Commander of the Navy attends International Fleet Review
The 13th edition of the multilateral naval exercise MILAN hosted by the Indian Navy, will be held from 18 to 26 Feb 26, at Visakhapatnam and in the waters of the Bay of Bengal. SLNS Sagara and Nandimithra represented the Sri Lanka Navy by participating in the International Fleet Review (IFR), a major component of this multilateral naval exercise, held on 18 Feb.
The event was attended by the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, at the invitation of the Chief of the Naval Staff of India, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi. The President of India reviewed the IFR, participated by the warships representing regional and global navies.
Held under the theme "United Through Oceans" and the spirit of "Camaraderie Cohesion Collaboration," IFR and MILAN-26 provide a vital platform for participating nations. The participation of the Sri Lanka Navy in the MILAN-26 multilateral naval exercise highlighted Sri Lanka's commitment to advancing its maritime interests and addressing shared challenges through enhanced cooperation with other nations and institutions, grounded in mutual understanding.
Furthermore, participation in endeavours of this nature will strengthen mutual cooperation and interoperability with other maritime stakeholders. It will also provide the Sri Lanka Navy with valuable opportunities to gain new knowledge, strategic acumen, and operational experience, key elements in fostering a collective approach to maritime security.
During this visit, the Navy Commander engaged in bilateral discussions with regional and extra-regional diplomatic representatives and these strategic-level talks focused on matters of mutual interest pertaining to Sri Lanka’s maritime security and stability.
