Global navies to gather in Visakhapatnam for International Fleet Review and MILAN 2026

Visakhapatnam will return to the centre of global maritime attention on February 19 when India hosts the International Fleet Review as part of a convergence of naval diplomacy, operational cooperation and ceremonial display along its eastern seaboard. According to the details given at the Indian Navy website, the International Fleet Review, Exercise MILAN and the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium Conclave of Chiefs will be held in Visakhapatnam from February 15 to 25. This will be the first time India hosts all three major maritime events together.

The International Fleet Review is the most formal of the three events. It brings together international naval delegations, warships, submarines and aircraft in a ceremonial gathering, during which the President of India, as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, reviews the assembled fleet at sea. Ships from 19 countries and approximately 4,000 delegates would be participating in the IFR. |

India has hosted the review twice earlier, in Mumbai in 2001 and in Visakhapatnam in 2016. The 2026 edition, returning to the same city after a decade, arrives at a markedly different moment in India’s naval journey. The fleet lined up for inspection will prominently feature platforms designed and built in Indian shipyards. Among these will be the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, alongside Visakhapatnam class destroyers, Nilgiri class stealth frigates and Arnala class anti submarine warfare corvettes.

While the Presidential Fleet Review at sea forms the institutional core of the event, the city itself will become an extension of the ceremony on the evening of February 19. The International City Parade on February 19, to be held from 4pm to 7pm, is a public event that brings the armed forces and visiting navies closer to the people of Visakhapatnam.

Ships from 19 countries and approximately 4,000 delegates would be participating in the IFR.
| Photo Credit:
DEEPAK KR

The parade will open with an air power demonstration by Indian naval aircraft and helicopters, setting the tone for what follows on land. Marching contingents and military bands from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard will be joined by foreign detachments and their ceremonial bands, creating a measured display of drill and discipline. Participation by the National Cadet Corps, the Sea Cadet Corps and students from Navy Children School will bring younger generations into the event.

Ships from 19 countries and approximately 4,000 delegates would be participating in the IFR. |
| Photo Credit:
DEEPAK KR

Cultural troupes and artistic tableaux will be woven into the procession, drawing from regional traditions and maritime history. The sequence will conclude offshore, with ships anchored along the coast illuminated in formation, followed by a coordinated presentation of fireworks, laser projections and drone movements.

The International City Parade will be a public event to be held on February 19, scheduled between 4pm and 7pm.