26 ships, 21 aircraft, one submarine to participate in four-day multilateral naval exercise

A total of 26 ships, 21 aircraft and one submarine are taking part in the multilateral naval exercise, MILAN 2022, being conducted in the Bay of Bengal from March 1 to 4.

The sea phase of MILAN 2022 includes advanced and complex exercises in all three dimensions of maritime operations, said the Indian Navy in an official statement.

the Indian Navy further stated that the pre-sail combined briefing for the sea phase conducted prior to departure was presided over by Rear Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, Flag Officer Commanding eastern fleet, and attended by senior officers, commanding officers and planning teams of all participating units from friendly foreign countries.

The sea phase of MILAN aims to enhance interoperability and maritime cooperation, and share best practices amongst the participating navies. The schedule includes weapon firings, seamanship evolutions, advanced anti-submarine warfare exercises, cross deck helicopter landings, simulation of complex operational scenarios and tactical manoeuvres, stated the Indian Navy in its statement.

The sea phase of MILAN 2022 is being conducted from March 1 to 4 after the harbour phase which was held from February 25 to 28.

Since the inception of MILAN in 1995, the event has been held biennially except for 2001, 2005, 2016, and 2020. While the 2001 and 2016 editions were not held due to 'International Fleet Reviews', the 2005 editions were rescheduled to 2006 due to the 2004 tsunami. The 2020 edition of MILAN was postponed to 2022 due to COVID-19.

( With inputs from ANI )

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