Lieutenant General Joel B Vowell, Deputy Commanding General of the US Army Pacific (USARPAC), called on Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth on September 28, with the two senior military leaders discussing the evolving security environment in the Indo-Pacific and ways to further strengthen India-US defence cooperation.
During the meeting, General Seth and Lt Gen Vowell exchanged views on the changing security landscape in the Indo-Pacific and explored opportunities to expand bilateral defence engagement across multiple domains. The interaction reflected the continuing military-to-military engagement between the Indian Army and the United States Army.
A major focus of the discussions was enhancing interoperability between the two armies through joint training, exercises and professional exchanges. Both sides discussed measures aimed at enabling their forces to operate more effectively together in increasingly complex operational environments.
The meeting came against the backdrop of Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2026, the 22nd iteration of the annual bilateral military exercise between the Indian and US armies. The exercise brought together approximately 600 personnel from each side and involved training across Auli in Uttarakhand and the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan.
Yudh Abhyas 2026 featured a wide range of activities, including command-post and field-training exercises, high-altitude operations, counter-unmanned aircraft system training, combined air-assault operations and precision-fire training. US and Indian troops also trained with platforms and systems including HIMARS, Stinger and M-LIDS during the exercise.
The recently concluded exercise demonstrated practical interoperability between the two forces, with soldiers operating together in mixed formations, exchanging experience with weapons and drone platforms and conducting coordinated training across different terrains. US Army officials said the exercise was designed to strengthen trust, readiness and the ability of the two armies to operate together.
Lt Gen Vowell has also highlighted the importance of Yudh Abhyas in building trust, sharing military expertise and improving operational readiness between the two countries. The US Army Pacific-sponsored exercise has developed into a major component of India-US Army-to-Army cooperation.
The September 28 interaction between General Seth and Lt Gen Vowell reaffirmed the emphasis being placed by both armies on sustained military engagement, joint training and greater interoperability as India and the United States continue to deepen their defence partnership in the Indo-Pacific.
