Washington, Sep 27 — US and Indian Army snipers have trained together in the Himalayas, firing Indian Sako rifles at targets up to 580 metres as the two forces tested how quickly they could work as combined shooter-spotter teams.
The long-range marksmanship training was conducted near Auli in Uttarakhand on Tuesday as part of Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2026, according to a US Army report.
American and Indian soldiers were paired throughout the exercise. They began by zeroing the Sako TRG rifle, chambered for the .338 Lapua Magnum round, before moving to longer engagements.
The teams fired at targets between 500 and 580 metres in wooded terrain. They later engaged targets at about 520 metres on flatter ground.
Sgt. 1st Class Dylan Tinkey, reconnaissance platoon sergeant with the US Army’s 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, was already familiar with the Indian weapon.
He completed a 25-day specialist exchange at the Indian Army Sniper School in Mhow earlier this year. The visit gave him direct experience with Indian sniper equipment, training practices and marksmanship methods.
“I really do love the rifle,” Tinkey said.
He compared the Sako with the US Army’s Mark 22 sniper rifle, noting that both can use the .338 Lapua cartridge. The Mark 22 also allows soldiers to change barrels for different ammunition.
Tinkey said his aim was to ensure that knowledge gained in India was passed more widely through his unit. A younger soldier who accompanied him to Mhow was asked to lead more of the instruction during the Auli training.
The approach was intended to develop junior troops and avoid concentrating the experience in one senior soldier.
The two armies found that their basic shooter-spotter procedures were closely aligned. A spotter observes the target, wind and bullet impact, then gives the shooter corrections for the next round.
“It’s pretty universal as far as corrections,” Tinkey said.
The training followed other 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 also worked with American scouts. The US Army said the two sides compared different approaches to unmanned systems in mountainous terrain.
The Indian unit used a larger inventory of 3D-printed drone platforms. The US platoon focused on smaller intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance 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. Troops from both countries flew their drones together, and American soldiers were allowed to fire an Indian Army rifle.
Col. Ben Jackman, commander of the US Army’s 1st Mobile Brigade Combat Team, said hands-on exposure built trust and understanding between the forces.
“That kind of exposure directly strengthens our interoperability and our partnership with the Indian Army,” Jackman said.