The sea phase of the twelfth edition of the Sri Lanka-India Naval Exercise (SLINEX-25) has commenced in western waters off Colombo.
The exercise features two Indian Navy vessels—the tanker-class INS Jyoti and destroyer-class INS Rana—alongside Sri Lanka Navy ships SLNS Vijayabahu and SLNS Sayura. SLINEX aims to strengthen cooperation and enhance tactical interoperability between the two navies through coordinated operational exercises.
Over the two-day sea phase (17–18 August), the navies will conduct a range of maritime drills, including Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure operations, Screening Exercises, Flashing Exercises, Gunnery Exercises, Vertical Replenishment, and Abeam/Astern Fuelling Approaches.
This follows a successful harbour phase held from 14–16 August at Colombo Port, where operational teams participated in briefings on communication and security protocols, exchanged best practices, and trained aviation teams on helicopter operations with the Sri Lanka Air Force.
The port phase also included training exchanges, sports events, and yoga sessions, fostering camaraderie between the two navies. Schoolchildren were given a unique opportunity to tour Indian Navy ships and observe their operations firsthand.
Exercises like SLINEX-25 are expected to enhance maritime security cooperation, improve interoperability, and equip both navies with advanced skills to address shared maritime challenges in the Indian Ocean Region effectively.
