News: India will host Exercise MILAN 2026 scheduled to be conducted from 19 to 25 February 2026.
About Exercise MILAN 2026
- It is a biennial multinational naval exercise conducted by the Indian Navy.
- Location of 2026 edition: Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
- History: It was launched in 1995 at Port Blair with participation from four navies.
- Later, it evolved into a multilateral maritime exercise involving partner navies worldwide (notably in 2024).
- Aim: To enhance professional interaction and military cooperation between the navies of friendly foreign countries.
- Theme of the exercise 2026: Camaraderie, Cooperation and Collaboration
- The exercise is part of India’s Historic Maritime Convergence alongside: International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026, and Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs.
- Purpose: To operationalize MAHASAGAR Vision – Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.
- MAHASAGAR extends India’s earlier SAGAR initiative (Security and Growth for All in the Region) beyond the Indian Ocean, promoting Sustainaibility, Resilience and Collective responsibility across maritime regions.
- Participating Nations: Invitations extended globally to navies from around the world.
- Operational Components
- Sea Phase: It focus on interoperability between international navies.
- Harbour Phase: It includes professional interactions, planning conferences, and cross-deck visits to strengthen naval partnerships and training exchanges.
