India has Won Trust of Foreign Navies at MILAN 26, Says Rear Admiral Alok
VISAKHAPATNAM: Rear Admiral Alok Ananda, in his speech to the press on board INS Vikrant after the completion of multilateral naval exercises of the 13th edition of MILAN 26 on Wednesday, underlined that India has gained the trust of friendly foreign navies while also instilling confidence among small nations.
Rear Admiral, head of the Eastern Fleet of the Indian Navy, said that 42 ships and 29 aircraft, including 18 from friendly foreign countries, participated in the MILAN 2026 exercises held off Visakhapatnam in the Bay of Bengal.
For the first time, five countries participated in MILAN-2026: Philippines, UAE, Oman, South Africa and South Korea.
Alok Ananda said that the MILAN exercise embodies the common commitment of different navies to maintain a safe and secure maritime environment.
MILAN 2026, which was held for the 13th time, was organized in two stages with the theme of Friendship, Cooperation and Cooperation. The port phase involved meaningful professional interactions, including subject matter expert exchanges and pre-sail planning conferences. The port phase aimed to enhance mutual learning and sharing of best practices.
“During the sea phase of MILAN, a series of complex and advanced exercises were conducted in all three domains of naval operations (air, surface and underwater),” the Rear Admiral said.
The various participating aircraft at sea flew a total of 90 hours. Participating ships conducted tactical maneuvers, communications exercises and coordinated operations as part of air and anti-surface exercises.
“Indian Navy is proud not only of the scale of participation but also of the levels of professional interaction achieved at sea at MILAN 2026,” said Alok Ananda.
Referring to the indigenization of the Indian Navy, the Rear Admiral pointed out that India no longer imports ships from anywhere. “We are in an era where almost every 50 days we commission a new ship built by Indian shipyards. Today, we are one of the few countries in the world that can build an aircraft carrier on exactly the platform you are on now.”
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“I learned a lot from the Indian Navy and other participating forces during the International Fleet Review and MILAN 2026. This experience will help us combat challenges such as drug smuggling, human smuggling and piracy.” “I trained at the Indian Military Academy and the Navy in Visakhapatnam. India helped me understand how to face the emerging challenges of our country.” Benjamin Esparano, navigation officer of the Seychelles Coast Guard ship SCGS Zoroaster
“Participating in the International Fleet Review and MILAN 2026 was a great experience for me.” “Having completed 37 years of service in the Navy, I felt that the Indian and Australian navies exchanged valuable information of mutual interest during the 10-day events.” — Kathryn Holmes, warrant officer, HMAS Warramunga
“Attending MILAN 2026 for the first time is an exciting experience for us.”
“We are a small navy and we are proud to participate in this exercise.” – Philippine Navy officer
