Indo & Maldivian Ships on a Good Will Mission in Colombo

(February 28 , Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Indian Naval ship “Sukanya” and Maldivian National Defence Force Ship CGS “Huravee’ arrived at the Colombo harbour in the morning yesterday (27th February) on a good will mission.

INS ‘Suknaya’ is an offshore patrol vessel currently allocated to the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy, based at Viskhapatnam, .initially being commissioned at Mesan in South Korea. The ship is 101.95 metre long with 192 displacement and 11 metre beam. She is navigable at a speed of 22 knots on board which there are 100 officers and sailors. She is capable of operating medium sized helicopters too. INS ‘Sukanya’ is tasked with patrolling and protection of off shore assets, surveillance of the Indian exclusive economic zone and logistic support.

She has her own reminiscences of visiting Sri Lanka twice, once for Tsunami relief activities and operations from 27th to 31st December 2004 when coastal areas of the island was devastated by the Boxing day Tsunami on 26th December 2004, and the next time in 2006 on a goodwill mission.

MDNF naval Vessel CGS ‘Huravee’ is an offshore patrol vessel too which is 46 metre long having a beam of 7.5 metres. She too has visited Sri Lanka once before in October 2007.

The visits of these naval and defence force vessels will further strengthen the ties among the three nations and navies.