Colombo, Aug 26 (Agency) The Indian Navy’s frontline warship INS Mumbai arrived in Colombo on a three-day visit, which will be ceremonially received by the Sri Lanka Navy, a statement from the Indian High Commission said on Monday. INS Mumbai has made its first visit to Sri Lanka’s port and will be the eighth port call by Indian ships this year, alongside INS Kabra, Karanj, Kamorta, Shalki, and Indian Coast Guard ships Samarth, Abhinav, and Sachet, the High Commission said, the Daily Mirror reported. INS Mumbai, the third Delhi class destroyer, was indigenously built and commissioned into the Indian Navy on 22 January 2001. The ship, built at Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai, completed its mid-life upgrade and joined Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam on December 8, 2023.
According to reports, INS Mumbai will bring essential spares for the Dornier maritime patrol aircraft operated by the Sri Lanka Air Force. INS Mumbai will depart the island on August 29, 2024.Since its inception two years ago, the Dornier aircraft has significantly enhanced the surveillance capability over Sri Lanka’s Sea Area of Responsibility (AOR) and improved search and rescue capabilities in the country’s vast EEZ. In addition to training the SLAF pilots and flight navigators, the Indian Navy is supporting the maintenance of this aircraft with a technical team and spares.The Indian ship visited Sri Lanka earlier this year and provided material assistance. INS Kabra and later ICGS Sachet had brought spare parts for the Sri Lanka Coast Guard ship Suraksh, the reports said. During the stay in Colombo, INS Mumbai will conduct a familiarization tour onboard for Sri Lanka Navy personnel aimed at sharing best practices between both the Navies. It can be recalled that a visit for Long specialisation course student officers and Cadets of Naval and Maritime Academy, Trincomalee was organized onboard the submarine Shalki, during a port call earlier this month, adding value to their training. The Indian Navy also provides various specialist courses, including in the core area of hydrography in India, for capacity building in the Sri Lankan Navy, reports added.