Commander of the Navy Guest of Honour at final exercise of FTX Cormorant Strike 2015
The Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne was the Guest of Honour on the final day of Cormorant Strike 2015, the field training exercise (FTX) jointly conducted by the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force with the participation of 54 foreign participants representing Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan and the USA.
The Exercise, covering the Eastern coastal belt commenced on 03rd and concluded on 23rd September with the successful execution of simultaneous mock seaborne and airborne operations, giving participating troops the opportunity to enhance their special operation capabilities and maintain combat readiness.
The final exercise was conducted at Punnaikuda in Batticaloa where eight 8-man teams took part in the amphibious assault with Sri Lanka Navy's Fast Gun Boat, Ranajaya, Fast Passenger Vessel, Hansaya, 04 Fast Attack Craft and 04 Inshore Patrol Craft rendering assistance for the sea insertion and extraction whilst providing naval gunfire support.
The naval component of the FTX comprised of 245 naval personnel drawn from the SLN’s elite Special Boat Squadron (SBS) and the Rapid Action Boat Squadron (RABS) under the overall command of the Commander Eastern Naval Area. Sri Lanka Navy's Offshore Patrol Vessel Samudura, Landing Craft Utility L821, and 2 Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats also rendered assistance for the successful conduct of the mega tri-forces field exercise.
The Chief of Defence Staff, the Commander of the Army, the Commander of the Air Force, foreign representatives and a large number of senior officers of the tri-services were also present to witness the final exercise.
