The India Myanmar naval exercise IMNEX-26 got under way at Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, with the Myanmar Navy frigate UMS King Sin Phyu Shin joining INS Rana and INS Sumedha for the eighth edition of the bilateral drill.

It runs until 14 November.

The Myanmar ship arrived in Visakhapatnam the same day. The opening ceremony was then held onboard INS Rana, a guided missile destroyer of the Eastern Fleet, marking the formal start of the exercise, the Indian Navy said.

India Myanmar naval exercise opens with a harbour phase

According to the Navy, the harbour phase includes professional interactions, Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEEs), cross-deck visits, sporting engagements and discussions on operational matters.

The stated aim is for the two navies to exchange professional expertise, build mutual understanding and develop greater operational synergy. The Navy described IMNEX as an important platform for advancing maritime cooperation between the two neighbours.

Sea phase to cover tactical manoeuvres and coordinated operations

The sea phase follows. It will involve coordinated maritime operations, tactical manoeuvres and exercises aimed at improving interoperability between the participating units, the Navy said.

Same Myanmar frigate sailed in for the first IMNEX in 2018

UMS King Sin Phyu Shin knows this harbour. The frigate arrived at Visakhapatnam in March 2018 with the offshore patrol vessel UMS Inlay for the maiden edition, IMNEX-18, held off India's east coast with a harbour phase followed by a sea phase, according to reports at the time.

It was back in October 2019 for the second edition, this time with the corvette UMS Tabinshweti. That opening ceremony took place onboard INS Ranvijay, which later went to sea with the missile corvette INS Kuthar.

Both editions were hosted at Visakhapatnam.

IMNEX-26 aligned with India's MAHASAGAR vision

The Navy said the India Myanmar naval exercise is aligned with India's vision of MAHASAGAR, short for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions, and with the shared aim of both navies of a secure and stable regional environment.

The same port hosted the Sri Lanka Navy in September for SLINEX-26, another bilateral exercise placed under that vision.

Contact between the two navies has been steady through 2026

Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff, made an official visit to Myanmar from 2 to 5 May. He held talks with the Myanmar military leadership and visited naval establishments including the Central Naval Command at Yangon and the Naval Training Command, according to official accounts of the visit. Besides IMNEX, the two navies work together through the Indo-Myanmar Coordinated Patrol (IMCOR), staff talks, training exchanges and joint hydrographic surveys.

Last week, the armed forces of the two countries held Exercise Rahat Mitra in Chennai, their first tri-services humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise, with more than 300 personnel taking part under Indian Navy coordination, as set out in the Ministry of Defence release. The exercise concluded on 6 November.