Visakhapatnam: Ninth edition of Sri Lanka-India naval exercise SLINEX to begin today

The ninth edition of Sri Lanka-India Naval Exercise SLINEX will begin today in Visakhapatnam. The exercise will be conducted in two phases-the harbour phase at Visakhapatnam on March 7 and 8, followed by the sea phase on March 9 and 10 in the Bay of Bengal.

Sri Lankan Navy will be represented by SLNS Sayurala, an advanced offshore patrol vessel and the Indian Navy by INS Kirch, a guided missile corvette.

Other participants from the Indian Navy include INS Jyoti, a Fleet support tanker, Advanced Light Helicopter(ALH), Seaking and Chetak Helicopters and Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft. The previous edition of SLINEX was conducted off Trincomalee in October 2020.

SLINEX aims to enhance inter-operability, improve mutual understanding and exchange best practices and procedures for multi-faceted maritime operations between both navies. The Harbour Phase would include professional, cultural, sporting and social exchanges.

SLINEX exemplifies the deep maritime engagement between India and Sri Lanka and has grown in scope over the years to strengthen mutual cooperation, in consonance with India’s policy of ‘Neighbourhood First’ and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR)’.