INDIAN COAST GUARD SHIPS VEERA AND ABHEEK VISIT SRI LANKA

Indian Coast Guard ships ICGS Veera and Abheek were on a goodwill visit to Sri Lanka from 9th to 15th February. The ships arrived in the port of Trincomalee on 09th February and ceremonially received by SLN and SLCG. The visit was aimed at furthering the level of cooperation and interoperability between Coast Guards of both the nations and to share experience and knowledge in capacity building.

Interaction between both Coast Guard has been seeing a steady increase over the years with several high-level delegations and ship visits undertaken by both parties. The operational and professional exchanges taken place between both the Coast Guards are serving to build mutual trust and provide an opportunity to share best practice.

The Commanding Officers of ICG Ships also paid a courtesy call on the Director General of Sri Lanka Coast Guard Rear Admiral Samantha Wimalathunge at SLCG Rear Headquaters, Colombo and discussed the matters of mutually interested.

During the short stay at Trincomalee, ICG ships’ crew were arranged with training sessions on small boat operations, combat medicine procedures, water borne survival methods, maritime interdiction operations and vessel boarding procedures by the training teams of SLN Fourth Fast Attack Flotilla and Special Boat Squadron. Further, they were given an opportunity to visit several Fast Attack Craft of SLN and Fast Patrol Boats of SLCG to exhibit good maintenance practices onboard by the crew. Further, a demonstration of a mid-sea boarding and vessel searching techniques were also conducted at the Port of Trincomalee.

Similarly, ICG Ships have demonstrated the oil spill response and preparedness techniques and availed the opportunity for SLCG personnel to operate some of the oil spill response equipment onboard. In addition, SLCG personnel were given opportunity to visit ICG ships and were educated on technical and mechanical aspects of ICG ships during their stay in Colombo.

Moreover, the ship’s crew took part in a series of events such as friendly sports and community service activities i.e. beach cleaning programme at Wellawatte, together with Sri Lanka Coast Guard during the period. The Ships visit concluded with a Passage Exercise (PASEX) conducted between ICG Ships and SLCG ships off Colombo on 16th February.