Prime Minister Wickremesinghe commissions second Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel of SL Navy

COLOMBO (News 1st) - The second Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV) of the Sri Lanka Navy was commissioned under the auspices of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The AOPV was built at the Goa Shipyard, and was commissioned at the Eastern container terminal of the Colombo Port, yesterday (April 19). The prime minister was accorded a Guard of Honour in accordance with naval traditions. The Premier then unveiled the ship’s crest and name board with the blessings of religious dignitaries, to designate the new AOPV as Sri Lanka Navy Ship 'Sindurala'. Thereafter, the prime minister together with distinguished guests boarded the vessel to inspect it's facilities and instruments. The vessel's length and the width are 105.7m and 13.6m respectively. It is also equipped with a landing facility and hangar for Advanced Light Helicopters. The AOPV is the second vessel of its kind possessed by the Sri Lanka Navy, and will be manned by 18 officers and 100 sailors. The event saw the attendance of a group including Ministers, Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Sirimevan Ranasinghe, and officers of Goa Shipyard Ltd. The event was also graced by Vice Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy, Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar, Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Kapila Jayampathy, former Navy commanders and senior officers from the tri-forces and Police.