Sri Lanka Navy - the first line of defense, celebrates 70 years

It is with this glimmer of hope, the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force (CNVF) was established in 1937 and after World War II the CNVF was absorbed into the Royal Navy as the Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (CRNVR).

After gaining independence from the British rule, the meager contingent of officers and sailors of the CRNVR were ready to form the Regular Navy.

In 1950 the Navy Act was enacted and the Royal Ceylon Navy was formed.

In 1972, with the introduction of the new constitution, the Royal Ceylon Navy was renamed as the Sri Lanka Navy.

From its humble beginning, with a scant ship crew and few crafts, the seagoing arm rose to become a formidable force which boasts of officers, sailors, Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessels, and state of the art equipment.

Sri Lanka Navy made an admirable contribution to eradicate terrorism which scourged the country and its community for nearly three decades.

Whatever the experience gained during years of engagement pushed the Navy to the limit and made its men real hard taskmasters.

In the aftermath of the hostilities in the country, the Navy’s role has broadened on an unprecedented scale as the organization accelerated the number of welfare measures for naval personnel who were killed, wounded, and missing in action and their beloved family members.

Apart from that, as a force that is highly recognized and most sought in the country, the Navy is engaged in multifarious developmental projects of the government, deploying the organization’s skilled manpower for the benefit of the country.

Sri Lanka Navy, aptly known as the ‘First Line of Defence’ is tasked to defend its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which is 8 times larger than the land area of the country, Search and Rescue Region that is 27 times larger than the landmass, major seaports and coastal belt of the country.

By conducting routine sea patrols, Sri Lanka Navy renders an invaluable service to combat illegal activities including; human smuggling, drug trafficking, arms trafficking, illegal trade and illegal fishing, taking place in the Indian Ocean Region.

These sea patrols conducted by the Sri Lanka Navy during the past years reaped the rewards of all their hard work in terms of busting a number of illegal acts.

The interest of the Sri Lanka Navy to provide a common platform for stakeholders of national and international repute to discuss and deliberate maritime-related issues is amply exhibited in organizing conferences such as the Galle Dialogue, way back in 2010.

This also provides an opportunity to share information related to illegal activities across the region through maritime cooperation.

Apart from the conventional branches in the Sri Lanka Navy, there are dedicated squadrons, units and battalions which are diverse in nature and capable of undertaking wide-ranging activities.

Special Boat Squadron with operational capabilities in sea, air and land, Rapid Action Boat Squadron with expertise in littoral operations and Sri Lanka Navy Marines with its mastery in invading enemy territories are considered as significant components of the Sri Lanka Navy.

Deviating from their destined roles when needed, these special units are one of the first responders in the country who step forward during natural disaster emergencies.

In view of responding to natural disasters, Sri Lanka Navy established its first Disaster Response Unit at in Welisara and Sri Lanka Navy’s Rapid Response Rescue and Relief Unit was also set up to assist displaced communities during floods and landslides hazards.

Navy divers belonging to the Diving and Salvage Unit perform diving expeditions within the Navy and externally as and when their service is felt the most.

In response to distress calls communicated by the Sri Lanka Police, the Navy divers never late a moment to spring into action around the clock, in search of missing persons drowned in watery graves.

Apart from that, the Navy Research and Development Unit, in coordination with the Presidential Task Force on Prevention of Chronic Kidney Disease, has thus far produced and installed 690 Reverse Osmosis plants in many parts of the county, serving poor communities with safe drinking water.

As part of the Sri Lanka Navy’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project, the Research and Development Unit is producing low-cost Thalassemia Infusion Systems utilizing its know-how and manpower and has distributed 1,885 Thalassemia Infusion Systems among financially deprived thalassemia patients across the country.

Sri Lanka Navy, the “Golden Fence around the Country”, under able leadership and guidance of the present Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne, is sailing gracefully on into the future while honing its competencies and managing existing resources in order to serve the motherland and its people.

Source : Sri Lanka Navy