International Fleet Review 2026

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International Fleet Review 2026
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IFR 2026 logo
International Fleet Review 2026
Date15–25 February 2026 (2026-02-15 – 2026-02-25)
Duration11 days
Venue Eastern Naval Command
Location Visakhapatnam, India
Coordinates 17°41′45″N83°16′51″E / 17.695811°N 83.280709°E / 17.695811; 83.280709
Also known asIFR 2026
Type Fleet review
Naval exercise
ThemeUnited Through Oceans
Patron Government of India
Organised by Indian Navy
Participants
Website www.ifrmilan26.com

The International Fleet Review 2026 (IFR 2026) was an international maritime exercise hosted and conducted by the Indian Navy on behalf of the President of India in February 2026 to improve relations with other navies in the region. [4] The IFR 2026, along with MILAN, is the largest maritime assembly hosted by India since its independence. [2]

Contents

Background

The 2026 International Fleet Review is a cooperative maritime exercise held in India. It aims to enhance co-operation and promote local maritime capabilities. This is the third IFR being hosted by India after the International Fleet Review 2001 and the International Fleet Review 2016 which were conducted during the presidency of K. R. Narayanan and Pranab Mukherjee, respectively. [5] [6] In 2001, 97 ships from 20 countries [7] took participated in the event, [8] while the 2016 edition saw 95 ships and over 50 countries. [9]

The President's fleet review, also called the Presidential fleet review, is a gathering of naval ships for observation by the President of India who reviews the fleet of the Indian Navy. Past fleet reviews in India includes a 2006 review conducted by president A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, which was the first public naval fleet review outside Mumbai. [10] The last review was in 2022 during the Presidency of Ram Nath Kovind. [11]

Two other notable international fleet reviews were held before 2016: the International Fleet Review 2005 in the United Kingdom and the International Fleet Review 2013 in Australia. IFR 2016 was the second international fleet review conducted in India; the first, in Mumbai in 2001, had 29 participants. A total of 95 warships from 50 navies, including the Indian Navy, participated in IFR 2016. [12] [13]

During a press conference in the presence of the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, on 31 October 2025, the Indian Navy announced three major events that would be hosted in the month of February in 2026. This included the International Fleet Review 2026, Exercise MILAN 2026 and the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs. The events would be hosted on 15–25 February 2016. Exercise MILAN is the Indian Navy's flagship multilateral biennial naval exercise. India also hosts the chair of the IONS for the second time between 2025 and 2027 which has 25 member and 9 observers along with other invitees. [7] The events also include the International City Parade. [14] On 14 and 15 February, the Indian Navy, along with the Indian Army, conducted a full dress rehearsal for amphibious assault operations by BMP-2 s at RK Beach in Visakhapatnam ahead of the IFR and City Parade. [3]

Events

16 February

The Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command (FOC-in-C ENC), Vice Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, inaugurated the MILAN Village which was established within the premises of INS Satavahana. The commanding officer described the events as the largest maritime assembly hosted by India since 1947. This also marked the beginning of the three events. [2] [15]

17 February

The IFR formally commenced with a Presidential Banquet at the Visakhapatnam Naval Base and a ceremonial band performance at the Eastern Naval Command officers’ mess. [16] [17] A full dress rehearsal for the Fleet Review was conducted on the day. INS Sukanya hosted the families of naval personnel to witness the event. While the ships were anchored in six columns, Sukanya passed the ships in between the columns imitating the course of the presidential yacht the following day. [18]

18 February

The International Fleet Review was conducted by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, in the presence of Governor of Andhra Pradesh S Abdul Nazeer and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. [19] [20]

The President initially received a Ceremonial Guard of Honour from a 150 personnel contingent and a 21-gun salute. Thereafter, she and the guests boarded INS Sumedha which served as the presidential yacht. The ship was adorned with the Ashoka Emblem and flew the Presidential Standard. [21] During the Fleet Review, 52 ships [1] were anchored in six columns [22] around 22 km (14 mi) away from Visakhapatnam. [17] Sumedha sailed past the anchored ships while the President received salute from the naval personnel on the ships. She also reviewed the Indian Naval Air Arm which was marked by a flypast by over 60 aircraft including helicopters, fixed wing aircraft as well as an Atlantique 2 aircraft of the French Navy. Thereafter, a mobile column of warships and submarines sailed past the presidential yacht. Further maritime and waterfront demonstrations including a parade of sails, search and rescue and aerial manoeuvres by an Naval Air arm Hawk aircraft were also part of the event. [1]

19 February

The International City Parade, comprising 45 marching contingents [2] and eight naval bands [23] from across 65 foreign navies, was conducted on the Beach Road, beside RK Beach, [14] in between the stretch of The Park Hotel and the Coastal Battery. [24] The Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Syed Abdul Nazeer, was the chief guest and reviewed the parade. The event was hosted by the Indian Navy chief, Admiral Dinesh Tripathi. Multiple guests included State ministers, Senior Central and State Government officials, Former Navy Chiefs, Naval Chiefs and Heads of Delegations from participating friendly foreign countries and senior officers of the Indian Navy. [25]

The march past commenced at 1600 hours IST with an air show by the Indian Naval Air Arm. [15] Cadets of the NCC's Indian Sea Cadet Corps and the Indian Navy, followed by Korukonda Sainik School Band and Indian Air Force Band along with the marching contingents of the Indian Coast Guard, Indian Air Force, Indian Army and the Indian Navy opened the proceedings. Regiments from Australia, Bangladesh, France, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Philippines, Russia, Seychelles, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam were also present during the march, tailed by state troopers from the Greyhounds and the Andra Pradesh Police and veterans organisations. [24] The event concluded with fireworks, a laser light show and a drone display while the warships anchored off the city coast. [15]

The MILAN exercise was inaugurated on the same day by the Defence Minister of India, Rajnath Singh. [14] Singh addressed the Navy Chiefs and Heads of Delegations from 74 nations who would participate in the exercise. [26] He had also interacted with the Naval Chiefs and Naval delegations from 9 ASEAN nations. [27]

20 February

The Indian Navy hosted the ninth edition of the Conclave of Chiefs of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS). The Indian Navy took over the chairmanship of the IONS for the first time since 2008, from the Royal Thai Navy. The conclave included the participation of the Chief of Navies and Heads of Maritime Security Agencies of 33 member and observer states of the IONS. During the conclave, the Philippines joined as an observer while Oman joined the IONS Working Group on HADR. [28] [29] [30]

The Commander of the Iranian Navy, Commodore Shahram Irani also met the Indian Navy chief, Tripathi, while he visited India for the events. Irani emphasised the exchange of experience in long-range operations and escort missions for commercial vessels that will suit mutual interests. [31]

Participating ships

The 2026 edition of the IFR and MILAN exercise had 74 participating nations with 85 warships including 19 from foreign friendly nations. Meanwhile, the Indian fleet comprised 60 Indian Navy ships, four Indian Coast Guard vessels and one ship each from the Shipping Corporation of India and the National Institute of Ocean Technology. [1] The Indian Naval Ships will include INS Vikrant, three submarines, [1] Visakhapatnam-class destroyers, Nilgiri-class frigates and Arnala-class anti-submarine warfare corvettes. [7] Maiden particpants with assets includes Germany, Philippines and the UAE. Over 60 naval aircraft [1] from three countries will also took part in the events. [14] INS Sumedha served as the presidential yacht during the IFR on 18 February. [32] [33]

The first set of foreign ships, including MCGS Huravee, SCGS Zoroaster and VPNS 17 from Vietnam People's Navy, made their port call at Visakhapatnam on 12 February 2026. [34] As of 14 February, INS Vikrant was yet to enter the Bay of Bengal. [3] The Russian Navy will deploy a frigate of its Pacific Fleet from Muscat, Oman. The warship will make a port call at Visakhapatnam on 18 February. [35] [36]

The Indian Navy welcomed four warships from three Navies, including the Royal Australian Navy, the Royal Thai Navy and the Sri Lanka Navy, on 16 February. [23] Another three ships from the Bangladesh Navy, the UAE Navy, and the Indonesian Navy arrived on 17 February. INS Vikrant also entered the harbour on this day. [22]

Exercise MILAN 2026

The participating ships in the International Fleet Review will also take part in the 2026 edition of the MILAN exercise. [37]

The MILAN Village is a residential complex dedicatedly constructed to accommodate the naval personnel, officers and their families of the IFR and MILAN 2026 within the premises of INS Satavahana, the premier submarine training base of the force. The village also features about 50 stalls to exhibit handlooms, handicrafts, and traditional artefacts from Indian States as well as foreign navies. [2] [15]

The exercise was inaugurated by the Defence Minister of India, Rajnath Singh, on 19 February. The exercise will be conducted in two phases, Harbour and Sea Phase. The Harbour Phase includes multiple events including the International Maritime Seminar, cross-deck visits, sports interactions and pre-sail planning conferences among others. Meanwhile, the Sea Phase was designed to enhance maritime cooperation and interoperability. [26] The phase will include coordinated maritime security operations, tactical manoeuvres and communication drills [26] as well as anti-submarine warfare (ASW), air defence, and search and rescue operations. [38]

The sea phase of the exercise commenced on 22 February. The phase will include surface firing, anti-air, anti-submarine drill along with aircraft carrier and cross-deck helicopter operations. The operations also includes anti-submarine units tasked to detect and track submarines, aerial exercise for air defence units as well as search and rescue drills. [39]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Hon'ble President of India reviews the International Fleet Review 2026 off Visakhapatnam" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 18 February 2026. Archived from the original on 20 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Peri, Usha (16 February 2026). "MILAN Village ready to host naval triad". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Rao, V. Kamalakara (14 February 2026). "Naval rehearsals enliven RK Beach in Visakhapatnam ahead of IFR, MILAN". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  4. ↑ "IFR, MILAN-26, Naval conclave to gather world navies in Vizag this year: ENC chief". The Times of India. 26 January 2026. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  5. ↑ "International Fleet Review" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  6. ↑ "Introduction to IFR 2016". Indian Navy. Govt. of India. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 "India to host historic maritime convergence with International Fleet Review 2026, MILAN 2026, and IONS Conclave of Chiefs" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 31 October 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  8. ↑ Singh 2018.
  9. ↑ "President reviews international fleet". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  10. ↑ "President arrives for fleet review". The Hindu. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  11. ↑ "Hon'ble President to Review Naval Fleet at Visakhapatnam". pib.gov.in.
  12. ↑ Ankit Panda (8 February 2016). "With Over 50 Navies Participating, India Concludes 2016 International Fleet Review". The Diplomat. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  13. ↑ Ateeq Sk (2 September 2015). "After 15 years, second International Fleet Review to be held at Visakhapatnam in February". DNA India. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "72 countries, 60 warships, including of US & Russia, to participate in international fleet review, MILAN exercise". The Times of India. 14 February 2026. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Rao, V. Kamalakara (15 February 2026). "ENC chief inaugurates MILAN Village ahead of International Fleet Review in Visakhapatnam". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  16. ↑ "IFR & MILAN-2026: Global warships make port calls off Vizag". The Times of India. 16 February 2026. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  17. 1 2 PATNAIK, K. M. P. (18 February 2026). "IFR-2026 Commences With Presidential Banquet". www.deccanchronicle.com. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  18. ↑ Gopal, B. Madhu (17 February 2026). "Visakhapatnam set for grand Presidential Fleet Review on February 18". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  19. ↑ "India's naval might on full display at International Fleet review off Vizag coast". The Times of India. 18 February 2026. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  20. ↑ "72 countries, 60 warships, including of US & Russia, to participate in international fleet review, MILAN exercise". The Times of India. 14 February 2026. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  21. ↑ "In A First, Germany, Philippines And UAE To Join Indian Navy's Fleet Review In Visakhapatnam". News18. Archived from the original on 11 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  22. 1 2 ANI (17 February 2026). "Naval ships from UAE, Indonesia, Bangladesh join Indian Navy for International Fleet Review, Exercise Milan". Vishakhapatnam, India: Gulf News. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  23. 1 2 "India welcomes Thai, Australian, Sri Lankan ships for IFR, MILAN 2026". Asianet Newsable. 16 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  24. 1 2 Peri, Usha (20 February 2026). "International City Parade in Visakhapatnam unites naval contingents and bands". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  25. ↑ "The Governor, Andhra Pradesh reviews International City Parade (ICP) 2026" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 19 February 2026. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  26. 1 2 3 "Global fraternity must join hands to tackle evolving maritime challenges, says Raksha Mantri as he inaugurates Exercise MILAN in Vizag" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 19 February 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  27. ↑ "MILAN 2026: Raksha Mantri interacts with visiting Navy Chiefs and Naval delegations from nine ASEAN member states" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 19 February 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  28. ↑ Rao, V. Kamalakara (20 February 2026). "India takes over IONS chair after 16 years at Naval Chiefs' conclave". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  29. ↑ "India assumes the chairmanship of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 20 February 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  30. ↑ "India assumes chairmanship of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium | Myanmar International TV". www.myanmaritv.com. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  31. ↑ "Iran Navy Chief in India, Destroyer Docks in Vizag". Kashmir Observer. 21 February 2026. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  32. ↑ PTI (16 February 2026). "President Murmu to witness naval strength at International Fleet Review in Visakhapatnam". ThePrint. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  33. ↑ Ranjan, Rajeev (18 February 2026). "All About 'Made In India' INS Sumedha: President Murmu's 'Presidential Yacht'". NDTV. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  34. ↑ Peri, Usha (13 February 2026). "Foreign naval ships arrive in Visakhapatnam ahead of IFR, MILAN, IONS 2026". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  35. ↑ "India, Russia to hold joint naval drills next month, TASS reports". The Economic Times. 28 January 2026. ISSN   0013-0389 . Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  36. ↑ "Russia, India to hold joint naval drills in February, TASS reports". The Hindu. 28 January 2026. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  37. ↑ "IFR, MILAN-26, Naval conclave to gather world navies in Vizag this year: ENC chief". The Times of India. 26 January 2026. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 15 February 2026.
  38. ↑ "MILAN 2026: Raksha Mantri interacts with visiting Navy Chiefs and Naval delegations from nine ASEAN member states" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 19 February 2026. Retrieved 20 February 2026. The discussions also covered the ongoing Sea Phase of MILAN 2026, focusing on complex maritime drills including anti-submarine warfare (ASW), air defence, and search-and-rescue operations.
  39. ↑ Peri, Usha (22 February 2026). "Sea Phase of MILAN begins today with naval drills and surface firing". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
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