New global naval architecture needed to curb terror activities on high seas, says Rajnath Singh

The defence minister was speaking at Milan 2026, a multi-nation naval exercise in which 74 countries are participating.

Visakhapatnam: With oceans increasingly turning into theatres of conflict, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday (February 19) flagged the need for a “global naval architecture” on information sharing supplementing the existing UN law to curb “criminal activities, including terrorism on high seas.

”While the UN Convention on the Law of Seas could provide a robust legal framework, the proposed architecture would further strengthen the ways to resolve maritime disputes besides taking actions against criminal and terrorist activities, protect links of communication and facilitate information exchange," said Rajnath at Milan 2026, a multi-nation naval exercise in which 74 countries are participating.

“There has also been a rise in contests for ownership of straits and channels, sometimes causing threats of flare up. Increasing international attention to underwater resources, particularly rare-earth minerals, are adding a new dimension to this tension,” he added.

“In addition, there is a need to guard our waters from the nefarious terrorist activities which are spreading tentacles across countries and regions.”

With traditional threats coexisting with emerging challenges such as piracy, maritime terrorism, illegal fishing, trafficking, cyber vulnerabilities, and disruptions to critical supply chains, Rajnath said the the role of Navy in international peace-making was on the rise.

His comments come a week after the Indian Navy assumed command of Combined Task Force (CTF) 154, a key multinational training task force under the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).

The CMF is a 47-nation naval partnership based in Bahrain that promotes security and stability across 3.2 million square miles of international waters by countering non-state actors, terrorism, and piracy, to keep the shipping lanes safe and secure.

It is headed by a US Navy Vice Admiral while a UK Royal Navy Commodore is the deputy.

Created in 2023, CTF 154 was specifically oriented towards training and capacity building of member nations.

“Selection of India as the command of the force reflects the region's growing trust in India’s professional expertise and operational experience,” sources said.

It operates alongside CMF’s other task forces: CTF 150 (Maritime Security), CTF 151 (Counter-Piracy), CTF 152 (Maritime Security in Arabian Gulf) and CTF 153 (Maritime Security in Red Sea).

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Tripathi said the strong global participation in Milan 2026 not only reflected the growing confidence and trust placed on the Indian Navy, but would also signal New Delhi’s ability to look beyond local concerns and join hands as partners – to safeguard the global commons.

Buoyed by the success of the Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar in which an Indian Navy ship was put on a month-long deployment with 44 crew from nine Indian Ocean region countries, IOS 2.0 would be launched in April with wider participation, the Navy Chief said.

The City of Destiny that houses the Indian Navy’s Eastern Command witnessed a fly past, a few operational demonstrations and a colourful international city parade on the RK beach as a part of the International Fleet Review and Milan 2026.