Sri Lanka Navy: the most experienced and efficient in combating unconventional warfare at sea

Sri Lanka Navy, the Island’s courageous first line of defence celebrates 57 years of silent service today (9th December 2007) with a vast amount of experience in combating unconventional warfare at sea. It is fair to say that the Sri Lanka Navy is the most efficient and experienced in the world in battling a separatist terrorist movement with extended sea born assets. The year 2007 is widely seen by defence analysts as the turning point of the Sri Lanka Navy’s transition process from a brown water Navy to a blue water Navy.

The SLN has much to celebrate on her 57th year of service with the sinking 7 LTTE arms supply vessels and 29 other sea tiger craft since January this year. Counter terrorism experts noted that the Sri Lanka Navy has destroyed around 75% of the LTTE’s logistics capability in blue water operations in the recent past. It is also believed that it would take another 12-18 months for the LTTE to regain at least 50% of its logistic fleet and re-establish supply routes. The sinking of LTTE arms ships or floating warehouses has proven that the Navy is capable of protecting Sri Lanka’s territorial waters and stave the Tigers of arms and other warlike material that would have boosted their offensive capability. It has also sent a strong warning to the LTTE that any new vessels acquired by them will suffer the same fate.

Navy’s resourcefulness

What is so remarkable about the Navy’s blue water operations is the innovation and the coordination involved in its preparations. Years of intelligence gathering and better coordination with friendly countries have no doubt strengthen the Navy’s capacity to keep Sri Lanka’s territorial waters free from arms smuggling, illegal drug and human trafficking and sea piracy. The Navy didn’t launch these deep sea missions with new vessels or added resources but with existing assets being utilized with innovation to gain the maximum that they could with it. The Navy’s two Offshore Patrol Oessels (OPVs) Sayura and Samudura assisted by the Fast Missile Vessels (FMVs) formed the strike capacity of the mission while the task of sustaining and replenishing this group called for some innovation. In a classic show of the Navy’s ingenuity and the ‘can do’ attitude, two commercial vessels and a landing ship (LST Shakthi) were outfitted to act as replenishment vessels carrying every thing from fuel to fresh water needed for the long endurance patrols which some times exceeded a 1000 nautical miles. These two vessels namely A 520 and A 521 also pitched in the battle to sink the LTTE floating warehouses.

Suicide terrorism at Sea

The Sri Lanka Navy is no doubt the most experienced and the only operational Navy in the world to have faced unconventional warfare including suicide missions at Sea. Engaging LTTE’s suicide threats at sea has taught the Navy painful yet important lessons on effectively combating the sea wing of a deadly separatist terrorist movement. Having effectively mastered the tactics of facing suicide boats, the Sri Lanka Navy’s strategies are now increasingly being analyzed by other Navies around the world.

In 2007 alone 29 LTTE craft and around 128 sea tiger cadres have perished in sea battles at the hands of the Navy. The remarkable performance at sea amidst limited recourses and other duties have elevated the status of the Navy as an efficient first line of defence of the Island Nation. It has also boosted its recruitment drive this year. Statistics show a marked increase in the number of recruits this year. The Navy has recruited 7513 men and women as at 11th November 2007 compared to the 4349 last year. In total, 13550 men and women have joined the ranks of the Navy since 2005.

It is truly a reassuring and encouraging thought to know that Sri Lanka has a Navy which braves against all odds and still seem to says ‘bring it on … we will send you all to a watery grave’ to the enemy.