The Sri Lankan Navy has announced plans to deploy additional ships to enhance maritime security in international waters, marking the second deployment as part of ongoing operations.
Captain Dayan Wickremesuriya, Navy Spokesman, confirmed to Zira Daily that the first Sri Lankan vessel recently completed its security patrol mission and returned to Sri Lanka. The SMS Gajaba, with a crew of 100, was tasked with safeguarding merchant and fishing vessels and preventing drug trafficking in collaboration with the combined maritime force.
Highlighting the prevalence of piracy in the Arabian Sea, Captain Wickremesuriya stressed the importance of Sri Lankan naval presence in ensuring freedom of navigation for vessels.
While details regarding the deployment of the second ship for international security operations remain undisclosed, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has twice mentioned Sri Lanka's initiative to deploy the Navy for Red Sea security. Emphasizing the significance of freedom of navigation, the President highlighted the importance of securing the Suez Canal and the Red Sea to protect the economic interests of Sri Lanka's ports.
At the Navy’s Presidential Fleet Review and the Pathfinder Foundation’s Indian Ocean Security Conference, President Wickremesinghe reiterated Sri Lanka's commitment to freedom of navigation and its role as guardians of prosperity in the Red Sea. He emphasized the need to ensure unrestricted navigation, recalling the adverse effects of the Suez Canal's closure after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war on the Colombo port.
