Milan-24 kicks off in Vizag with harbour exercise
Indian and foreign navies engage in harbor activities and planning
Visakhapatnam: The Indian Navy’s mega naval exercise Milan-24 kicked off on Monday with several ships from Indian and foreign navies participating in the event.
The harbour phase of exercise involved all the activities of Milan like professional discussions, the opening ceremony, seminar, visits, city tours, social functions and planning for the sea phase.
The events symbolise the enduring bond between nations and their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The Eastern Naval Command said 51 countries confirmed participation in the international maritime event. Ships from 15 countries anchored in Visakhapatnam till Monday.
With the hashtag #Milan-24, the Indian Navy extended a gracious welcome to all the participants.
Among the distinguished participants is the UMS King Sin Phyu Shin (F 14), a Kyan Sittha class frigate from the Myanmar Navy, which also opened its arms to the USS Halsey.
Further enriching the international contingent, the Iranian Navy's IRIS Dena, a Moudge Class Frigate, arrived at Visakhapatnam, underscoring the deep-rooted historical and cultural ties between India and Iran.
Joining the chorus of friendship and cooperation, the French Navy's Atlantique 2 aircraft, fresh from a bilateral exercise, stands poised to participate in Milan 2024.
On Sunday, with traditional Indian hospitality, the Indian Navy welcomed the dignitaries of the HMAS Warramunga of the Royal Australian Navy, JS Sazanami of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, and HTMS Prachuap Khiri Khan (OPV 552) of the Royal Thai Navy.
These vessels joined Corvette 20 of the Vietnam People’s Navy in a grand display of international camaraderie.
For the Australian defence force, this is the first regional level deployment for 2024 and the first large-scale multilateral exercise on the Navy’s calendar for the year.
The Australian defence force will be represented by commander of the Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Chris Smith, and HMAS Warramunga, with an embarked MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, which is currently conducting an Indo-Pacific regional level-deployment.