India hands over training aids to Lankan Navy, calls it essential for bilateral engagement

In an effort to boost the overall bilateral engagement, India's envoy in Sri Lanka handed over training aids worth 22 million LKR (about ₹81,00,000) to the Lankan Navy for capacity building. During his visit to the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka, High Commissioner Gopal Baglay formally handed over the training aids to the Commander Eastern Naval Area of the Sri Lanka Navy at a ceremony held on March 14, 2021. The aid was handed over to the Lankan Navy at the prestigious Naval and Maritime Academy (NMA) Trincomalee.

The Indian High Commission in its statement in Colombo said that in December 2019, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh had committed to provide a number of training items to the Sri Lankan Navy. It was done as a commitment of the Indian Navy in assisting the regional navies in capacity building. 

To focus on specialisation courses being conducted at NMA, Sri Lanka Navy model of indigenously developed Varunastra heavy-weight torpedo, working model of Light Weight Torpedo, Underwater Telephone, Gas Turbine cut Model, a model of HMS Trincomalee and Bathythermograph were delivered in Sri Lanka in 2020 and were operationalised with joint efforts of Indian Navy, Sri Lankan Navy and the OEMs from India.

Emphasizing the importance of close co-operation between the Indian and Lankan Navy, the High Commission said that the two navies are an essential part of the overall bilateral engagement. Apart from the training aid, Kindle e-book readers and books to the library of the Naval and Maritime Academy were also handed over to the Lankan Navy. 

The High Commissioner also visited Cod Bay Fishery Harbour, the only natural harbour belonging to Ceylon Fishery Harbours Corporation (CFHC) where he interacted with the Managing Director of CFHC Vadivel Satyanandan and fishermen and saw operations involving multi-day fishing boats.

'Sri Lanka- priority one partner' 

India and Sri Lanka share a close bond when it comes to defence. During 70th anniversary celebration of the Sri Lanka Air Force in February this year India called Sri Lanka 'Priority One' partner in the defence sector. India had also said the participation of its military aircraft in the 70th-anniversary celebration of the Sri Lanka Air Force is indicative of the growing cooperation, camaraderie and friendship between the two militaries.

(With ANI inputs)