THE SRI LANKA COAST GUARD TOOK OVER AN OFFSHORE PATROL VESSEL FROM THE SRI LANKA NAVY

The Sri Lanka Navy officially handed over an Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) to the Sri Lanka Coast Guard on 03^rd January 2022 at the ceremony held at Galle harbour. The occasion was graced by Rear Admiral Anura Ekanayaka, Director General Sri Lanka Coast Guard (DG SLCG), and Rear Admiral Prasanna Hewage, Commander Southern Naval Area (CSNA), and senior officials from Naval headquarters.

The vessel was formally known as SLNS Jayasagara (P 601) and was decommissioned at the Naval Dockyard in Trincomalee on 30th September 2021. Upon transfer, allocated the pennant number CG 61, and action are been initiated to re-commissioned CG 61 in the Sri Lanka Coast Guard.

The vessel was built by the Colombo Dockyard Ltd in 1983 and she was commissioned in the Sri Lanka Navy on 09th December 1983 as SLNS Jayasagara. The vessel, with a displacement of 313 tons, is 39.8m in length and 7.0m in breadth. Manned by a crew of 10 officers and 60 sailors, the vessel can cover 3,200 nautical miles maintaining a cruising speed of 7 knots. The vessel served in the Sri Lanka Navy for nearly four decades and made a significant contribution during the Humanitarian Operation and countering illegal activities in Sri Lankan Waters.

Handing over the certificate of the ship was exchanged between the Sri Lanka Coast Guard and Sri Lanka Navy. During the ceremony, The Director General SLCG signed the receiving documents of the ship and the Commander of the Navy authenticated the transfer of the ship, and the CSNA handed over documents representing the Commander of the Navy.

The proceedings of the handing over ceremony have been organized in strict compliance with the guidelines of the National Plan for the Prevention of COVID-19. Flag Officer Commanding Naval Fleet Rear Admiral Sajith Gamage, Director General Personal Rear Admiral Aruna Thennakoon, senior officers from the Navy Headquarters and Southern Naval Command, Deputy Director General Sri Lanka Coast Guard, Directors of, SLCG and a limited group of naval personnel and coastguardsmen were present on this occasion.