February 26, New Delhi – Exercise MILAN 2026, the Indian Navy’s premier multilateral maritime exercise, concluded on February 25 with a closing ceremony held aboard India’s indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, off the coast of Visakhapatnam.
Held under the theme ‘Camaraderie, Cooperation, Collaboration’, MILAN 2026 saw participation on an unprecedented scale, comprising 42 ships and submarines, and 29 aircraft. This included 18 ships from participating Friendly Foreign Countries.
Furthermore, apart from integral helicopters onboard the Friendly Foreign Country ships, maritime patrol aircraft from France, Germany, and the USA also participated.
During the closing ceremony aboard the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, the Commanding Officers of all participating ships expressed deep appreciation for the professional conduct and meticulous planning that characterized MILAN 2026. They unanimously affirmed that the exercise had comprehensively achieved its training objectives and operational aims, significantly enhancing interoperability, mutual understanding, and collective maritime readiness.
(Source: Ministry of Defence)