Indian and US soldiers have completed the validation phase of 'Yudh Abhyas 21' - joint military exercises - in freezing temperatures on the snow-covered peaks of Alaska's Chugach mountain range.
Held between October 25 and October 28, the exercise was divided into two parts, consisting of two teams each. The pairs of teams conducted their assaults for two days each.
Two teams were led by Indian commanders and two by Americans.
Two target sites - Geronimo and Site Summit - were selected for the final assault, for which troops from all four teams were sequentially inserted by CH-47 Chinook helicopters and vehicles.
The aim was to validate cold weather skills acquired over the past ten days, to train soldiers in survival in Arctic conditions and practice conduct of small-team ops in extreme cold weather conditions.
"Thousands of feet above sea level, on the top of the Chugach Mountains, in deep snow, high winds, and sub-freezing temperatures, the US Army and the Indian Army soldiers complete the culminating event of Yudh Abhyas exercise," the handle of the US Army's I Corp tweeted.
US Army Alaska, the Spartan Brigade (4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) 25th Infantry Division) and US Army Pacific were tagged in the tweet, as was the Indian Army.
Yudh Abhyas 2021: Joint US-India military exercise
Stunning photos released by the US Army showed Indian soldiers crouching in deep snow practicing their drills. Others showed them working with their American colleagues in staging rescue ops.
Earlier this week General James C McConville, the Chief of Staff of the US Army, tweeted: "Indian Army soldiers assigned to 7th Battalion, Madras Regiment, and US Army paratroopers from the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, conduct a variety of training events during exercise Yudh Abhyas '21 (at the) Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska."
The General shared a montage of images of soldiers from the two countries working together.
On Monday the two nations' soldiers held combined Counter Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) and Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) training sessions.
Yudh Abhyas 2021: Joint US-India military exercise
During the latter there was also a demonstration of the US Army's Drone Buster Gun - which is used to jam the operating frequency of a drone.
Last week American soldiers also demonstrated the setting up of special Arctic tents (which can hold 10 people per tent) and that was followed by some friendly competition - a mixed team of Indian and American soldiers tried to set up the tent in the fastest team possible.
Indian soldiers, meanwhile, taught the Americans how to survive avalanches and extremely cold weather conditions. A lecture on 'prevention and treatment of high-altitude illnesses and cold injuries' - by an officer from the Army's Medical Corps was also held.
Samples of respective MREs (ready to eat meals) were also exchanged.
According to the Defence Ministry, 300 US soldiers and 350 soldiers of the 7th Madras Infantry Battalion Group participated in the joint exercise.
With input from ANI
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