VISAKHAPATNAM: Spread across six columns in the Bay of Bengal, ships, submarines of the Indian Navy and friendly foreign navies lay at anchor and under way on Wednesday as President Droupadi Murmu reviewed the International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026.
From the deck of the Presidential Yacht, INS Sumedha, the President passed along the formation, where each column revealed a different facet of naval operations, from sail training vessels to frontline combatants.
The first two columns consisted of anchored vessels, including sail training ship INS Tarangini, missile corvette INS Khanjar, offshore patrol vessels INS Kirch and INS Makar, and support ships such as INS Baratang and INS Tarmugli. Indian Coast Guard ships ICGS Sujay, ICGS Veera and ICGS Sarathi were positioned alongforeign vessels, including SLNS Sagara and SLNS Nandi Mithra of Sri Lanka, KRI Bung Tomo of Indonesia, RNOV Sadh of Oman and IRIS Dena of Iran.
In the third and fourth columns, amphibious ships, survey vessels and corvettes formed the next segment.
These included INS Airavat, INS Shardul, INS Jamuna, INS Darshak, INS Sarvekshak, INS Kavaratti and INS Kamorta, joined by foreign ships, including HMAS Warramunga (Australia), JS Yudachi (Japan), ROKS Gang Gam Chan (Republic of Korea), BRP Miguel Malvar (Philippines), KD Indera Shakti (Malaysia), SAS Amatola (South Africa) and Marshal Shaposhnikov (Russia).
At the head of the final two columns sailed the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, her expansive flight deck and distinct silhouette forming the visual centrepiece of the fleet. Alongside her moved destroyers and frigates such as INS Visakhapatnam, INS Chennai, INS Mysore, INS Mumbai, INS Rana and INS Ranvijay, with fleet support ships INS Shakti and INS Jyoti completing the formation.
Moments later, submarines INS Shankul, INS Sindhukirti and INS Sindhukesari surfaced in sequence.
Overhead, MiG-29K fighters, Sea King and MH-60R helicopters, ALH Dhruv and Dornier aircraft crossed the sky, linking the fleet below with the air arm above in a coordinated display of maritime capability.