The Indian Navy’s multinational maritime exercise ‘Milan 2026’ concluded on Wednesday in the Bay of Bengal after a week of operations. The large-scale drill involved 42 warships and submarines, 29 military aircraft, and naval units from 18 friendly countries. The closing ceremony was held aboard India’s indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant near the Visakhapatnam coast, under the theme ‘Camaraderie, Cooperation, Collaboration.’

According to the Indian Navy, this year’s Milan exercise was the largest in its history, aimed at strengthening coordination, mutual understanding, and cooperation among participating navies. France, Germany, and the United States contributed maritime surveillance aircraft to the exercise. The initial ‘Harbour Phase’ featured bilateral meetings, an international maritime seminar, and expert-level discussions.

During the subsequent ‘Sea Phase,’ high-intensity operations were conducted, including integrated air defense, anti-submarine warfare, maritime interdiction, communication drills, and cross-deck flying operations. Live firing exercises used naval guns and anti-aircraft weapons. Indian vessels such as INS Vikrant, Visakhapatnam-class destroyers, Nilgiri-class frigates, and the diving support vessel INS Nistar took part in the joint missions.