International naval exercises commence near eastern India

New Delhi has said its flagship drills are among the largest in the Indo-Pacific

International naval exercises, titled MILAN 2026, have commenced off India’s southern port city of Visakhapatnam, attracting participants from of over 70 countries.

The Indian Navy has said its flagship biennial event is one of the largest multilateral naval drills in the Indo-Pacific.

MILAN 2026 is being conducted in two phases; the harbor phase commenced on Thursday, while the sea phase begins on Friday.

“This grand maritime convergence reaffirms India’s role as a reliable and trusted partner contributing positively to regional and global maritime security,” Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said in a post on X.

The International Fleet Review (IFR), and Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs are also being held as part of MILAN.

MILAN is envisaged as a strategic platform for deepening interoperability and addressing emerging maritime challenges, from securing Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs) to combating piracy and responding to natural disasters.

❗️'Challenges At Sea Are More Complex & interconnected Today' - Defence Minister Rajnath Singh During Inauguration Of Naval Exercise MILAN 2026 pic.twitter.com/s7z1H3P7pT

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) February 19, 2026

Russia is a key participant in MILAN and the IFR. The Marshal Shaposhnikov, an Udaloy-class destroyer from the Vladivostok-based Pacific Fleet, arrived in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday. 

The visit “reflects the ongoing cooperation and long-standing maritime ties between the navies of India and Russia,” the Indian Navy said in a statement.

At the IFR on Thursday, Indian Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi held discussions with Admiral Aleksandr Alekseevich Moiseev, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy.

“The dialogue reflected the longstanding character of India-Russia naval cooperation, highlighting sustained operational interactions, interoperability, and professional exchanges,” the Indian Navy added.

BRICS countries need strategic maritime cooperation in order to enhance security along global shipping lanes from Western piracy, a top Russian official had said this week.

The MILAN Village was inaugurated recently. A two-day international maritime seminar is also being held.

India has set a target of expanding its naval operations to over 200 warships and submarines by 2035, with the possibility of reaching 230 by 2037.