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Saturday, December 11, 2010

Sri Lanka Navy’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations
9 Dec 2010 - 13:38

Having a rendered a distinguished service spanning six decades to the nation, Sri Lanka Navy proudly celebrates its 60th anniversary on the 09th December 2010 marking yet another milestone in the Sri Lanka’s History. Committed to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the motherland, preserving the strength it gained by its pivotal contribution to the eradication of the 30-year long brutal terrorism off the Lankan soils intact, utilizing the same efforts used for the destruction of the supply and escape routes of the terrorists through its continuous surveillance along our coastal belt and territorial waters and thwarting the reemergence of terrorism in the isle of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Navy is fortifying itself into a more formidable force today. The necessity to reestablish a Naval force was felt during World War I in the island of Sri Lanka, which had once made admirable victories in Naval battles having sailed into foreign countries during the reigns of its great kings such as Parakramabhahu and Vijayabhahu. Sri Lanka Navy came into being 60 years ago on the 09th December 1950 as the Royal Ceylon Navy with the integration of the Royal Ceylon Volunteer Navy and the Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (CRNVR) which expanded from the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force (CNVF) formed as a fulfillment of that necessity. It was in the year 1957 after the acquisition of the Trincomalee Military Base by the late Prime Minister Sir D.S. Senanayake from Britain that the Royal Ceylon Navy entered the era of expansion. The entrusting of the security of the Colombo Harbour to the Royal Ceylon Navy with the outbreak of the general strike in 1958 marked its entry into fulfill a complex range of duties. Until the mid 1980s, Sri Lanka Navy was involved in traditional Naval duties such as protection of territorial waters, prevention of illegal immigration and smuggling, search and rescue operations, providing protection to fishermen, assisting civil administration and assisting the Government during national disasters. Participation in national and state festivals was also among these duties. In response to the growing Sea Tiger activities and staying ahead of them, the Navy developed its fighting power by rapidly increasing its manpower, training, fighting capability and technology. Although the terrorists had developed their suicide craft by the mid 1990s, the Navy was able to maintain its ability to counter the terrorists’ suicide threat. Meanwhile, the Navy assisted in the transportation of security forces personnel required for ground operations, landing of troops and providing fire power for the battles from the sea whenever needed. It also made immense contributions to the constant provision of all supplies to the security forces personnel through the Naval supply routes centering the Trincomalee Base in the face of suicide attacks of the terrorists and transportations of troops by Naval vessels. The Navy acted with great commitment to transport essential supplies to sustain the lifeblood of the innocent civilians in the North and to attend to their transportation needs. With the commencement of battles in the operational areas against the terrorists, the need was felt to establish a Patrolman Branch to assure the safety of the armoured vehicles transporting materials and personnel needed for the administrative purposes in the Naval bases and to maintain Naval dominance by launching attacks in the adjacent areas for the protection of the Naval bases. The new branch rapidly grew in strength by 1997. It was the Navy’s Patrolman Branch that provided immense contributions for over 03 years to the protection of the areas liberated in the “Jaya Sikuru” operations, providing of security to all islands in the North from the late 1990s and to the security of coastal belt north and south of the Trincomalee Harbour, and Mannar island as well as land areas in Silawathura and Mullikulum areas along the north-western coastal belt from the beginning of the humanitarian operations. During the humanitarian operation conducted under the fearless leadership of His Excellency the President and the guidance of the Secretary of Defence, the Navy was able to make a landmark contribution by infusing a new lease of life to the battles by destroying 10 “floating arms warehouses”, which were bringing arms and ammunitions, in the deep seas having sailed thousands of kilometers away from our coasts. The Navy was led at this time by then Navy Commander Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda. Present Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe, who, as then, Commander Eastern Naval Area and Commander Northern Naval Area rendered his whole-hearted contribution to our battle victories and Sri Lanka Navy’s operations. As a result of gathering intelligence by the National Intelligence Bureau and the Navy over the years, meticulous analysis of the intelligence gathered and well-coordinated execution, the Navy recorded a milestone in the Sri Lankan History.Meanwhile, during the humanitarian operation, marking a high point in the Naval battles conducted continuously over three decades, totally destroying the coastal supply routes and those east and west of the Vanni area, thwarting the terrorist attacks from the sea on the advancing army troops, establishing four formidable defence lines to prevent the escape of terrorists and trapping them on land, Sri Lanka Navy provided its optimum support thereby hoisting the flag of victory in the Northern and Eastern seas reliving the reign of the Naval forces of King Parakramabhahu the Great. With the stepping up of attacks by security forces against terrorists, the way Sri Lanka Navy acted to save the civilians, who fled by sea from the brutal terrorist grip, by thwarting terrorist attacks bears ample testimony to the humanitarian operations conducted by the Navy.Although during the final battle, the Sea Tigers desperately attempted to disrupt the sea lines of communications between the Jaffna peninsula and Trincomalee, the Navy made an immense contribution to the humanitarian operation by keeping the ships movement centering the Trincomalee Harbour uninterrupted having thwarted the suicide attacks of the terrorists. The Navy fulfilled a tremendous task by transporting the supplies to the tri-forces and police personnel engaged in operational duties in the North onboard the SLN and merchant ships under Naval escort. The Navy constantly safeguarded the lifeblood of the innocent civilians in the North by transporting service personnel and innocent civilians between the North and Trincomalee safely thwarting suicide attacks of the Sea Tigers and providing security to the islands in the North. Having saved the Kankasanthurei harbour from the terrorist attacks and natural disasters, 04 new jetties were constructed on the Northern coast utilizing the Navy’s expertise and manpower giving a tremendous boost to the humanitarian operation. The Naval and Maritime Academy in Trincomalee and Naval Recruit Training Centers gradually established island-wide have made a tremendous contributions to make Naval cadet officers and recruits well-imbibed in discipline and professionalism to render the noble service of safeguarding the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the motherland. The entitlement of the Naval cadet officers, who pass out from the Naval and Maritime Academy, to degrees in Naval studies in affiliation to the University of Kelaniya and the award of the International Standards Organization certification ISO 9001 and 2000 to the Naval and Maritime Academy as the first military establishment to receive such honours bear ample testimony to the quality of the Naval training. With the lifting of restrictions after the dawn of peace to fishing, fishing grounds, fishing vessels and capacity of boat engines imposed due to security reasons, the fishing community has now been able to engaged in their livelihoods 24 hours a day with freedom. In this promising backdrop, the Navy is performing a tremendous task for the utilization of the contributions of the fisheries industry for the national economy and development through the uplift of the professional welfare of the fishermen. The Commander of the Navy, visiting various areas in the island accompanied by senior Naval officers, met with the representatives and members of fisheries societies and held discussions with a view to uplift their professional welfare. The Navy maintains a close rapport with the fishing community through the fishing marshalling points established at the fisheries harbours and other areas of the island. While helping to uplift the professional welfare of the fishing community, the Navy is constantly assisting to rescue to the fishermen in distress at sea. The Navy also assists in the repatriation of fishermen and their boats, released from Indian custody through the mediation of the Government and the Ministry of Fisheries, and bringing them home safely after having them taken over from Indian Coast Guard vessels at the Indo-Lanka Maritime Boundary line upon the completion of formalities.During the national disasters such as floods and cyclones, the Navy conducts humanitarian assistance operations for the people affected. It is no secret that the Navy is going to be entrusted with a very important responsibility with the construction of the new harbour in Hambantota. In order to reap the full benefit of the Hambantota harbour, which lies on a very important position in the international shipping lane that links the east and the west, its international sea line of communication must be made secure. The Sri Lanka Navy is engaged in fulfilling its international responsibility by protecting this sea line of communication and assisting the ships. The solid foundation in this connection has been laid through the Search and Rescue Area, which is 25 times greater than our land mass, entrusted to the Navy. The resources and manpower used by the Sri Lanka Navy for the battle victory have now been diverted to the national development after the dawn of peace. The Navy is making a tremendous contribution to the country’s economy, its development and the tourism industry through the utilization of the Jetliner, which was engaged in the transportation of tri-forces and police personnel and civilians between Jaffna and Trincomalee during the war, for conventions, weddings and parties of various institutions and clients, and it has now been converted as a luxurious passenger vessel of international standards which generates a huge income for the national economy. The Sri Lanka Navy is making a tremendous contribution to the constructions of houses for war heroes and renovations of roads destroyed by terrorists. It was through the Navy’s contribution that the road between Puttlam and Mannar is now open for public transportation. After the launch of a boat service along the Kirulapona Canal, in accordance with the concept of the Secretary of Defence for the utilization of canals and waterways in Colombo and its suburbs for public transportation and recreation and making them environmentally clean, the Navy is making steps to expand the boat service to other canals as well.The Navy is entrusted with establishing diplomatic relations in keeping with Naval traditions. With the dawn of peace, the Navy is engaged in enhancing diplomatic relations as a contribution to the national development. The number of vessels belonging to foreign Navies that arrived on goodwill visits last year clearly proves how productive this contribution has been. Participation by the Commander of the Navy in a number of international maritime symposiums on invitation, the success of the “Galle Dialogue”, held in Galle in accordance with a concept of the Secretary of Defence, with the attendance of naval and maritime experts from 11 countries, the international naval and maritime symposium scheduled to be held with the participation of commanders of foreign Navies arriving to attend the Navy’s 60th anniversary celebrations and the number of ships that will line up in the seas off Galle Face Green for the President’s review are some of the notable instances which proudly herald that the Sri Lanka Navy is now entering the international level turning a new leaf in our history. Having such a noble vision as its guiding force and the concept of serving the motherland as its first, second and third foremost duty in mind and filled with honesty, discipline, integrity and professionalism, dedicated to the protection of the country, Sri Lanka Navy, the diamond of the silent blue, celebrates its 60th anniversary with great pride.