MILAN 2026 concludes aboard INS Vikrant

Indian Navys Exercise MILAN 2026 concluded on Tuesday with a closing ceremony held onboard Indiarsquos indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant off the coast of Visakhapatnam an official statement said on WednesdayThe multinational naval exercise hosted by the Indian Navy brought together ships submarines and aircraft from across the world marking one of the largest editions of the exercise to dateThe closing ceremony was presided over by Rear Admiral Alok Ananda Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet Commanding Officers and senior officers from all participating units attended the eventThe ceremony marked the successful completion of the exercise and celebrated the growing cooperation among navies operating in the Bay of Bengal regionRecord participation from 42 ships and 29 aircraftHeld under the theme lsquoCamaraderie Cooperation Collaborationrsquo MILAN 2026 saw participation on an unprecedented scaleA total of 42 ships and submarines and 29 aircraft took part including 18 ships from friendly foreign countries the statement issued by Defence PRO statedMaritime patrol aircraft from France Germany and the United States also participated along with integral helicopters deployed onboard foreign naval shipsHarbour phase focused on dialogue and exchangeThe exercise began with a Harbour Phase which included bilateral meetings Subject Matter Expert Exchange SMEE programmes and the International Maritime SeminarProfessional interactions were supported by cultural exchanges crossdeck visits and outstation tours Activities such as the MILAN of Young Officers MOYO interaction and friendly sports fixtures encouraged informal engagement and exchange of best practicesHighintensity drills at seaThe Sea Phase followed featuring complex operational drills aimed at strengthening interoperability These included integrated air defence exercises antisubmarine warfare operations maritime interdiction drills surface strike coordination and communication exercisesCrossdeck flying operations and live firing drills mdash including surface gun shoots and antiair firings mdash were also conducted The exercise placed strong emphasis on joint mission planning realtime coordination and logistical support at seaFriendly foreign navies carried out hightempo tactical manoeuvres alongside Indian naval ships reflecting shared maritime interests in ensuring safe and secure seasStrengthening maritime partnershipsDuring the closing ceremony Commanding Officers from participating navies praised the professional conduct and detailed planning of the exercise They said MILAN 2026 had successfully achieved its training and operational objectives enhancing mutual understanding and collective readinessThe exercise was aligned with the vision of MAHASAGAR mdash Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions mdash and highlighted the shared commitment of participating nations to strengthen maritime cooperationThe successful conclusion of MILAN 2026 underlines the growing importance of multilateral naval engagement in maintaining regional security and stability