Officials said that while most nations are sending representatives for table top exercises and discussions, warships from 15 foreign navies are also set to join the exercise, which will include a harbour phase that will simulate cooperative humanitarian missions in the high seas.
Global maritime agencies will also discuss the implications of asymmetric threats, like the use of sea drones that have been effective in sinking large Russian ships by the smaller Ukrainian forces, during a table-top exercise.
Sources said that the US is sending a large destroyer of the Arleigh Burke class, Russia is sending two warships and Iran will also be represented by one of its warships. The Quad nations – India, US, Australia and Japan – will all have a notable presence at the exercise. A prominent exception to the invitation list is China, with which India has had strained ties since the Ladakh border tensions in 2020.
Officials said that while Israel has been invited to the exercise, due to the prevailing conditions, it has expressed an inability to take part. Other nations that are likely to have warships in Visakhapatnam next week are Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bangladesh. A French Atlantique long range maritime patrol aircraft has already arrived for the exercise.
Being the host, the Indian Navy will have the maximum number of ships at the event. Both the Indian aircraft carriers – INS Vikrant and Vikramaditya – will be showcased at the event but will not take part in the harbour phase of the exercise as such.Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti said that the harbour phase of the exercise will be from February 19 to 23, followed by sea exercises from February 24-27. The Milan series of exercises were started in 1995 in Port Blair and have steadily grown over the years as India has been seeking to expand maritime partnerships across the world.
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