VIJAYAWADA: The might of the Indian Navy, along with other world navies, was on full display at the International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026, reviewed by President of India Droupadi Murmu in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. Sailing aboard INS Sumedha, the Presidential Yacht, the President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Droupadi Murmu — accompanied by Andhra Pradesh Governor S Abdul Nazeer, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, and a host of guests — reviewed the anchored columns of 72 frontline ships and submarines from the Indian Navy and navies of other countries. This is the 13th fleet review after Independence and the third international edition conducted in India, with around 70 countries participating in the show of prowess and preparedness by the Indian Navy. India earlier hosted the IFR in Mumbai in 2001 and in Visakhapatnam in 2016. The 2026 edition, themed “United Through Oceans”, returned to Visakhapatnam after a decade at a markedly different moment in India’s naval journey. Dressed in ceremonial finery and full regalia, the ships — manned by smartly turned-out sailors and officers — saluted the President. This was followed by the naval ships streaming past the Presidential Yacht. It was an awe-inspiring sight and a moment of pride for the Indian Navy, with many indigenously built warships and submarines among the columns, including India’s indigenous aircraft carrier
INS Vikrant
, which played a pivotal role during “Operation Sindoor”.
Warships such as INS Chennai, INS Visakhapatnam, INS Mysore, INS Mumbai, INS Rana, INS Ranvir, INS Ranvijay and INS Tamal, along with submarines INS Sindhukesari, INS Shankul and INS Sindhukerti, showcased the country’s naval might, filling every Indian who witnessed the spectacle with a sense of pride.
