14 August 2022 02:45 pm
Responding to certain reports relating to scheduled naval exercise with the Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) Taimur which arrived in Sri Lanka on a formal visit, the Sri Lanka Navy said they conduct Passage Exercises as a routine engagement when their visiting naval ships depart the island after making official port calls.
The 134m-long PNS Taimur arrived at the Colombo on a formal visit on August 12.
The ship is expected to remain in the island until 15th August and the crew of the ship will take part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy to promote cooperation and goodwill between two navies.
Further, PNS Taimur is expected to conduct a naval exercise with the Sri Lanka Navy in western seas on its departure on August 15.
“In this backdrop, certain media reports circulating about a ‘War Game’ between Sri Lanka Navy and Pakistan Navy are fallacious,” the Sri Lanka Navy said.
The prime motive of these exercises is to enhance interoperability, partnerships and goodwill as well as exchange best practices with foreign navies.
As part of this Passage Exercise, PNS Taimur and SLNS Sindurala are expected to conduct Maneuvering exercises and Search and Rescue exercise.
Sri Lanka Navy said it has conducted similar Passage Exercises with the navies of countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan, Germany, U.K., Russia and Australia on a number of previous occasions.
Conducting similar naval exercises with regional and extra-regional navies will enable each partner to overcome common maritime challenges in the future, through enhanced cooperation. In addition, such engagements will also be vital for its own maritime operations of Sri Lanka Navy.(Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya)