New Delhi: The Indian Navy concluded its flagship multilateral maritime exercise MILAN with a high profile closing ceremony held onboard the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant off the coast of Visakhapatnam. The week long exercise marked one of the largest naval engagements hosted by India, reflecting both operational strength and growing international cooperation in the Indo Pacific region.
MILAN witnessed participation on an unprecedented scale, bringing together 42 warships and submarines along with 29 military aircraft. In addition to Indian naval assets, 18 ships from friendly foreign navies joined the drills, underlining the expanding scope of maritime collaboration. The exercise was conducted under the theme “Camaraderie, Cooperation, Collaboration,” reinforcing India’s emphasis on collective security and partnership at sea.
The exercise unfolded in two distinct phases. The initial harbour phase focused on engagement and dialogue, featuring bilateral meetings, international maritime seminars, and expert level discussions on regional security challenges. These interactions aimed to strengthen mutual understanding, share best practices, and enhance interoperability among participating navies.
This was followed by an intensive sea phase involving complex operational drills. Participating forces carried out advanced warfare exercises, including integrated air defence operations, anti submarine warfare, maritime interdiction missions, communication drills, and cross deck flying. Live firing exercises involving artillery and anti aircraft systems further tested operational readiness. Joint planning and execution of missions by multinational forces highlighted seamless coordination across navies.
Maritime surveillance aircraft from France, Germany, and the United States also took part, adding an aerial dimension to the exercise and enhancing domain awareness across vast sea spaces.
India deployed a wide range of frontline platforms during MILAN, ranging from INS Vikrant to Visakhapatnam class destroyers, Nilgiri class frigates, and the diving support vessel INS Nistar. Together, these assets demonstrated India’s growing naval capability and its commitment to promoting stability, security, and cooperation across regional and global waters.
The successful conclusion of MILAN reaffirmed India’s role as a key maritime partner and a hub for multinational naval engagement in the Bay of Bengal and beyond.
