News Reference:
According to the Ministry of Defence's press release of 19 February 2026, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated Exercise MILAN 2026 in Visakhapatnam; navy chiefs and heads of delegations from 74 countries were present on the occasion.
According to PIB's press release of 25 February 2026, the exercise concluded with a ceremony on the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant near the Visakhapatnam coast; the ceremony was chaired by Rear Admiral Alok Ananda (Commanding Officer of the Eastern Fleet). The exercise ran from 15 to 25 February 2026, and its theme was "Camaraderie, Cooperation, Collaboration".
MILAN 2026: At a Glance
Duration/venue: 15-25 February 2026, Visakhapatnam; inauguration 19 February, conclusion on INS Vikrant on 25 February
Participation: Navy chiefs/representatives of 74 countries; 42 ships and submarines, 29 aircraft (18 foreign ships)
Convergence: IFR 2026 (President's review on 18 February) and the IONS conclave at the same venue
Theme: Camaraderie, Cooperation, Collaboration | Based on PIB press releases
Scale and Phases:
According to PIB (25 February 2026), MILAN 2026 involved 42 ships and submarines and 29 aircraft, including 18 ships of friendly foreign countries and maritime patrol aircraft of France, Germany and the United States.
The harbour phase included bilateral meetings, subject-matter expert exchanges (SMEE), the International Maritime Seminar (IMS), Milan of Young Officers (MOYO) and cultural exchanges. The sea phase included exercises such as integrated air defence, anti-submarine warfare, maritime interdiction, surface-strike coordination and cross-deck flying; surface gun firing and anti-air firing were also included.
Convergence of Three Maritime Events:
According to PIB (16 February 2026), "MILAN Village" was inaugurated in the Eastern Naval Command on 15 February, where representatives of more than 70 countries gathered for cultural and social exchanges. The then Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, Vice Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, said that the successive convergence of IFR, MILAN and IONS in Visakhapatnam is a significant moment of India's maritime outreach.
In the International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026, President Droupadi Murmu reviewed the fleet assembled in the sea near Visakhapatnam on 18 February 2026 (President's Secretariat/PIB, 18 February 2026). According to PIB, this exercise is in line with the vision of MAHASAGAR - Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions.
Prelims: Practice Questions
Question 1. Which statement about Exercise MILAN 2026 is correct?
(a) It was a bilateral exercise held in Kochi in February 2026
(b) It was a multilateral maritime exercise of the Indian Navy held in Visakhapatnam from 15 to 25 February 2026, which concluded on INS Vikrant
(c) It was an exercise held in the Bay of Bengal only between India and France
(d) It is the Indian Army's annual exercise
See answer and reason
Answer: (b). According to PIB (19 and 25 February 2026), MILAN 2026 was a major multilateral exercise of the Indian Navy held in Visakhapatnam from 15 to 25 February; the closing ceremony was held on INS Vikrant.
Question 2. Which pair about participation in MILAN 2026 is correct?
(a) Only 12 countries, 10 ships
(b) Only Indian ships; no foreign aircraft
(c) Only the four countries of the Quad
(d) Navy chiefs/representatives of 74 countries; 42 ships and submarines, 29 aircraft, including 18 foreign ships
See answer and reason
Answer: (d). According to PIB (19 February), navy chiefs/delegations of 74 countries were present at the inauguration; according to PIB (25 February), 42 ships/submarines, 29 aircraft and 18 foreign ships took part.
Question 3. Choose the correct statement about the convergence of maritime events in February 2026:
(a) In IFR 2026, the President reviewed the fleet near Visakhapatnam on 18 February 2026; MILAN and the IONS conclave were also linked to the same series of venues
(b) IFR 2026 was held in Mumbai
(c) MILAN 2026 and IFR 2026 took place in different years
(d) The IONS conclave was not related to these events
See answer and reason
Answer: (a). According to the President's Secretariat/PIB (18 February 2026), the President reviewed IFR 2026 that day; according to PIB (16 February), there was a convergence of IFR, MILAN and IONS in Visakhapatnam.
Sources:
PIB/President's Secretariat: International Fleet Review 2026, Visakhapatnam, 18 February 2026
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