EXERCISE
MILAN - DEFENCE & SECURITY
News:
Navy gets ready for its
biggest naval exercise amid ocean engagements
What's
in the news?
●
As the Indian Navy looks to mark Navy Day on December 4, it is also
gearing up to host its largest
multilateral exercise early next year.
Key
takeaways:
●
The next edition of Exercise MILAN is
scheduled to be held in February 2024,
and is expected to see the participation of over 50 countries, reflects the significant expansion of the Navy’s
engagements as well as capacity to assist countries in the Indian Ocean Region
(IOR) as the first responder and
Preferred Security Partner.
Exercise
Milan:
●
It is a biennial multilateral naval exercise that began in 1995 in the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
●
Originally conceived in consonance with
India's ‘Look East Policy’, MILAN expanded in ensuing years with the Government of India's 'Act East Policy' and
Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) initiative to include
participation from other Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs).
●
It has since significantly expanded in
scope and scale to become the largest exercise held by India.
Aim:
●
To enhance professional interaction
between friendly foreign navies and learn from each other’s strengths and best
practices in the maritime domain.
Participants:
●
It was started with the participation of only four countries, viz., Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and
Thailand, in the 1995 edition, the exercise has since transitioned leaps
and bounds in terms of the number of participants and complexity of exercises.
●
The mid-planning conference of Milan-24
was held in October this year. The last edition of Milan, which is held off the
coast of Visakhapatnam, saw participation from over 40 countries such as the US, Russia, Australia, UK, Japan, South Korea,
France and Israel, Saudi Arabia among others.
Go
back to basics:
SAGAR
Initiative:
●
It is an Indian foreign policy doctrine that was introduced in 2015.
Objective:
●
The aim of SAGAR is to enhance cooperation and mutual trust
between India and its neighbouring countries, particularly in the Indian Ocean
region.
Components:
●
The SAGAR policy has several components,
including ensuring maritime security and safety, promoting sustainable
development and economic growth, and strengthening cultural and
people-to-people ties between nations.