Indian Navy ships for training interaction

Three ships of the Indian Navy's First Training Squadron, commanded by Senior Officer Capt. Vinay Kumar Sawhney and comprising INS Sujata, INS Tarangini and ICGS Varuna, visited Colombo recently in continuation of the training interaction between the Sri Lanka and Indian Navies.

INS Sujata is an Offshore Patrol Vessel under Commander Dalip Singh; INS Tarangini is a sail training ship under Commander T Sugreev and ICGS Varuna is an Offshore Patrol Vessel under Commander K.M. Arun Kumar. The last visit to Sri Lanka by this Squadron was in October 2010.

The Indian Navy's Training Squadron ships visit Sri Lanka regularly for cadet exchange programs.

During the visit, the Senior Officer, Capt. Vinay Kumar Sawhney and the three Commanding Officers paid courtesy calls on Director General Operations Rear Admiral S.A.M.J. Perera, Director General Training Rear Admiral M.U.K.V. Bandara and Rear Admiral S.S. Ranasinghe of COMWEST.

The Indian cadets disembarked in Colombo on a two-day tour to the Sri Lanka Naval and Maritime Academy at Trincomalee and other places of interest. Naval personnel from the ships rendered community welfare services at Arun Shanthi Nivas Child Orphanage at Wattala. The team painted buildings, carried out electrical works and gifted rations to the orphanage.

A reception was hosted onboard INS Sujata and ICGS Varuna, which was attended by Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy Vice Admiral J.S.K. Colombage, senior officers of the Sri Lanka Army, Navy and Air Force, High Commissioners and Ambassadors and members of the Indian community here.