New Delhi: indian navy Visakhapatnam will host the International Fleet Review (IFR) and Exercise Milan from February 15 to 25, which will mark a defining moment in India’s maritime story, with the “City of Destiny” once again becoming the centerpiece of India’s Indo-Pacific strategy.A naval source told the Times of India: “This IFR and Milan exercises are larger in scope and more far-reaching. Navies from 72 countries, including the United States and Russia, will participate. The large-scale joint naval event will involve more than 60 warships and naval aircraft from three countries.” The IFR will position India’s east coast as the focus of naval diplomacy and multilateral maritime engagement. Warships and assets from Germany, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates participated for the first time, including the Philippine BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG-06) and the UAE Navy warship Al Emarat. Since 2001, India has used instrument flight rules and opened its ports to allied navies in a show of maritime power.
The naval star of Operation Sindoor, the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, will be the focus of the fleet review. The INS Vikrant carrier strike group deployed in the northern Arabian Sea played a key role in the coercive strategy, thereby forcing the Pakistan Navy to be on the defensive.
