Need naval forces to join hands to tackle maritime threats: Rajnath Singh

“Increasing international attention to underwater resources, particularly rare-earth minerals, is adding a new dimension to this tension. In addition, there is a need to guard our waters from nefarious terrorist activities,” he said. Stating that traditional threats coexist with emerging challenges such as piracy, maritime terrorism, illegal fishing, trafficking, cyber vulnerabilities, and disruptions to critical supply chains, he said climate change is intensifying natural disasters, making humanitarian and disaster relief operations more frequent and demanding.

“No single Navy, however capable, can address these challenges alone,” he said, underscoring the need for enhanced cooperation among the Navies to ensure a safer and more secure future.

He said the robust legal framework provided by 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to address matters related to international waters can be further strengthened by a comprehensive global naval architecture.

Talking about MILAN 2026, he said it brings together professional expertise, builds mutual trust, enhances interoperability, and enables coordinated responses to common challenges.

“When our ships sail together, when our sailors train together, and when our commanders deliberate together, we build a shared understanding that transcends geography and politics and provides an opportune moment to deliberate on this idea of cooperation,” he said.

Singh said that as a trusted vishwa mitra (global friend), India will continue to play a constructive and dependable role in the region, underlining that holistic maritime security and mutual prosperity are indivisible, and can only be achieved through cooperation, trust, and shared commitment among like-minded nations.

Calling MILAN 2026, the reflection of the confidence the global maritime community places in India as a trusted and responsible maritime partner, he said, “We aspire to establish an equitable maritime order based on international rules and freedom of navigation in accordance with international law.”

In his opening remarks, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi compared MILAN to a “maritime mahakumbh” in which professionals come together, united by a common commitment and purpose to keep the seas safe, secure and open.He said that the approach to this complex maritime environment is rooted in PM Narendra Modi’s vision of MAHASAGAR, an inclusive and collaborative approach based on partnership and shared responsibility.

MILAN 2026 is among the largest and most complex editions of the Indian Navy exercise to date, bringing together naval ships, aircraft and professional delegations from 74 countries. It will be conducted in two phases — harbour phase and sea phase. The harbour phase focuses on strengthening professional interaction and fostering mutual understanding.

The sea phase will feature a series of advanced operational exercises at sea.