The Indian Navy is hosting the 13th edition of Exercise MILAN 2026 at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, from 15 to 25 February 2026. This edition is the largest in the exercise’s history, with participation from 74 nations, over 60 warships, and foreign aircrafts.
What is MILAN?
MILAN, short for Multilateral Naval Exercise, is a biennial exercise hosted by the Indian Navy. It began in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 1995, with the navies of Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand as the first participants. Over three decades, it has grown considerably in scale and complexity. The venue shifted to Visakhapatnam in 2020 to make use of its more advanced naval infrastructure.
MILAN 2026: Key Details
Exercise MILAN 2026 is being held under the theme “Camaraderie, Cooperation, Collaboration.” It aims to foster mutual understanding, trust, and professional interaction among maritime partners for a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based maritime order.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the 13th edition on 19 February at Visakhapatnam, with Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi also present. Singh described the exercise as the largest and most inclusive edition to date, noting that it reflects the global maritime community’s confidence in India as a trusted maritime partner.
Exercise Structure
The exercise comprises two phases: a harbour phase focused on professional seminars, cultural exchanges, and social interactions, and a sea phase involving complex maritime manoeuvres, including anti-submarine warfare, air defence, and search-and-rescue operations. The Sea Phase is scheduled to run from 21 to 25 February.
A MILAN Village was inaugurated on 15 February by Vice Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command. It serves as an experience zone and hub for social and cultural exchanges among delegates and naval personnel from over 70 countries.
A Maritime Trifecta
MILAN 2026 forms part of a broader convergence of three major events being hosted simultaneously by India. Alongside MILAN, India is hosting the International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026 and the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs — the first time India has brought all three major maritime events together at once.
The IFR features ships and aircraft from 21 countries and was formally reviewed by President Droupadi Murmu in her capacity as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces on 18 February. At the IONS Conclave of Chiefs, India assumed the chairmanship from Thailand for the period 2026–28. India chaired the first edition of IONS in 2008, and this is the second time.
India’s Indigenous Naval Capability on Display
The Indian Navy has deployed major assets, including aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant, along with Visakhapatnam-class destroyers, Nilgiri-class stealth frigates, and Arnala-class anti-submarine warfare corvettes, reflecting India’s growing domestic shipbuilding capacity.
Strategic Significance
The events represent a key expression of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s MAHASAGAR vision, Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions, reaffirming India’s role as a preferred security partner across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
At the inauguration, Defence Minister Singh emphasised that naval cooperation among nations is no longer optional and that platforms like MILAN build mutual trust, enhance interoperability, and enable coordinated responses to common maritime challenges.
The exercise has drawn participation from across the Indo-Pacific, South Asia, West Asia, Africa, and Europe, with nations including Australia, Japan, Russia, Iran, South Africa, the Philippines, and Germany among the attendees.
