President Draupadi Murmu will reach Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday on a two-day visit. She will participate in the International Fleet Review (IFR) being held in Visakhapatnam. The President is the supreme commander of the armed forces of the country. For this reason, she will inspect this program. IFR, International Naval Delegation, is a ceremonial meeting of ships, submarines and aircraft.
INS Vikrant will be the center of attraction
1) The International Fleet Review 2026 will begin with the Presidential Banquet on Tuesday. After this, the next day the President will review the fleet of 70 ships of India and friendly countries in the designated area near the Visakhapatnam coast.
2) On this occasion, Andhra Pradesh Governor Justice S. Abdul Nazir (retd) and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will also be present.
3) According to the Indian Navy, the event showcases sea power, mutual cooperation and friendship, and also reflects the country’s sovereign vigilance.
4) Earlier, India has organized IFR in Mumbai in 2001 and Visakhapatnam in 2016.
5) Warships, submarines and aircraft of the allied countries will gather in the sea and demonstrate their strength and capability. The Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, which played an important role during ‘Operation Sindoor’, will be the main attraction this time. The navies of friendly countries will take a closer look at this aircraft carrier built in India.
6) Vikrant Carrier Battle Group was a key part of the Indian Navy’s attacking deterrent posture during Operation Sindoor. It played an important role in the strategy of the Indian Navy. Pakistan Navy defensive due to its presence
7) Was forced into position and had to request an early ceasefire.
Milan 2026 also organized
1) International city parades, cultural exhibitions and programs related to the general public will also be organized under IFR 2026. Their aim is to celebrate the world’s maritime heritage.
2) The 13th edition of the Indian Navy’s major multilateral exercise ‘Milan 26’ is also being organized in Visakhapatnam. This exercise is being conducted under the leadership of Eastern Naval Command in the Bay of Bengal. More than 135 countries have been invited.
3) The objective of the MILAN exercise is to strengthen professional relations between the navies of friendly countries, share better experiences and enhance maritime cooperation. In this exercise, joint naval operations will be conducted on a large scale, which will give navies of all countries the experience of working together.
4) Apart from this, Indian Ocean Naval Symposium conference is also being organized in the city. This is the first time that India is hosting three major maritime events simultaneously.
5) The first IFR was organized in the year 2001, when the then President K. R. Narayanan had inspected the fleet from INS Sukanya. The second IFR was held in Visakhapatnam in 2016, in which navies from more countries in the Bay of Bengal than ever participated. Altogether about 100 warships had come from 50 countries. This was the largest gathering of warships ever in Indian waters. At that time, the then President Pranab Mukherjee had inspected the fleet from INS Sumitra. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the then Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar were also present with him.