Amid strained relations between New Delhi and Ottawa, the Canadian government will dispatch its naval team led by a commander for the multinational maritime event “Milan 2024” set to happen off Visakhapatnam coast from February 19. This event will see the participation of 51 friendly foreign navies.
Speaking at the event’s curtain raiser press conference, Indian Navy’s deputy chief Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti stated, “Milan 2024 is a significant effort by the Indian Navy to unite friendly foreign nations from around the world to collaborate with us for maritime activities. This year, in 2024, Milan will take place in Visakhapatnam, with 51 countries taking part.” Fifteen nations will send their warships for the exercise, with the French Navy bringing an aircraft, Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti added.
Eastern Naval Command Chief of Staff Officer (Operations) Rear Admiral Shantanu Jha mentioned, “The 9-day mega maritime exercise will be conducted in two phases — harbour and sea. The harbour phase will occur from February 19 – 23, focusing on exchanging expertise and witnessing demonstrations. Bilateral meetings will also be held.”
The sea phase will take place from February 24 – 27 in the Bay of Bengal with 35 warships, submarines, and 50 aircraft participating. This significant exercise happens amidst a complex geopolitical landscape, including heightened security concerns in the Red Sea.
Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti emphasized that the exercise will feature various events, including an international maritime exposition, a maritime technical exhibition, a city parade, and interactions with junior officers.
New entrants to the exercise include Canada, Eritrea, Fiji, Gabon, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Kuwait, Madagascar, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Spain, Timor Leste, and Yemen. Participating navies with warships include Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Maldives, Russia, Korea, among others.
Addressing questions about China, Vice Admiral Sobti clarified, “Among the 51 participating countries, each has its own relationship with China. Our aim is not to send any message against China but to address common challenges at sea through collaboration.”
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will observe the exercise. The “Milan” exercise commenced in 1995 with four navies at Port Blair and is being hosted in Visakhapatnam for the second time.