Amid a trade war initiated by Trump, a partnership in defense

TOI correspondent from Washington:: Amid the tumult of what is basically a trade war Trumpian America has declared on India, an incongruous spectacle is unfolding in Alaska between the two countries.

They are in the midst of one of the largest bilateral military exercises in terms of troops mobilized by the Indian Army. In what could well be a form of good natured trolling, India on Friday underscored the ongoing Exercise Yudh Abhyas (war practice) 2025 in Fairbanks, Alaska, describing it as "elevating India US Strategic and Defence Partnership," hours after Trump had suggested New Delhi and Moscow had thrown their lot with Moscow and Beijing. "Today, Yudh Abhyas stands as a flagship, high-complexity Army-to-Army exercise. It has become one of the cornerstones of India US military cooperation," the Indian Embassy in Washington said in a press release, underlining that "India conducts more military exercises with the US than with any other country." The release was accompanied by photographs of military personnel from both sides fraternizing during the 21 st edition of the exercise that commenced on September 1 at Fort Wainwright and will continue through September 14.

An Indian Army contingent comprising 450 personnel led by a battalion of the Madras Regiment is training alongside US soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment (“Bobcats”), part of the 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Arctic Wolves), 11th Airborne Division, the release said. This edition of the exercise, the release revealed, emphasizes Mountain and high-altitude operations under sub-arctic conditions; Heliborne and air-mobility integration, backed by artillery and aviation assets; Electronic warfare, surveillance, and counter-drone systems; Medical evacuation and combat casualty care in field conditions; and Live-fire tactical drills to validate seamless interoperability.Since its inception in 2002 as a platoon-level exercise, Yudh Abhyas has expanded greatly both in scope and participation, the release said, adding that past editions have explored diverse terrains: high-altitude warfare in India’s Auli and Chaubattia; desert manoeuvres in Rajasthan; urban and cold environment training at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Alaska.The timing of the release mid-exercise appeared to suggest New Delhi believes the trade dispute will blow over, and longer term U.S-India engagement and equities will remain intact. "It (the exercises) demonstrates how our two democracies continue to work towards peace, security and prosperity, including in the Indo-Pacific region," the Embassy release said, amid concern in many quarters that Trump is down on the Quad and ready to jettison the Indo-Pacific formulation to enhance New Delhi's role in the region. Several bureaucrats have told TNN in background conversations that the US officialdom is not on the same page as the White House, where India policy is being driven by "trade whisperers" who are feeding into Trump's biases on the issue without regard to a broader partnership between the two countries.