The Indian Navy ship, INS Kalpeni arrived in Colombo yesterday (October 19). The ship was welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in accordance with naval tradition. The Commanding Officer, Commander Sunil Kulhari will call on Commander, Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral Chinthaka Kumarasinghe during the stay.
INS Kalpeni is a Car Nicobar class Waterjet FAC of the Indian Navy commissioned on October 14, 2010. The ship is named after Kalpeni Island in the Lakshadweep group of Islands.
The ship is based in Kochi with the primary role of coastal surveillance and defence. The ship specialises in anti-smuggling, Vessel Boarding Search and Seizure as well as Search and Rescue operations.
The ship is on a port call from October 19 to 21, termed ‘Operational Turn Around’. The ship has brought in essential technical support tools, which will be handed over to the Sri Lanka Navy. In addition to taking in replenishment, the ship’s crew will visit places of importance in and around Colombo.
It may be recalled INS Kabra, a similar class of ship, visited Colombo in January 2024 and handed over spares to the Sri Lanka Navy and Air Force.
Visits by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard ships and submarines aim to achieve bonhomie and interoperability between the two neighbouring Navies.
The visit further strengthens bilateral cooperation and camaraderie between the two Navies in keeping with India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘SAGAR’ which stands for ‘Security and Growth for all in the Region’.
