The Opening Ceremony of the biennial Multilateral Naval Exercise, MILAN 22 was held at the Naval Auditorium at Visakhapatnam on Saturday, 26 February 2022. The Chief Guest for the event was the Hon’ble Raksha Rajya Mantri, Shri Ajay Bhatt. The event was attended by the Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral R Hari Kumar, as well as Ambassadors, High Commissioners, Chiefs of Navies, Delegation Heads of participating countries and the Commanding Officers and crew of all participating ships.  A Special Day Cover and a movie on the MILAN exercise was released by the Chief Guest to mark the occasion. 

The eleventh edition of MILAN is being hosted by the Eastern Naval Command at the City of Destiny, Vishakhapatnam for the first time.  All previous editions have been held at Port Blair under the aegis of the Tri-Service Andaman and Nicobar Command.  The participation from Friendly Foreign Countries includes 13 ships, 39 delegations and one Maritime Patrol Aircraft. This large congregation gives significance and potency to the word

‘MILAN’ which means “meeting” or “confluence” in Hindi. 

MILAN endeavours to promote “Camaraderie, Cohesion, Collaboration” between like-minded Navies. This is achieved by professional interaction and experience sharing at the harbour and enhancing interoperability, including multilateral operations, at sea.  The harbour phase of the exercise will culminate on 28 Feb 22, followed by the sea phase from 01 Mar to 04 Mar 22. 

This edition of MILAN is larger and more complex than all previous ones, reflecting India’s growing stature as a responsible and reliable partner in the maritime domain, underscoring the Indian Navy’s commitment to maritime security across the global commons.

The goals of MILAN are aligned with the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of SAGAR – Security and Growth for All in the Region. MILAN 22 will play a vital role in establishing regional synergy for achieving peace and prosperity through cooperation and collaboration.

As a part of the harbour phase, a MILAN village has been set up at the Tarang Naval Institute. The village would provide a glimpse of Indian culture to the visitors, showcasing Indian handicrafts, cuisine and arts, especially from the state of Andhra Pradesh. The village will also provide a venue for social interaction and cultural exchange between the participatingnavies.

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CGR/VM/PS