The inaugural joint Naval exercise among Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives under the Trilateral Focused Operations to collaborate the efforts to improve maritime security in the region commenced yesterday. It will end today.
The Indian High Commission in a media release issued yesterday stated, “The exercise under the aegis of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) is a pioneering effort to collaborate the efforts towards the pillar of maritime security.”
The operations will streamline Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and enhanced interoperability among the three Navies.
The Indian Navy was represented by Offshore Patrol Vessel INS Subhadra and P8I long range maritime patrol aircraft, while SLNS Samudura and MNDF maritime reconnaissance aircraft are participating from the Sri Lanka Navy.
The Maldives was represented by its National Defence Forces.
The two-day engagement will carry out coordinated maritime surveillance in the Exclusive Economic Zones to counter narcotics, search and rescue at sea, air tracking and setting up effective communication. The CSC was set up during the fourth National Security Adviser trilateral meeting in November last year and the Secretariat was set up in Colombo in March this year.