground systems into small team tactics. Snipers rounded out the sequence, providing standoff cover for the assault teams as they moved through the structure.

The Yudh Abhyas counterterrorism drill sits inside a two theatre exercise

Thursday's Yudh Abhyas counterterrorism drill is part of the 22nd edition of Yudh Abhyas 2026, which opened on Tuesday in a two theatre format spanning Auli and the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan. Training at Mahajan has run through artillery and desert warfare serials, including a lecture cum demonstration on the M777 Ultra Light Howitzer. The exercise is themed around the employment of Integrated Battle Groups and runs through September 28, falling under U.S. Army Pacific's Operation Pathways series of regional engagements.

US soldiers get a closer look

US Army personnel also interacted with the Indian troops and equipment involved in the drill, gaining a closer understanding of the capabilities and techniques on display, officials said.

What the drill adds to the bilateral relationship

The training reinforced professional exchanges, tactical understanding and interoperability between the two Armies, according to official sources.