Indian warships reach Trincomalee for naval exercises

Indian Naval Ships Kirch, Sumitra and Cora Divh entered Trincomalee in Sri Lanka to participate in the sixth edition of SLINEX 2018, a bi-lateral Naval Exercise between India and Sri Lanka, from Friday to September 13.

The inaugural ceremony held onboard SLNS Sayurala was attended by Rear Adm Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF) of the Indian Navy and Rear Adm S A Weerasinghe, Commander Eastern Naval Area (COMEAST) and Rear Adm Ananda Kumar Guruge, Flag Officer Commanding Naval Fleet (FOCNF) of the Sri Lankan Navy.

In addition to three ships from the Indian Navy, one ship-borne integral helicopter and two Maritime Patrol Aircraft Dornier are participating from the Indian side while the Sri Lankan Navy is represented by SLN Ships Sayurala, Samudra and Suranimala.

The exercise is being conducted in two phases, with the harbour phase from September 7 to 10 at Trincomalee during which the participants will engage in professional, sporting and social interactions.

The Harbour Phase will be followed by the Sea Phase from September 11 to 13 in the Bay of Bengal off Trincomalee and will include gun firings, communication procedures and seamanship as well as navigation evolutions and helicopter operations.

SLINEX series of bilateral maritime exercises were initiated in 2005 and since then five successful engagements have been conducted.

SLINEX over the years has helped both the navies in understanding each other's procedures and enhanced interoperability. This edition of the exercise will further strength ties between the two maritime neighbours and contribute towards maritime security in the region.