The multilateral naval exercise will improve professional interaction among navies, enhance operational skills, promote greater interoperability, and facilitate the exchange of best practices and procedures.
MILAN 2024, the premier International Naval Exercise hosted by the Eastern Naval Command, was inaugurated on February 21, 2024, by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. However, Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of Naval Staff will be the Guest of Honour along with other senior Naval officials from India & Abroad.
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh in an address mentioned, “India continues its proactive engagement and has been maintaining a sustained presence in the region to ensure safety and security of all shipping, irrespective of the Flag on the ship and the nationality of the crew. It is our steadfast resolve to be the First Responder and the Preferred Security Partner in the Indian Ocean Region and for the peace, stability and prosperity of the wider Indo-Pacific,”
This 3 Days Exposition will be the 12th edition of the Multilateral Naval Exercise organised by FICCI in association with the Indian Navy. The theme of the Exercise is “Cohesion, Camaraderie, Collaboration” and aims to enhance professional interaction between navies, boost operational skills, foster better interoperability and encourage exchange of best practices/ procedures.
MILAN 2024 is the biggest International Naval Exercise in which 50 friendly foreign countries are participating with around 20 foreign warships along with one maritime patrol aircraft. In addition, a large number of Indian Navy ships, submarines and aircraft including both aircraft carriers Vikrant and Vikramaditya is participated in the event. MILAN 24 will showcase India as a country with growing influence in the maritime domain.
MILAN 24 Technical Exposition (MTEX 24) expo is showcasing capabilities of Indian Defence Industries including Maritime Systems, Sub Systems & Components of Naval Ships, Submarines, Frigates, Aviation, Boats, Armaments, Missiles, Torpedoes, Guns, Communications, Radar, Propulsion, Power Generation, Electricals, Marine, MRO & HADR areas etc and indigenisation programmes being undertaken by Indian Defence PSUs, DRDO & Industries ( Large / MSMEs / Small Scale & Start Ups) in collaboration with Indian Navy.
History of MILAN
MILAN, a biennial multilateral naval exercise, was initiated by the Indian Navy in 1995 at the Andaman and Nicobar Command. Initially, only four countries—Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand—participated in the 1995 edition. Since then, the exercise has made substantial progress in terms of both participant numbers and the complexity of exercises. Originally aligned with India's 'Look East Policy,' MILAN has expanded over the years in line with India's 'Act East Policy' and the Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) initiative. MILAN 2022 witnessed significant participation, with over 40 countries sending their warships or high-level delegations.