Highlighting the targeting of merchant ships, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasised on Wednesday that recent events in the western Indian Ocean have underscored “extremely pressing challenges”. He noted that India has consistently maintained a strong regional presence to safeguard shipping. He made these remarks during the inaugural ceremony of the 12th iteration of the multilateral naval exercise MILAN-24 in Visakhapatnam. He specifically addressed the escalating drone and missile attacks on merchant vessels and the increasing incidents of piracy and hijacking attempts in the Arabian Sea since December of the previous year. The mega naval exercise boasts the participation of around 50 countries.
“India continues its proactive engagement and has been maintaining a sustained presence in the Region to ensure safety and security of all shipping, irrespective of the flag on the ship and the nationality of the crew,” he said.
“It is our steadfast resolve to be the first responder and the preferred security partner in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and for the peace, stability and prosperity of the wider Indo-Pacific,” the Defence Minister added.
The Defence Minister stated that even as there is optimism about the shared goodness of our human race, India is also alive to the dangers lurking in the shadows. “We prefer peace and will do the utmost for its sake, but we will not shrink from countering any threat that undermines our collective well-being, piracy and trafficking included,” he said.
He said India will continue to play the role of a Vishwamitra – or a friend of the world, in forging meaningful partnerships that make the planet a connected and equitable habitat for humanity as a whole. Singh said MILAN 2024 is an attempt to build much-needed fraternal bonds across oceans and mountains. He said the exercise would have been unimaginable in the past, as recent as 50-60 years ago, for navies from over 50 nations to convene in one location for purposes other than conflict.
Addressing the gathering, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said that from five IOR navies in 1995 to 50 navies across the Indo-Pacific today, MILAN reflects the growing stature and increasing importance of such collective and cooperative endeavours in the maritime domain.
Admiral Kumar said the sea phase of the exercise commencing February 24 will witness Indian and foreign warships sailing in unison and participating in an array of operational drills. “These are not merely naval exercises but a testament to the collective expertise and strength we bring to the fore as maritime nations,” he added.
On this occasion, the Defence Minister launched the NISHAR communication terminal. As communication forms an important link in achieving interoperability, the Indian Navy has developed MITRA terminals with the Nishar application to connect all friendly partner navies.
Rajnath Singh also inaugurated the Maritime Technical Exposition MTEX24 at Milan Tech Expo and visited stalls of various companies. Over 65 start-ups and companies are showcasing cutting-edge naval tech in the exhibition.
Milan is a biennial multinational naval exercise which started in 1995 with the participation of Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand in consonance with India’s ‘Look East’ policy. The harbour phase of the ongoing edition of the exercise commenced on February 19 and will end on February 23. The Harbour Phase involves an international city parade on the RK Beach location, an international maritime seminar, a maritime tech expo, Milan village, subject matter expert exchange, a Milan of young officers and various sporting events. During the Sea phase from February 24 to 27, participating navies will hold advanced air defence, anti-submarine, and anti-surface warfare drills. Gunnery shoots on aerial and surface targets, manoeuvres, and underway replenishment would be conducted.
Ravi Shankar, Vizag
