Operation Sindoor carrier INS Vikrant, QUAD navies to feature at IFR-MILAN in Visakhapatnam
NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy will host the International Fleet Review and Exercise MILAN in Visakhapatnam this week, bringing together representatives from around 74 countries for a ten day maritime engagement off the eastern seaboard.
The navies of the QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) will also be among the participants.
The indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, which led the Carrier Battle Group (CBG) during Operation Sindoor and compelled Pakistani warships to remain in harbour, is set to be the star attraction at both the fleet review and the multinational exercise.
The engagements will also include the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs and an International Maritime Seminar, bringing together naval leadership and maritime experts to discuss evolving regional security challenges and cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
This is the first time the IFR, Exercise MILAN and the IONS engagements are being held simultaneously, making it the largest edition so far, with participation from around 65 navies and over 90 warships and nearly 50 aircraft expected to take part.
The scale of participation comes amid a more complex maritime environment marked by the rapid expansion of the Chinese PLA Navy and increased deployments in the Indian Ocean, as well as continued operational activity by Pakistan’s Navy in the Arabian Sea. In this context, India’s ability to convene a large number of navies assumes added strategic significance.
Participating nations include Russia, Iran, Bangladesh, Japan, Australia, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and the Maldives, pointing to continued engagement with both major naval powers and regional littoral states.
All four QUAD members, the United States, Japan and Australia along with host India, will also be participating, extending maritime engagement beyond the annual Malabar exercise.
China has repeatedly criticised the bloc, accusing it of trying to contain its regional influence and “inciting confrontation”.
Moreover, the presence of Southeast Asian navies, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines, also underscores the Indian Navy’s Act East outreach, with the events reinforcing India’s maritime engagement with ASEAN partners along some of the world’s busiest sea routes.
As reported earlier by TNIE, China, which participated in the previous IFR held in Visakhapatnam, is not among the countries invited this time. Turkey has also been left out of the current edition following Chinese and Turkish support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.
India will field INS Vikrant, which led the CBG deployment during last year's hostilities with Pakistan. The carrier will be accompanied by its embarked MiG-29K fighters, while frontline platforms including Visakhapatnam-class destroyers, Nilgiri-class stealth frigates and Arnala-class anti-submarine warfare corvettes will also participate. Exercise MILAN will additionally see the deployment of the P-8I maritime patrol aircraft.
Foreign participation is expected to include a mix of frontline surface combatants. The United States is likely to deploy USS Pinckney, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, while Russia will be represented by RFS Marshal Shaposhnikov, an upgraded Udaloy-class anti-submarine warfare destroyer. Iran is expected to deploy IRINS Dena, a Moudge-class destroyer.
Regional participants will include Bangladesh Navy’s BNS Somudra Avijan, an offshore patrol vessel, while Indo-Pacific partners are expected to deploy frontline platforms such as the Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Warramunga, an Anzac-class guided missile frigate, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force’s JS Yūdachi, an Asagiri-class destroyer.
Several foreign warships have already begun arriving in Visakhapatnam ahead of Wednesday’s fleet review, which will be reviewed by President Droupadi Murmu as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
India last hosted the IFR in Visakhapatnam in 2016, following an earlier edition in Mumbai in 2001. While fleet reviews have traditionally served as ceremonial demonstrations of naval capability, Navy sources said their operational relevance has grown as more navies operate in proximity across key sea lanes in the Indian Ocean and the wider Indo-Pacific.
“Interoperability today goes beyond platforms. It involves aligning command-and-control procedures, communications protocols and information sharing so that navies can operate within a common operational framework during contingencies,” a source said. Such engagements enable interaction across tactical and operational levels, helping build familiarity among navies operating in shared maritime spaces.
“When multiple navies operate in the same area, predictability and communication become critical for safe and effective operations. Engagements like IFR help reduce operational friction and build confidence,” the source added.
“The fleet review is not merely a display of naval platforms. For the Indian Navy, bringing IFR, MILAN and IONS together helps strengthen coordination with partner navies, which is critical for maintaining secure sea lines of communication,” the source said. The engagements, sources added, underlines the Indian Navy’s growing role as a convening force in the IOR.