About 350 Schofield Barracks soldiers and 20 Stryker armored vehicles from Hawai'i will be at the center of an exercise in India next month that reflects growing military relations with the South Asian nation.

The Indian press is pretty excited about the exercise, called "Yudh Abhyas," with The Telegraph out of Calcutta saying the Strykers are the Army's "most modern fighting vehicles which lead many ground operations in Iraq and Afghanistan."

The largest combined military drill between the two countries marches in step with increasing U.S.-India military ties. In July, India and the U.S. signed a defense pact that allows the sale of sophisticated weaponry to India, with the ability of the U.S. to monitor its use.

India plans to spend more than $30 billion to upgrade its arsenal, and wants to buy 126 fighter jets. Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin's F-16 are in competition with fighters from several other countries for one of the biggest arms deals in the world.

Yudh Abhyas has grown since 2004. Last year the exercise saw about 120 Indian soldiers train with U.S. counterparts in Hawai'i. Next month's exercise will involve Schofield soldiers from the 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment.

Command, mortar, reconnaissance and medical versions of the 19-ton, eight-wheeled Stryker vehicles will train in Babina south of New Delhi alongside Indian mechanized units including BMP infantry fighting vehicles, said Lt. Col. Al Hing, a spokesman for the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Schofield.

Hing said the exercise "allows us to share the knowledge that we have for quick reaction, as well as training in the tactics we use."

In 2007, four Hawai'i Stryker vehicles deployed for the first time out of the state for war games in South Korea. Also tested at the time was the ability of the Strykers to be transported on C-17 Globemaster III cargo planes.

For Yudh Abhyas next month, the Strykers are going by sea.

The 4,300 soldiers of the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team returned to Hawai'i in February and March from 15 months in northern Baghdad, Taji, Tarmiyah and Abu Ghraib.

The brigade has about 400 Stryker vehicles. So far, about 350 have returned to Hawai'i.