Indian Navy Will Host The MILAN 24 Exercise In Visakhapatnam

Updated: 11 Jan 2024

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Indian Navy Will Host The MILAN 24 Exercise In Visakhapatnam

Indian Navy's multinational exercise, MILAN 24, is all set to be held in Visakhapatnam from 19 to 27 February 24.

About MILAN

MILAN is a biennial multi-national naval exercise that started in 1995 with the participation of four foreign countries (Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand) under India's 'Look East policy'.

The MILAN Exercise flourished under the Andaman and Nicobar command's aegis til its 10th edition. Visakhapatnam has been selected as the preferred location for upcoming MILAN exercises.
The 11th edition of this exercise was held in Visakhapatnam under the Eastern Naval Command with the theme 'Camaraderie-Cohesion-Collaboration'.

Look East Policy

Prime Minister Narasimha Rao enunciated India's “Look East Policy” in 1992 with the aim of strengthening India's relations with Southeast Asia.

Asia, Australia and The Pacific Islands are located to the East of the World.
The policy initially focused on South East Asia. It began with India becoming a sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN, the Association of South East Asia Nations. Later, the policy was expanded to include East Asia and Oceania.
The journey ahead may be long, but let us approach it with optimism and determination. On December 31, 2015, the ASEAN officially announced the establishment of the ASEAN Community.
India and ASEAN have created a Plan of Action for the next five years. The plan aims to achieve the goals of the ASEAN-Indian Partnership for Peace, Progress and Shared Prosperity. This partnership was established in 2004. The plan also aligns with the Vision Statement of the ASEAN-Indian Commemorative Summit of 2012. The plan covers the period from 2016 to 2020.
Our goal should be to ensure that the Northeast region of India plays a significant role in this partnership, as geography has destined it to do so.
It should benefit substantially from India’s strengthening partnership with its Southeast Asian neighbours.

Phases of MILAN 24

MILAN 24 exercise would comprise the 'Harbour phase' and the 'Sea phase'.

Harbour phase: MILAN 24 will have a Harbour phase. The event will include an International Maritime Seminar. There will also be a City Parade at RK Beach. Another event is the Swavlamban Exhibition. Additionally, there will be a Subject Matter Expert Exchange. Finally, there will be a Milan of Young Officers.
Sea phase: Ships, aircraft, and submarines from friendly foreign countries and the Indian Navy will participate in the sea exercises. The activities will include large-scale manoeuvres, advanced air defence operations, anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare.

India's commitment to maritime cooperation and security in the Indian Ocean region is demonstrated by the MILAN. The MILAN serves as a platform for nations to form partnerships, share ideas and strengthen maritime security in order to increase their maritime power.

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