• Donation will aid SL produce up-to-date nautical charts: Navy Chief
• Australia happy to help Sri Lanka enhance MDA and sovereign capacity: HC
• SL Sailor who excelled in Australia facilitated

The Australian Government yesterday (18) donated a state-of-the-art Shallow Water Multi-Beam Echo Sounder (MBES) to the Sri Lanka Navy Hydrographic Service (SLNHS) during a ceremony held at SLNS Rangalla, at Colombo Port yesterday.

The formal ceremony was held under the auspices of the High Commissioner of Australia to Sri Lanka Paul Stephens, the Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, and other Senior Naval officials and Australian diplomats based in Colombo.

The donation, which is the fruit of a discussion between the two Indian Ocean neighbours since 2023, provides a significant boost to Sri Lanka’s hydrographic capabilities, aiding Sri Lanka’s quest to build sovereign capacity for hydrography and ocean sciences. Since 2022, under a policy directive of the then Government, Sri Lanka began to consult and seek assistance from friendly nations to help build sovereign capacity, following a spate of diplomatic incidents involving foreign research vessels in Sri Lankan waters. The Shallow Water Multi-Beam Echo Sounder (MBES), is the first of its kind received by the Navy.

The donated MBES, a Kongsberg EM2024 has been instrumented on-board a specially designed and built Inshore Patrol Vessel, which was manufactured by the Sri Lanka Navy at the boatyard in Welisara naval station.

Addressing the gathering, Vice Admiral Banagoda thanked the Australian Government for the donation and the many training opportunities they have provided, pointing out that the new equipment would allow Sri Lanka to produce up-to-date and accurate navigational charts, which would contribute to safe navigation at sea and harbours. 

High Commissioner Stephens addressing the gathering called the donation an important contribution to improving Sri Lanka’s sovereign capacity for maritime domain awareness, and that it addressed a gap in capacity with the SLN. “The Australian government is gratified to be able to assist Sri Lanka in enhancing its maritime domain awareness (MDA) and sovereign capacity in mapping its ocean floor,” Stephens said.   

The function also featured special recognition for Able Seaman R.B.G. Chinthaka of the Sri Lanka Navy who was recognised for his outstanding performance during the Hydrographic Surveying Initial Employment Training Course conducted by the Royal Australian Navy Hydrographic School.

After the vote of thanks proposed by the Chief Hydrographer of SLNHS Commander Southern Naval Area, Rear Admiral Kosala Warnakulasooriya, mementoes were also exchanged, marking the importance of this occasion.