FRENCH NAVAL SHIP VISITS AND PASSEX WITH FNS LOIRE

The French Naval Ship Loire (A 602) was paid the call to the Port of Colombo, Sri Lanka on 10^th of March 2022. FNS Loire is an Offshore Support & Assistance Vessel which has her length overall 70.3 meters and breadth 15.8 meters. ‘Loire-Class’ vessels can conduct a wide range of support missions such as rescue/towing, diving and oil spill response. The ship can be embarked different modules for aforesaid distinct tasks and designed to accommodate divers, to carry weapons and ammunitions, to support submarines and surface ships, to tow underwater antennas and as well as to deploy a pollution control dam.

The Deputy Director General Sri Lanka Coast Guard Commodore Janaka Nissanka visited onboard 10^th March also Few SLCG officers were privileged to have onboard visit and interact with the crew. The commanding officer of FNS Loire extended warm welcome for SLCG representatives onboard. The ship has left the Colombo port at 0900 hrs on 12^th of March on completion of a successful ship visit to Sri Lanka and SLCGS Suraksha could able to participate in towing exercise with FNS Loire during the PASSEX in west of Colombo. SLCGS Suraksha acted as the disabled ship and FNS Loire was the towing ship. PASSEX was terminated after the courtesy steam past made to the FNS Loire for her safe voyage to the next port of call, marking yet another successful bilateral fleet exercise out at sea.