New Delhi: Despite their growing geopolitical differences, the United States and Russia have confirmed their participation in India’s upcoming International Fleet Review (IFR), Exercise MILAN 2026, and the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs, which will be held simultaneously in Visakhapatnam in February 2026, senior Indian Navy officers confirmed on Friday. This is a rare gathering of world naval powers.
The fact that Moscow and Washington, two nations that are frequently at conflict in most international arenas, participated at the same time highlights New Delhi’s unique diplomatic standing. It is a rare moment when adversarial navies operate under one umbrella of cooperation, within the neutral and inclusive setting that India provides.
Senior officers of the Indian Navy have confirmed that ships and aircraft from both countries will join the IFR and MILAN exercises.
Both events are being described as among the most ambitious and geopolitically significant maritime gatherings India has ever hosted. For the first time, three major international maritime events, such as the International Fleet Review 2026, Exercise MILAN 2026, and the IONS Conclave of Chiefs, are scheduled from February 15 to 25, 2026. The convergence heralds a bold step in operationalising the current regime’s MAHASAGAR vision, named Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions, announced in 2025.
Therefore, based on the above reasoning, the MAHASAGAR extends India’s SAGAR philosophy by highlighting the themes of sustainability, resilience, and collective responsibility of the maritime commons.
Significantly, for the United States, participation reinforces its Indo-Pacific outreach and alignment with India’s vision of a free, open, and inclusive maritime order. For Russia, it reaffirms the continuity of its defence and strategic ties with India at a time when it faces growing Western isolation.
An invitation by the Indian Navy to more than 55 countries, couched in characteristic balance, reflects New Delhi’s intent to ensure inclusivity while avoiding entanglement in great-power rivalries.
Exercise MILAN will include both Harbour and Sea Phases and will be focused on interoperability, maritime domain awareness, anti-submarine warfare, air defence, and search-and-rescue operations. Along with destroyers of the Visakhapatnam class, stealth frigates of the Nilgiri class, and anti-submarine warfare corvettes of the Arnala class, it will also showcase indigenous platforms, including the nation’s first indigenously constructed aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant. Senior naval officials emphasised that these displays show how India has developed to the point where it can design, construct, and deploy advanced marine capabilities under the framework of self-reliance.
An International City Parade along the iconic RK Beach, Visakhapatnam, will also showcase contingents from the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, apart from participating foreign navies-a peep into maritime diplomacy at people’s doors.