MILAN 2024 Underway With 35 Warships, 50 Aircraft; Sri Lanka sends SLNS Sayurala

COLOMBO (News 1st); The 12th edition of the Multilateral Naval Exercise MILAN 2024 commenced on 19 Feb 2024 in India's Visakhapatnam with the arrival of warships and one maritime patrol aircraft from Fleet Forces Command. 

Exercise Milan – whose name is based on the Hindi word for unification – began in 1995 with the navies of Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia participating. 

Since then, the biennial naval drills have ballooned as New Delhi’s maritime engagement increased. Divided into in-port and at-sea phases, Milan 2024 will host more than 50 participating nations, 35 vessels, 50 aircraft and various delegations. 

The Indian Navy deployed two carrier battle groups to the Bay of Bengal for New Delhi’s multinational naval drill Exercise Milan 2024.

From the Indian Navy, nearly 20 ships including aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya and nearly 50 aircraft including MiG29K, LCA, Tejas and P8I will participate in the exercise. 

Highlights of the harbour phase from 19 to 23 Feb 2024 include the International City Parade, International Maritime Seminar, MILAN Tech Expo, MILAN Village, Subject Matter Expert Exchange and Table Top Exercise.

During the sea phase from 24 to 27 Feb 2024, participating Navies will conduct advanced Air Defence, Anti-Submarine and Anti-Surface Warfare drills. 

Gunnery shoots on aerial and surface targets, manoeuvres and underway replenishment would also be conducted. 

MILAN 2024 aims to strengthen regional cooperation and maritime security, foster interoperability and understanding between participating navies and provide a platform for sharing best practices and expertise.

Sri Lanka Naval Ship (SLNS) Sayurala is also taking part in MILAN, the multilateral naval exercise hosted by the Indian Navy for the 12th time.

The theme of this year’s edition is Camaraderie Cohesion Collaboration. 

Navies and maritime partners from many regional and extra-regional countries will take part in the multilateral naval exercise. 

The other participating countries include Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Fiji, France, Gabon, Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines. Qatar, Russia, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor Leste, UAE, UK, USA, Vietnam, and Yemen. 

China, which most Indians view as the country’s most pressing threat, was not invited to the exercise.