South African Navy's SAS Amatola participates in key maritime exercises in India

The South African Navy (SAN) frigate SAS Amatola arrived in India this week to represent the country at the 2026 International Fleet Review (IFR) and Exercise MILAN, hosted by the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

With an extensive gathering of naval ships and delegations from various countries, this event underscores the significance of maritime capabilities, strengthens naval diplomacy, and promotes vital international cooperation.

Launched from the strategic shores of India, Exercise MILAN, which commenced this week and runs until February 25, marks a pivotal point in India's maritime evolution, standing as a hallmark of their historic maritime convergence alongside the IFR and the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs.

This exercise aims to focus on large-scale multilateral operations, providing invaluable experiences in cohesive maritime force operations among participating nations.

The SAS Amatola arrived in India on Monday.

According to a statement issued by South Africa’s Department of Defence, this deployment marks an important milestone for South Africa’s maritime posture, reaffirming the SAN’s role as an active contributor to multilateral naval cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region.

"SAS Amatola’s voyage to India is significant on multiple levels. The deployment includes participation in the Indian Navy’s International Fleet Review (IFR) and Exercise MILAN, a large multilateral naval exercise emphasising interoperability, maritime security operations, and strategic dialogue among participating nations. These events convene naval forces from multiple participating countries, focusing on shared responsibilities for safety, stability, and cooperation across the Indian Ocean Region.

"The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs and an International Maritime Seminar will accompany these activities, offering platforms to address challenges such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), information sharing, and coordinated responses to non-traditional security threats," read the statement.

Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, chief of the SAN, emphasised that the deployment was not symbolic but firmly aligned with South Africa’s national interests, maritime diplomacy obligations, and international partnerships.

According to the statement public discourse over recent years has reflected deep concerns about the SAN’s operational capacity, funding constraints, and maintenance backlogs that have limited a sustained overseas presence.

It further stated that budgetary challenges have contributed to reduced sea hours and delayed refits across the fleet, a situation that shaped a prolonged period with limited long-range deployments.

“We all know that it has been quite a while since we have had the privilege of sending a ship on such a voyage. This moment is not only important in the history of our Navy but indeed of our country,” said Lobese.

Exercise MILAN has evolved into one of the world’s largest multilateral naval engagements, bringing together dozens of navies to strengthen interoperability, trust-building, and cooperative maritime security.

South Africa’s participation places the SAN within a community of professional naval forces, addressing shared challenges such as maritime safety, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and the protection of sea lines of communication.

For South Africa, participation also reinforces longstanding defence relations with India, built over decades through bilateral engagements and trilateral initiatives.

As one of the largest multilateral naval exercises in the Indo-Pacific, MILAN 2026 has brought navies from across the globe to strengthen interoperability, maritime domain awareness, and collective response capabilities, said the statement.

The Harbour and Sea Phases of the exercise will focus on complex maritime operations, including anti-submarine warfare, air defence, search and rescue, and cooperative security missions, reinforcing a shared commitment to free, open, inclusive, and rules-based seas, it said.

MILAN 2026 represents a major operational manifestation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions) vision, reaffirming India's role as a preferred security partner and a responsible stakeholder in the global maritime commons, said the statement.

Indian President, Droupadi Murmu, attended the event and reviewed the International Fleet Review (IFR), a ceremonial assembly of International Naval Delegations, Ships, Submarines and Aircraft.

There were a fleet of 70 ships from India and friendly nations at the review anchorage area off Visakhapatnam.

According to the Indian Navy, the event showcases maritime strength, cooperation and camaraderie whilst reaffirming sovereign oversight. India has previously hosted IFRs in 2001 at Mumbai and in 2016 at Visakhapatnam.

Warships, submarines and aircraft from friendly nations will assemble at sea to showcase their capabilities.

IFR 2026 also included the International City Parade, cultural exhibitions and public engagement programmes to celebrate global maritime heritage.

Visakhapatnam is also hosting the 13th edition of MILAN, the Indian Navy's flagship Multilateral Naval Exercise, under the aegis of the Eastern Naval Command in the waters of the Bay of Bengal.

Over 135 countries have been invited to attend MILAN 26. The event has brought together navies from Friendly Foreign Countries to strengthen professional bonds, share best practices and enhance cooperation at sea. The exercise will focus on large-scale multilateral operations, providing invaluable experience in operating together as a cohesive maritime force.

The coastal city is also hosting the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium Conclave. This is the first time that India is hosting all three major maritime events together.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE