The 12th edition of the Multilateral Naval Exercise-2024 “MILAN24”,hosted by India, commenced on 19th February 2024 in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh (AP).
- The exercise is being conducted from 19th to 27th February 2024 by the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) of the Indian Navy (IN).
- The theme of MILAN 2024 is ‘Camaraderie, Cohesion, Collaboration’.
Aim: To enhance professional interaction between friendly navies and gain experience in multilateral large-force operations at sea.
Key Points:
i.IN is represented by Indian Navy Ships (INS), aircraft and submarines led by Indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya.
ii.50 aircraft including Mikoyan MiG29K, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas and P8I will also participate in the exercise.
iii.58 friendly foreign countries including the United States of America (USA), Japan, Australia, France, Bangladesh, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia will also participate in the sea exercise.
Participants:
i.Among the distinguished participants is the Union of Myanmar Navy Ship (UMS) King Sin Phyu Shin (F 14), a Kyan Sittha class frigate from the Myanmar Navy, which also opened its arms to the United States Ship (USS) Halsey.
ii.Further enriching the international contingent, the Iranian Navy’s Islamic Republic of Iran Navy Ship (IRIS) Dena, a Moudge Class Frigate, arrived at Visakhapatnam, underscoring the deep-rooted historical and cultural ties between India and Iran.
iii.French Navy’s Atlantique 2 aircraft also joined Milan 2024.
iv.IN also welcomed the dignitaries of the Her Majesty’s Australian Ship (HMAS) Warramunga of the Royal Australian Navy, Japanese Ship (JS) Sazanami of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, and His Thai Majesty’s Ship (HTMS) Prachuap Khiri Khan (offshore patrol vessel/OPV 552) of the Royal Thai Navy.
About MILAN24:
i.It is India’s largest-ever military war-game, including major manoeuvres, advanced air defence, anti-submarine, and anti-surface drills.
ii.It is a biennial multilateral naval exercise which was initiated by the IN in 1995.
iii.MILAN 2024 also aims to strengthen regional cooperation and maritime security, foster interoperability and understanding between participating navies.
iv.Started with ‘Look East Policy,’ the exercise grew with ‘Act East Policy’ and ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) initiative’.
Phase of MILAN 2024:
Harbour Phase: The Harbour Phase of MILAN 2024 is being conducted from 19th to 23rd February 2024. It acts as a platform to discuss on topical issues, as part of Subject Matter Expert Exchanges and Table Top Exercises.
- It will also host Table Top Exercise, Interactions of Young Officers, Outstation Cultural visits and the International City Parade.
Sea Phase: The Sea Phase of the exercise will be conducted from 24th to 27th February 2024. This phase is aimed towards building upon the experience of multilateral forces operating together at sea.
- Gunnery shoots on aerial and surface targets, manoeuvres and underway replenishment would also be conducted.
Recent Related News:
The Security Exercise Prasthan 2023 was carried out by Commodore Rajneesh Sharma Naval Officer-in-Charge (NOIC), under the aegis of Eastern Naval Command, Indian Navy (IN) in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh (AP)
About Indian Navy (IN):
Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) – Admiral Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Established in – 1950
