The Indian Navy will organise the ‘MILAN’, a multilateral naval exercise at Visakhapatnam in Mar next year, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain has said.
Announcing this during his address at INS Circars Parade Ground in the ENC on the occasion of 73rd Independence Day on Thursday, the Vice Admiral said a large number of ships and dignitaries are expected to take part in various functions and visit naval facilities during the event.
“The MILAN series of biennial exercises which commenced in 1995 was being organised at Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) until last year. It is being conducted for the first time on the mainland at ENC owing to the increased scope and complexity of the exercise,” Vice Admiral Jain said.
He urged everyone to prepare for this mega event which would be a historic occasion for the Indian Navy and the city of Visakhapatnam.
Earlier in the day, the Vice Admiral hoisted the national flag and inspected a ceremonial parade comprising naval platoons drawn from various ships and establishments, Defence Security Corps and Sea Cadet Corps.
Maritime security
“Being the primary custodian of maritime security, the navy needs to ensure a favourable maritime environment for the country’s economic growth and prosperity and for that making the Indian Navy a combat-ready, credible and cohesive force is inevitable,” Vice Admiral Jain said.
Given the changing maritime security dynamics in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the ENC needs to be ready to face challenges from traditional and non-traditional asymmetric threats, he added.
Flag Officers, Commanding Officers of various ships and establishments in Visakhapatnam and several armed forces and civilian personnel and their families were present.
Tributes paid to martyrs
In a parallel event at the ‘Victory at Sea’ war memorial on the Beach Road, Vice Admiral Narayan Prasad, Director General Naval Projects, Visakhapatnam, paid tributes to the martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice in defence of the nation. A two-minute silence was observed as a mark of respect to the martyrs.
