Indian Naval ship Kuthar visits Colombo to strengthen maritime cooperation

Indian Naval Ship Kuthar, an indigenously built Khukri  class Corvette arrived Colombo port on March 03, 2025 for three days  visit. The ship was welcomed in a traditional manner with the tunes of  Sri Lankan Navy band and the officers. On arrival, the Commanding  Officer of the Ship, Commander Nitin Sharma called on the Commander  Western Naval Area Rear Admiral M.H.C.J. Silva.  
 In a ceremony onboard, the ship formally handed over a  refilled cylinder of the Fire-fighting system, an essential component of  major safety system installed on the Sri Lanka Coast Guard Ship  Suraksha. It may be recalled that SLCGS Suraksha is an Offshore Patrol  Vessel transferred to Sri Lanka by Government of India in October 2017.  
India has also donated spare parts for the ship earlier in June 2021,  April 2022 and June 2024 and also provided similar assistance in  refilling of cylinders in January 2024.  
 During the stay in Colombo, INS Kuthar will conduct  Professional Interaction onboard for Sri Lanka Navy personnel aimed at  sharing best practices between both the Navies. Further demonstration on  VBSS (Visit Board Search and Seizure) and Force Protection operations  will be conducted by Sri Lanka Navy for the ship’s personnel. The ship  will also undertake sports fixtures and Yoga with SLN.  
The visit of the Indian Naval Ship Kuthar is also  significant in view of the potential for cooperation between India and  Sri Lanka for augmenting capabilities of Sri Lanka Navy for efficiently  addressing shared challenges of maritime security in the region. The  ship is scheduled to depart on March 06, 2025.