Multilateral Naval Exercise Milan From Today
Visakhapatnam: The MILAN 2026 multilateral naval exercise will be officially inaugurated by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh at Samudrika Auditorium at Visakhapatnam Naval Base on Thursday.
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi would also be present.
MILAN Village was inaugurated by Vice Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, Commander, Eastern Naval Forces, on 15 February.
The port phase of MILAN 2026 started on Wednesday. Later in the evening, cultural programs and dinner were organized for the delegates.
On Thursday, a two-day international maritime seminar will begin ahead of the official opening of the exercises.
The sea phase of the exercise will begin on February 21 and end on February 25.
The sea and port phases of the MILAN exercise will focus on interoperability, maritime domain awareness, anti-submarine warfare, air defense and search and rescue operations.
It aims to bring together the navies of friendly foreign countries to strengthen professional ties, share best practices and improve cooperation at sea.
The exercise will focus on large-scale multilateral operations and provide invaluable experience in working together as a cohesive maritime power.
Launched by the Indian Navy in 1995, MILAN is a biennial multilateral naval exercise starting with four regional countries – Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand. This started with the “Look East Policy” but later evolved into Action East and Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR). The four-nation exercise began in Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The focus has shifted from basic interoperability to complex, high-end warfare exercises, including anti-submarine and anti-air operations, in line with India’s growing maritime influence.
Traditionally held in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the event was moved to Visakhapatnam in 2020 due to its superior and more extensive marine infrastructure. While approximately 42 countries will participate in 2022, there are 70 countries in the current edition.
