US and Indian Army snipers conducted joint long-range marksmanship training near Auli, Uttarakhand, on Tuesday, 23 September 2026, firing Indian Sako TRG rifles chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum at targets up to 580 metres as part of Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2026. The drills tested how rapidly combined shooter-spotter teams from the two armies could operate in demanding Himalayan terrain, according to a US Army report.

How the Training Unfolded

American and Indian soldiers were paired throughout the exercise. The teams began by zeroing the Sako TRG rifle before progressing to longer engagements — first firing at targets between 500 and 580 metres in wooded terrain, then engaging targets at approximately 520 metres on flatter ground. The varied terrain allowed both forces to stress-test their combined procedures across different elevation and vegetation conditions.

The two armies found their basic shooter-spotter procedures closely aligned. A spotter observes the target, wind conditions and bullet impact before issuing corrections to the shooter for subsequent rounds. Sgt. 1st Class Dylan Tinkey, reconnaissance platoon sergeant with the US Army's 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, noted: 'It's pretty universal as far as corrections.'

Cross-Training and Knowledge Transfer

Tinkey brought direct institutional knowledge to Auli, having completed a 25-day specialist exchange at the Indian Army Sniper School in Mhow earlier this year — giving him hands-on exposure to Indian sniper equipment, training practices and marksmanship doctrine. 'I really do love the rifle,' he said of the Sako TRG.

He compared it with the US Army's Mark 22 sniper rifle, noting that both platforms can fire the .338 Lapua cartridge, while the Mark 22 additionally allows barrel swaps for alternate ammunition types. Notably, Tinkey deliberately tasked a younger soldier who had accompanied him to Mhow to lead more of the instruction during the Auli drills — a deliberate approach to distributing expertise rather than concentrating it in a single senior soldier.

Drones, Scouts and Integrated Tactics

The sniper training formed part of a broader combined activity at Auli involving scouts, snipers and drone operators. US and Indian personnel moved through dense vegetation, integrated small unmanned aircraft with sniper tactics and practised detecting concealed marksmen. The Indian Army's Ashni drone platoon worked alongside American scouts, with both sides comparing their approaches to unmanned systems in mountainous terrain.

A key distinction emerged in drone inventories: the Indian unit operated a larger array of 3D-printed drone platforms, while the US platoon focused on smaller intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems along with some one-way attack platforms. A separate equipment exchange allowed US soldiers to handle Indian small arms, vehicles, and drone and counter-drone technology; American soldiers were also permitted to fire an Indian Army rifle.

What Both Sides Said

Col. Ben Jackman, commander of the US Army's 1st Mobile Brigade Combat Team, underscored the value of direct, hands-on exposure between the forces. 'That kind of exposure directly strengthens our interoperability and our partnership with the Indian Army,' Jackman said.

This comes amid a sustained deepening of the India-US defence relationship, with joint exercises growing in complexity and altitude. Exercise Yudh Abhyas — one of the longest-running bilateral military drills between the two countries — has progressively incorporated higher-altitude scenarios, reflecting the strategic salience of mountain warfare readiness along India's northern frontiers. The integration of drone operators and counter-drone units into sniper exercises marks a notable evolution from earlier iterations of the drill.