SLINEX 2011:
Highlighted Lanka's and India's prowess
By Ranil WIJAYAPALA in Trincomalee
INS
Shivalik, a frigate of the Indian Navy, the largest Navy in the South
Asia region was sailing towards the sea from the Eastern port
Trincomalee along with a fleet of ships and a fast attack craft with the
light house located at the Foul Point in Sampur which became a theatre
for many sea battles between the Sri Lanka Navy and the Sea Tigers in
the past.
Suddenly the smooth sailing of INS Shivalik, with many VVIPs on
boards was disrupted as a flotilla of small boats came in an unusual
speed with huge thump on the surface of the sea surrounding the frigate.
The use of shimmering tactics by INS Shivalik to avoid the flotilla
reaching closer to her, but could not stop the boats which arrived
closer to the ship cutting the stormy waters created by the ship with
their unusual speed.
Luckily it was not the terrorists who had surrounded the frigate but
the sailors of the Sri Lanka Navy who had made this attempt to attack
the ship recalling memories of the decades long conflict in which the
Sri Lanka Navy had to engage in an asymmetric warfare with the Sea
Tigers.
If it was an actual sea battle where LTTE used explosive laden small
boats for such missions that scene would have been a completely
different one as such attacks were the deadliest one any Navy in the
world was facing. Even the huge ship might have been damaged with such
suicide mission boats.
But
what had unfolded in the seas off Trincomalee last Friday was only a
part of the joint Naval exercise conducted by Indian Navy and the Sri
Lanka Navy where the Indian Navy got a clear picture of the warfare the
Sri Lanka Navy had with the LTTE Sea Tigers as part of sharing the
experiences of the Navies of the two neighbouring countries.
The seas off Trincomalee created a theatre for this massive exercise
with the participation of huge vessels, and fast attack craft and the
sailors in action on board the arrow boats specially designed for to
face small boat attacks by the LTTE during decades long conflict.
SLINEX (Sri Lanka India Naval Exercise) - 2011 was the biggest Naval
exercise Sri Lanka Navy and the Indian Navy were taking part for decades
specially after the defeat of terrorism by the Sri Lanka in May 2009.
Commencing from September 19 in the seas off Trincomalee, SLINEX
continued for five days to see a successful ending on September 23 with
the distinguished participation of Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa,
Indian High Commissioner for Sri Lanka Asok Kanth, Navy Commander Vice
Admiral Somathilaka Dissanayaka and other senior Navy officials
including Director General of Naval Operations Rear Admiral Perera
officials witnessing the joint exercise on board the Indian Frigate INS
Shivalik.
Participating Indian Navy ships arrived in Trincomalee under the
command of Rear Admiral HCS Bisht, the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern
Fleet (FOCEF) of the Indian Navy.
Along with the Frigate INS Shivalik, three more ships INS Ranvijay, a
destroyer, INS Khanjar, a missile corvette, INS Gharial a landing ship
tank and six fast attack craft participated in the Naval exercise from
the Indian side.
From Sri Lanka Navy, Offshore Patrol Vessels SLNS Samudura, SLNS
Sagara, Fast Missile Vessel SLNS Nandimithra, Fast Gun Boats SLNS
Prathapa and SLNS Ranajaya and six other Fast Attack Craft participated.
Commander
Eastern Naval Area Rear Admiral Jayantha Colombage was in overall
command of SLN ships’ activities. More than 2000 Navy personnel who had
participated in the five day Naval exercise from both Navies shared
their experience during the exercise.
According to Navy Spokesman Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya the five
day exercise was held in four phases covering a Harbour Training
Programme at Trincomalee and a Sea Training Programme in the seas off
the Eastern coast of Sri Lanka.
“The exercises were focused on seamanship manoeuvres though Station
Keeping by Distance Line and Jackstay, Maritime Interdiction Operations,
Maritime Interdiction Operation (MIO) including Visit Board Search and
Seize (VBSS), Search and Rescue (SAR) Demonstrations, Close Range Anti
–air Firing , Asymmetric Threat Exercise,” he added.
“What we wanted to know from them is the way they are conducting
operations as a professional and conventional Navy like India the
biggest Navy in the Indian ocean region and what India wanted to know
from us is Sri Lanka Navy’s experience on asymmetric warfare with the
LTTE as the only fighting Navy in the world during the past few
decades,” he added.
“This joint Fleet exercise reflects the long ties of goodwill,
friendly relations and mutual co-operation that exist between India and
Sri Lanka.
It is aimed at enhancing interoperability of the two Navies and
exchanging professional knowledge. The exercise provides opportunity for
both Navies to rehearse the concept of joint naval operations and
enhance own skills,” he added.
The preliminary discussions related to the multi dimensional exercise
were held in India with Director General Naval Operations of the Sri
Lanka Navy Rear Admiral Jayantha Perera heading the Sri Lanka Navy
delegation assisted by Flag Officer Commanding Naval Fleet in strategic
level planning.
Navy
Commander Vice Admiral Somathilaka Dissanayaka speaking to the media
after the successful completion of the joint naval exercise said that it
became a historic occasion for the Navies of two countries since it was
the biggest naval exercise Sri Lanka and India held after fifty years.
The commander said that the Indian Navy was very happy about the joint
Naval exercise as they observe the operations carried out by the Sri
Lanka Navy in counter terrorism operations.
“Indian Navy is the biggest Navy in our region and we have lot of
things to learn from them. At the same time we are depending more than
90 per cent on India to train our Navy personnel and Indian Navy has
provided us the two biggest Offshore Patrol Craft we are having at
present in the Sri Lanka Navy. So we have a very good relationship and
this joint Naval exercise further strengthen our relationship and we
have lot of skills to learn from them,” he added.
The five days long naval exercise ended after an intense training
activities in the sea off Trincomalee on the final day of the exercise
and all the ships and Fast Attack Craft lined up to salute Defence
Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Indian High Commissioner Asok Kanth on
board the INS Shivalik. |