India to host International Fleet Review and Milan naval exercise in Feb

New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) The Indian Navy will host an International Fleet Review and a mega naval exercise in February in Visakhapatnam that will see participation of over 50 navies including from Russia and the US with an aim to demonstrate India's growing maritime prowess amid a fractious geopolitical environment.

The navies of China, Turkiye and Pakistan are among those not invited for the two major events, officials said on Friday.

The Indian Navy is also participating at the Malabar Naval exercise to be held in Guam next month.

While the International Fleet Review with the theme "United through Oceans" will be held on February 18, the Milan naval exercise will take place from February 19 to 25, they said.

Indigenously-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and Kalvari-class submarines will be among the platforms that the Indian Navy will deploy for the fleet review.

President Droupadi Murmu will witness the International Fleet Review that is expected to feature a large number of warships of the Indian Navy and many other countries.

India is hosting the International Fleet Review after a gap of over 10 years. India hosted its first International Fleet Review in 2001 at Mumbai, and the second one in 2016 at Visakhapatnam, each showcasing India's role as a reliable and responsible partner in ensuring maritime security and stability.

The Indian Navy will also host the IONS (Indian Ocean Naval Symposium) Conclave of Chiefs on February 20 where it will take the chairmanship of the organisation for the period 2026-28.

"The tradition of fleet reviews in India dates back to the 18th Century, when the Maratha fleet was reviewed off the Konkan coast, laying the foundation to India's maritime strength," Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan said.

"After independence, this tradition was revived when Rajendra Prasad, our first president, conducted the first Presidential Fleet Review in 1953. We have seen 10 President's Reviews since then," he told reporters.

Vice Admiral Vatsayan said the International Fleet Review and the Milan exercise are aimed at further promoting international maritime security, fostering unity and cooperation among navies worldwide.

To a question on the visit of a Chinese survey ship to the Maldives, he said the Indian Navy monitors each and every Chinese vessel in the Indian Ocean.

Vice Admiral Vatsayan said the Indian Navy has been deployed for dealing with any eventualities following Operation Sindoor but there has not been any pause in its interactions with foreign countries.

"There is no full stop. We are prepared and deployed for Operation Sindoor. For the rest of our plans, we will continue with them as well. So that's a very simple message," he said when asked what will be the strategic messages from the three upcoming events.

The Vice Admiral said the Indian Navy is keeping a strict vigil over the Indian Ocean and added that "extra-regional powers" are present in the region.

"At any given point of time, we have a minimum of 40 odd ships that are operating in the Indian Ocean region. We are monitoring each and every one of them. We are aware of what they are doing," he said.

On the Navy's modernisation, he said 10 ships and one submarine have been commissioned this year.

"I am expecting another four ships to be delivered before the end of December. And I think next year we've got 19 vessels which are likely to be inducted," he said.

Thirteen warships will be inducted in 2027, he said.

On the ongoing tri-services Trishul exercise, officials said the Navy has deployed 20-25 warships while the Indian Air Force is participating with 40 fighter jets.

The nearly three-week exercise began on Thursday and it is being carried out in Gujarat's Kutch region which is near to the Sir Creek.

Sir Creek is a 96-km-long tidal estuary between Gujarat's Rann of Kutch and Pakistan and it is considered as a disputed region due to varying interpretations of maritime boundary lines by both sides. PTI MPB ZMN