The Indian Navy deployed two carrier battle groups to the Bay of Bengal for New Delhi’s multinational naval drill Exercise Milan 2024.
INS Vikramaditya (R33) and INS Vikrant (R11) and their accompanying escorts, as well as other Indian Navy warships, maritime patrol aircraft and drones, are slated to participate in one of the region’s largest multilateral naval drills from Feb. 19 to 27.
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. This is a marked increase from 39 participants in 2022’s iteration.
Notable non-Indian Navy vessels partaking in 2024’s drills include the USS Halsey (DDG-97), HMAS Warramunga (FFH-152), JS Sazanami (DD-113), KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda (367), IRIS Dena (75), Varyag (011) and Marshal Shaposhnikov (543).
Before 2020, the drills took place within the Andaman Nicobar Command, the Indian military’s theater command responsible for defending New Delhi’s islands directly adjacent to the strategic Strait of Malacca, which separates the Indian Ocean region and the Pacific. With the exercise’s influx of participants, India moved the drills to the Eastern Naval Command’s area of responsibility at the port city of Visakhapatnam.
Milan 2024 will be the first time India’s indigenously built aircraft carrier participates in an international exercise. Commissioned in 2022, the 45,000-ton Vikrant is expected to carry a plethora of Indian and foreign aircraft from the United States, Russia and France. Last year, India chose Dassault Aviation’s Rafale-M over Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet for the carrier’s air wing.
According to an Indian Navy press release on the exercise, Milan is a “congregation of friendly navies” and describes participants as “friendly foreign countries.” In Milan 2024, notable participants include Quadrilateral Security Dialogue countries the United States, Japan and Australia, as well as traditional partners such as Russia.
China, which most Indians view as the country’s most pressing threat, was not invited to the exercise. Three years ago, New Delhi and Beijing fought each other in a violent clash in the Himalayas that left multiple dead, wounded and captured on both sides.
In recent years, the Indian Navy has bolstered its efforts as the People’s Liberation Army Navy has been increasing its presence in the Indian Ocean region. From deploying submarines and spy ships to seizing a strategic port in Sri Lanka, China’s push into India’s backyard has raised the alarm for the Indian Navy. Last year, it was reported that the service was eyeing an additional aircraft carrier and a force of 160 ships by 2030.
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By Col Anil Bhat (Retd)
New Delhi, February 2. This exercise which began with just four countries and has now reached a participation level of over twelve times that number goes to show the recognition of India as a naval power and as a regional maritime security provider.
The 12th edition of the Multilateral Naval Exercise 2024, codenamed MILAN, scheduled to be conducted in Visakhapatnam, in southern India, from February 19 to 27, 2024, will be of the largest-ever participation, featuring the navies of over 50 countries and nearly 20 ships from friendly nations.
This biennial event, initially launched by the Indian Navy in 1995, began as a part of India’s ‘Look East Policy’, subsequently expanded under the ‘Act East policy’ and further into Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region’ (SAGAR) initiative, becoming a cornerstone of international maritime cooperation. The exercise aims to foster collaboration and understanding among navies, emphasizing the importance of a collective that has evolved over almost two decades into a significant multilateral naval exercise. The upcoming MILAN is poised to be a historic gathering with
A final planning conference, conducted in a hybrid mode (virtual and in-person), recently took place in Visakhapatnam, presided over by the Chief of Staff Operations, @IN_HQENC, and attended by representatives from participating nations. The conference marked the meticulous planning and coordination essential for the success of such a massive naval exercise.
Diverse array of events
The harbor phase of MILAN 24 promises a diverse array of events, including an International Maritime Seminar, City Parade at RK Beach, Swavlamban Exhibition, Subject Matter Expert Exchange, and Milan of Young Officers. These activities will provide a platform for participants to share expertise, showcase capabilities, and strengthen diplomatic ties.
During the sea phase, ships, maritime patrol aircraft, and submarines from Friendly Foreign Countries will join Indian Navy units in a series of manoeuvres. The Eastern seaboard in Visakhapatnam will witness the deployment of both Indian aircraft carriers, INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant, showcasing India’s naval strength and capability.
The exercises during MILAN 2024 will involve large-force manoeuvres, advanced air defence operations, anti-submarine warfare, and anti-surface warfare operations, demonstrating the participating nations’ commitment to maintaining maritime security in the region.
Showcasing shared responsibility
The timing of MILAN 2024 happens to be with India’s G20 presidency, emphasizing the country’s commitment to fostering global cooperation. The exercise also embodies the G20 theme of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – the world is one family, showcasing the shared responsibility of nations in ensuring maritime peace and stability.
Ex MILAN, which began in 1995 it with just four nations – Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand – has blossomed into a robust, multinational forum for maritime cooperation. The previous edition, MILAN 22, held off Visakhapatnam from February 25 to March 4, 2022, involved the participation of 39 countries. As MILAN 2024 approaches, anticipation is building for an even more significant and impactful event that will undoubtedly contribute to strengthening international maritime partnerships.
This exercise which began with just four countries and has now reached a participation level of over twelve times that number goes to show the recognition of India as a naval power and as a regional maritime security provider. When countries’ militaries exercise together, they come to know about each other’s capabilities. That is how the demand to train with the Indian Navy has been increasing. It has also been a positive catalyst for India in the arena of international relations.
Largest China-Pakistan exercise
This edition of Ex MILAN becomes more important given the largest ever China-Pakistan naval exercise termed as “first joint patrol”, which was held in the Arabian Sea in November 2023. This was the third and the largest edition of Exercise Sea Guardian. The first edition was held in 2020 in the northern waters of the Arabian Sea, while the second edition was held in 2022 in the waters off Shanghai.
According to Global Times, dated November 16, 2023, the PLA Navy sent a Type 052D destroyer, two Type 054A frigates, a replenishment ship, a conventional submarine and a submarine support ship, while the Pakistan Navy sent at least two Type 054A/P frigates, two F-22P frigates and an anti-submarine patrol aircraft, plus special forces from both sides. Explaining the differences between the joint patrol and the sea phase of the joint exercise, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times that a joint patrol is a military presence that allows fast response to emergencies and safeguards security in a region, while a joint exercise is training with preset goals and targets. Song stated that the Arabian Sea is important to both China and Pakistan in terms of goods and energy transport, highlighted by the CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) that connects the two countries’ economic activities, so it is important for the two countries to safeguard this sea lane from security threats. Song also added that this type of joint naval patrol will likely become routine.
