Defence Exercises 2026: Quick Answer
India's most asked defence exercises of 2026 are Yudh Abhyas (USA, 22nd edition, Auli and Mahajan), Dharma Guardian (Japan, 7th, Chaubattia), Varuna (France, 24th, Toulon), Nomadic Elephant (Mongolia, 18th, Pithoragarh), KAZIND (Kazakhstan, 9th, Oskemen), Tarang Shakti (IAF's multinational air exercise, 2nd edition, Jodhpur) and the brand-new PRAGATI (12 Indian Ocean armies, Umroi, Meghalaya). The biggest naval event was MILAN 2026 with the International Fleet Review at Visakhapatnam in February.
Key takeaway: New in 2026 = PRAGATI (maiden, Umroi, 20–30 May). India–UAE Mountain Guardian at Chaubatia, 5–18 Oct. First tri-service Lamitiye (Seychelles). IFR 2026 = India's 3rd fleet review, 74 countries, President reviewed from INS Sumedha. Latest = AUSTRAHIND 5th edition (Australia), Thiruvananthapuram, 19 Oct–1 Nov 2026.
Every row below was checked against the Ministry of Defence release on PIB (or the force's own statement) on 22 October 2026. Dates are the official exercise dates. Where the release gives no edition number, the table shows "–" instead of a guess.
Defence Exercises 2026 List (Month-wise, India with Other Countries)
| Dates (2026) | Exercise | Partner | Service | Edition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4–17 Feb | KHANJAR | Kyrgyzstan | Army Special Forces | 13th | Missamari, Assam |
| 15–25 Feb | MILAN 2026 | Multinational (Indian Navy host) | Navy | 13th | Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh |
| 18 Feb | International Fleet Review 2026 | 74 countries | Navy | 3rd IFR hosted by India | Off Visakhapatnam |
| 24 Feb–9 Mar | DHARMA GUARDIAN | Japan | Army | 7th | Foreign Training Node, Chaubattia, Uttarakhand |
| 24 Feb–16 Mar | VAJRA PRAHAR | USA | Special Forces | 16th | Special Forces Training School, Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh |
| 9–20 Mar | LAMITIYE-2026 | Seychelles | Tri-service (first time) | 11th | Seychelles Defence Academy |
| 9–17 Apr | CYCLONE-IV | Egypt | Special Forces | 4th | Anshas, Egypt |
| 12–25 Apr | DUSTLIK | Uzbekistan | Army | – | Gurumsaray, Namangan, Uzbekistan |
| 4–17 May | CINBAX-II | Cambodia | Army | 2nd | Camp Basil, Cambodia |
| 20–30 May | PRAGATI 2026 | 12 Indian Ocean Region armies | Army | 1st (maiden) | Umroi Military Station, Meghalaya |
| Jul–Aug | PITCH BLACK 2026 | Multinational (Australia host) | Air Force | – | Australia |
| Aug | UDARA SHAKTI 2026 | Malaysia | Air Force | – | Malaysia |
| 10–14 Aug | IN–USN EOD Exercise | USA | Navy (diving/bomb disposal) | – | Southern Naval Command, Kochi |
| 18–31 Aug | MAITREE-XV | Thailand | Army | 15th | Vibhavadi Rangsit Camp, Surat Thani, Thailand |
| 9–22 Sep | VEER GUARDIAN 2026 | Japan | Air Force | 2nd | Air Force Station Jodhpur, Rajasthan |
| 15–28 Sep | YUDH ABHYAS | USA | Army | 22nd | Auli (Uttarakhand) and Mahajan Field Firing Range (Rajasthan) |
| 17–21 Sep | SLINEX-26 | Sri Lanka | Navy | 13th | Visakhapatnam |
| 21 Sep–3 Oct | NOMADIC ELEPHANT | Mongolia | Army | 18th | Foreign Training Node, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand |
| From 22 Sep | VARUNA | France | Navy | 24th | Toulon, France |
| 26 Sep–12 Oct | TARANG SHAKTI 2026 | 7 air forces + 32 observer nations | Air Force | 2nd | Air Force Station Jodhpur |
| 28 Sep–11 Oct | KAZIND-2026 | Kazakhstan | Army + Air Force | 9th | Oskemen, Kazakhstan |
| 5–18 Oct | MOUNTAIN GUARDIAN 2026 | UAE | Army | – | Foreign Training Node, Chaubatia, Uttarakhand |
| 8–15 Oct | KONKAN-26 | United Kingdom | Navy | – | Off Plymouth, UK |
| Oct | IBSAMAR IX | Brazil, South Africa | Navy | 9th | South Africa |
| 13–18 Oct | INDRA-2026 | Russia | Navy | – | Vladivostok, Russia |
| 19 Oct–1 Nov | AUSTRAHIND | Australia | Army | 5th | Foreign Training Node, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala |
How to read this list: an exercise held in India this year will usually be held in the partner country next year (most bilateral army exercises alternate). That is why Yudh Abhyas was in Alaska in 2025 but in Uttarakhand and Rajasthan in 2026.
India's Army Exercises 2026 with Other Countries
| Exercise | Partner | Key exam facts (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Yudh Abhyas | USA | 22nd edition; about 600 troops from each side; run at Auli and Mahajan at the same time; focus on Integrated Battle Groups in mountain terrain; US side from the 11th Airborne Division |
| Vajra Prahar | USA | 16th edition; Special Forces; Bakloh (HP); 45 Indian SF + 12 US Green Berets |
| Dharma Guardian | Japan | 7th edition; Ladakh Scouts vs JGSDF 32nd Infantry Regiment; 120 each; semi-urban operations |
| Khanjar | Kyrgyzstan | 13th edition; Parachute Regiment (SF) vs ILBRIS SF Brigade; 20 each; Missamari, Assam |
| Lamitiye | Seychelles | 11th edition; first with all three Indian services (Assam Regiment, INS Trikand, IAF C-130); "Lamitiye" means "friendship" in Creole; biennial |
| Cyclone | Egypt | 4th edition; Special Forces; Anshas, Egypt |
| Dustlik | Uzbekistan | Held at Gurumsaray, Namangan; alternates between India and Uzbekistan every year |
| CINBAX | Cambodia | 2nd edition; Camp Basil; UN Chapter VII sub-conventional operations |
| PRAGATI | 12 nations | Maiden edition; full form "Partnership of Regional Armies for Growth and Transformation in the Indian Ocean Region" |
| Maitree | Thailand | 15th edition; Surat Thani; counter-insurgency in jungle and semi-urban terrain |
| Nomadic Elephant | Mongolia | 18th edition; platoon level, 45 each; previous edition in Ulaanbaatar (2025) |
| KAZIND | Kazakhstan | 9th edition; 60-member Indian contingent mainly from the Garhwal Rifles plus IAF |
| Mountain Guardian | UAE | India–UAE mountain warfare exercise (the other India–UAE army exercise is Desert Cyclone); 92 personnel in total; Bhairav Battalion |
| AustraHind | Australia | 5th edition; about 120 each; Garhwal Rifles vs Australian 13 Brigade; theme on island and coastal operations |
PRAGATI's 12 partner armies (a favourite "which country was not part of" question): Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Pakistan, Bangladesh and China were not in the list.
Naval Exercises 2026: MILAN, IFR, Varuna, SLINEX, Konkan
| Exercise | Partner | Key facts |
|---|---|---|
| MILAN 2026 | Multinational | Theme "Camaraderie, Cooperation, Collaboration"; 42 ships and submarines and 29 aircraft, including 18 foreign ships; closing ceremony on INS Vikrant |
| International Fleet Review 2026 | 74 countries | Reviewed by President Droupadi Murmu from INS Sumedha on 18 February; 85 ships including 19 foreign warships; theme "United Through Oceans"; earlier IFRs: Mumbai 2001, Visakhapatnam 2016 |
| Varuna | France | 24th edition; INS Trishul with French ships Forbin, La Fayette and submarine Suffren |
| SLINEX-26 | Sri Lanka | 13th edition; INS Kavaratti and INS Jyoti with SLNS Sindurala; SLINEX was conceived in 2005 |
| Konkan-26 | UK | INS Trishul with HMS Sutherland; run by the Royal Navy's FOST |
| IBSAMAR IX | Brazil, South Africa | INS Tarkash; held every two years since 2008 under the IBSA framework |
| INDRA-2026 | Russia | INS Sahyadri at Vladivostok |
| IN–USN EOD | USA | Explosive ordnance disposal and diving teams at Kochi |
Both MILAN and the IFR were linked by the Navy to MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), India's maritime vision.
Air Force Exercises 2026: Tarang Shakti, Veer Guardian, Pitch Black
| Exercise | Partner | Key facts |
|---|---|---|
| Tarang Shakti 2026 | Multinational | 2nd edition (1st was in 2024); theme "Power in Partnership"; air forces of Australia, Bangladesh, France, Germany, Sri Lanka, UAE and USA took part, with 32 observer nations |
| Veer Guardian 2026 | Japan | IAF Tejas, Su-30MKI and Rafale; JASDF F-2A fighters came to India for the first time |
| Pitch Black 2026 | Australia (host) | Multinational air exercise of the Royal Australian Air Force |
| Udara Shakti 2026 | Malaysia | Bilateral air exercise with the Royal Malaysian Air Force |
Country-wise List of India's Joint Military Exercises (Static GK)
Exams mix 2026 current affairs with the fixed name of each exercise. Learn this table once and it works every year.
| Country | Army | Navy | Air Force |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA | Yudh Abhyas; Vajra Prahar (SF) | Malabar (with Japan, Australia) | Cope India |
| France | Shakti | Varuna | Garuda |
| UK | Ajeya Warrior | Konkan | Indradhanush |
| Russia | INDRA | INDRA (Navy) | Aviaindra |
| Japan | Dharma Guardian | JIMEX | Shinyuu Maitri; Veer Guardian |
| Australia | AustraHind | AUSINDEX | – |
| Sri Lanka | Mitra Shakti | SLINEX | – |
| Nepal | Surya Kiran | – | – |
| Bangladesh | Sampriti | Bongosagar | – |
| Maldives | Ekuverin | – | – |
| Thailand | Maitree | – | – |
| Indonesia | Garuda Shakti | Samudra Shakti | – |
| Malaysia | Harimau Shakti | Samudra Laksamana | Udara Shakti |
| Singapore | Bold Kurukshetra | SIMBEX | – |
| Mongolia | Nomadic Elephant | – | – |
| Kazakhstan | KAZIND | – | – |
| Kyrgyzstan | Khanjar | – | – |
| Uzbekistan | Dustlik | – | – |
| Egypt | Cyclone (SF) | – | – |
| UAE | Desert Cyclone; Mountain Guardian | – | – |
| Oman | Al Najah | – | Eastern Bridge |
| Seychelles | Lamitiye | – | – |
| Vietnam | VINBAX | – | – |
| Cambodia | CINBAX | – | – |
Where in India Were the 2026 Exercises Held?
| Venue | State | 2026 exercise(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign Training Node, Chaubattia | Uttarakhand | Dharma Guardian (Japan), Mountain Guardian (UAE) |
| Foreign Training Node, Pithoragarh | Uttarakhand | Nomadic Elephant (Mongolia) |
| Auli | Uttarakhand | Yudh Abhyas (USA), with Mahajan |
| Mahajan Field Firing Range | Rajasthan | Yudh Abhyas (USA) |
| Air Force Station Jodhpur | Rajasthan | Veer Guardian (Japan), Tarang Shakti |
| SFTS Bakloh | Himachal Pradesh | Vajra Prahar (USA) |
| Missamari | Assam | Khanjar (Kyrgyzstan) |
| Umroi | Meghalaya | PRAGATI |
| Visakhapatnam | Andhra Pradesh | MILAN, IFR, SLINEX-26 |
| Kochi | Kerala | IN–USN EOD exercise |
| Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala | AustraHind (Australia) |
Memory hook: Uttarakhand hosted four of the Army's foreign exercises in 2026 through its three Foreign Training Nodes (Chaubattia, Pithoragarh, Auli).
Common Mistakes in Defence Exercise Questions
- Yudh Abhyas edition: 2026 is the 22nd, not the 21st (the 21st was in Alaska in 2025).
- Nomadic Elephant vs Khaan Quest: Nomadic Elephant is India–Mongolia bilateral; Khaan Quest is Mongolia's multinational peacekeeping exercise.
- Too many "Shaktis": Tarang Shakti = IAF multinational; Udara Shakti = Malaysia air; Harimau Shakti = Malaysia army; Mitra Shakti = Sri Lanka army; Garuda Shakti = Indonesia army; Shakti = France army.
- Cyclone vs Desert Cyclone: Cyclone is with Egypt (Special Forces); Desert Cyclone is with the UAE.
- Varuna is naval, Garuda is air, Shakti is army — all three are with France.
- Dharma Guardian venue spelling: PIB writes Chaubattia for Dharma Guardian and Chaubatia for Mountain Guardian; both are the same Foreign Training Node near Ranikhet.
Defence Exercises 2026 Questions with Answers (Practice Set)
- The 22nd edition of Yudh Abhyas (2026) was held between India and which country? Answer: USA. It ran at Auli (Uttarakhand) and the Mahajan Field Firing Range (Rajasthan).
- Where was the maiden multilateral Army exercise PRAGATI 2026 held? Answer: Umroi Military Station, Meghalaya, from 20 to 30 May 2026.
- Exercise Dharma Guardian is held between India and which country? Answer: Japan. The 7th edition was at Chaubattia, Uttarakhand.
- Which edition of the India–France naval exercise Varuna was held in 2026? Answer: the 24th, at Toulon, France, with INS Trishul.
- Exercise KAZIND-2026 was held in which city? Answer: Oskemen, Kazakhstan (9th edition).
- From which ship did the President review the International Fleet Review 2026? Answer: INS Sumedha, off Visakhapatnam, on 18 February 2026.
- What was special about Lamitiye-2026 with Seychelles? Answer: it was the first edition with all three Indian services (Army, Navy and Air Force).
- Mountain Guardian 2026 was a joint exercise between India and? Answer: UAE, at the Foreign Training Node, Chaubatia, from 5 to 18 October 2026.
- Which country's fighter aircraft (F-2A) came to India for the first time for Exercise Veer Guardian 2026? Answer: Japan.
- Khanjar is a joint Special Forces exercise between India and? Answer: Kyrgyzstan. The 13th edition was at Missamari, Assam.
Test yourself on mixed GA in the SSC CGL General Awareness Sectional Mock Test 01 and the SSC CHSL General Awareness Sectional Mock Test 01.
Defence Exercises 2026 FAQs
Which is the latest defence exercise of India in 2026?
As of 22 October 2026, the latest is AUSTRAHIND (5th edition) with Australia at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, from 19 October to 1 November 2026.
Which new military exercise did India start in 2026?
PRAGATI, a multilateral Army exercise with 12 Indian Ocean Region armies, held for the first time at Umroi, Meghalaya, from 20 to 30 May 2026.
Where was MILAN 2026 held?
At Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, from 15 to 25 February 2026, together with the International Fleet Review on 18 February.
Which countries took part in Tarang Shakti 2026?
Australia, Bangladesh, France, Germany, Sri Lanka, the UAE and the USA flew with the IAF at Jodhpur, with 32 more nations as observers.
What is the India–USA army exercise called?
Yudh Abhyas (regular army) and Vajra Prahar (Special Forces). The tri-service exercise is Tiger Triumph, and the air force exercise is Cope India.
Which India–Mongolia exercise was held in 2026?
Nomadic Elephant, 18th edition, at Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, from 21 September to 3 October 2026.
Practice Next
- Mock tests: SSC CGL General Awareness Sectional Mock Test 02 and SSC CHSL General Awareness Sectional Mock Test 02.
- Related notes: important summits and conferences 2026 list, India's rank in indices and reports 2026, international organisations and headquarters, awards and honours 2026 and important days list 2026.
- Exam details: SSC CGL 2026.
- Browse all study notes.