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The 13th edition of the multilateral naval exercise MILAN concluded on Wednesday with a closing ceremony held onboard the Indian Navy’s indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant off the coast of Visakhapatnam, underscoring growing maritime cooperation among participating nations.
Exercise MILAN 2026 was inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on February 19, bringing together Navy Chiefs and delegations from friendly foreign countries for discussions and operational engagement aimed at strengthening maritime partnerships.
Conducted in two phases from February 19 to 25, the exercise saw participation from representatives of 75 countries. The operational component involved 42 ships and submarines and 29 aircraft, including 18 ships from partner navies. Maritime patrol aircraft from France, Germany and the United States also took part, along with helicopters embarked on visiting ships.
The closing ceremony was presided over by Alok Ananda, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet. Commanding officers and personnel from all participating units attended the event, marking the culmination of the week-long engagement in the Bay of Bengal.
The exercise began with a Harbour Phase that included bilateral meetings, a Subject Matter Expert Exchange programme and the International Maritime Seminar. These were accompanied by cross-deck visits, cultural exchanges and interactions among young officers, along with technology demonstrations and sporting events designed to encourage informal engagement among participants.
The subsequent Sea Phase focused on operational drills covering integrated air defence, anti-submarine warfare, maritime interdiction operations, surface strike coordination, communications exercises and cross-deck flying. Live firings, including surface gun shoots, anti-air engagements and fast patrol manoeuvre drills, were also conducted.
Indian naval ships and foreign vessels carried out complex tactical manoeuvres during the sea phase, reflecting closer convergence of maritime interests among participating nations and emphasising coordinated responses to security challenges at sea.
Officers attending the closing ceremony highlighted the professional conduct and planning behind the exercise, noting that the activities helped improve interoperability, operational understanding and collective readiness among the participating navies.
MILAN, the Indian Navy’s premier biennial multilateral maritime exercise, is held under the theme “Camaraderie, Cooperation, Collaboration” and aims to strengthen partnerships and promote safe, secure seas across the region.
Team BharatShakti
