MILAN 2026: 72 nations join mega naval drill in Visakhapatnam
The ten-day mega multilateral naval exercise, ‘MILAN,’ hosted by the Indian Navy, has commenced at Visakhapatnam.
The massive maritime international event, which commenced on Sunday, will see the participation of 72 nations, over 60 warships, and three foreign aircraft. The exercise showcases India’s role as a major maritime power, featuring key participants like the US, Russia, Japan, Germany, the Philippines, UAE, South Africa, and various Southeast Asian and African nations.
The Indian Navy has deployed major assets, including aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant, along with Visakhapatnam-class destroyers.
As part of this prestigious exercise, the Navy inaugurated the MILAN Village on Sunday at the Eastern Naval Command, the defence ministry said on Monday.
The inauguration ceremony was presided over by Vice Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, who formally opened the village for the participating navies and walked around the facilities set up to promote global maritime engagement.
The thoughtfully curated MILAN Village has been conceptualised and created as an experience zone that brings together delegates and naval personnel from over 70 countries in an atmosphere of camaraderie and friendship. It serves as a hub for social and cultural exchanges, enabling engagement beyond professional horizons.
A central feature of the MILAN village is its emphasis on cultural exchange, offering a rich and immersive glimpse into India’s diverse heritage and tradition.
The village will host live performances by vocal artists, traditional folk-dance performances and cultural ensembles reflecting the vibrant artistic legacy of India.
The village features a variety of stalls featuring naval souvenirs, handicraft and handloom products. Together, they showcase craftsmanship from across the country. In addition, visitors will be treated to mouth-watering Indian cuisine, offering a diverse range of regional flavours and tastes of India.
In his remarks, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command, highlighted that “MILAN Village reflects the spirit of camaraderie and cultural connect that complements professional naval engagement. As Visakhapatnam hosts IFR, MILAN and IONS in close succession, this convergence represents a significant moment in India’s maritime outreach and cooperative engagement with partner navies.”
The opening of the MILAN Village also marks the beginning of a broader sequence of engagements and events being conducted at Visakhapatnam by the Indian Navy. Exercise MILAN 2026 will form a key pillar of India’s historic maritime convergence alongside International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026 and the IONS Conclave of Chiefs.
As one of the largest multilateral naval exercises in the Indo-Pacific, MILAN 2026 will bring together navies from across the globe to strengthen interoperability, maritime domain awareness, and collective response capabilities.
The Harbour and Sea Phases of the exercise will focus on complex maritime operations, including anti-submarine warfare, air defence, search and rescue, and cooperative security missions, reinforcing a shared commitment to free, open, inclusive, and rules-based seas.
In the harbour, the programme will feature Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEE) and the International Maritime Seminar (IMS), enabling dialogue on shared maritime challenges, opportunities and priorities.
For young officers, activities will include cross-deck visits, ship-handling simulator training, Damage Control and NBC simulator training and demonstration of submarine rescue capabilities by a Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV).
These engagements will strengthen the collective ability to generate credible and coordinated responses at sea. During the sea phase, participating units will conduct a wide spectrum of operational drills in multinational groupings — carrier operations, seamanship evolutions, weapon firings, anti-submarine warfare, air defence drills and tactical manoeuvres.
As a cultural centrepiece of MILAN 2026, the MILAN Village embodies the theme “Camaraderie, Cooperation, Collaboration”. It symbolises the shared commitment of participating navies for mutual cultural exchange, building bridges of friendship and forging collective maritime partnerships.
The event will feature a Presidential Fleet Review at Sea by the Hon’ble President of India, showcasing indigenous platforms including INS Vikrant (India’s first domestically built aircraft carrier), Visakhapatnam-class destroyers, Nilgiri-class stealth frigates, and Arnala-class anti-submarine warfare corvettes- reflecting India’s transformation into a ‘Builder’s Navy’. The Indian Navy ships would be joined by a diverse congregation of ships from friendly foreign countries, the Indian Coast Guard and the Merchant Marines.
