SLNS Vijayabahu Commanding Officer Captain Nalin Gonagala
SL warship with Maldivian delegation onboard participates in regional naval exercise
Ship’s crew includes lady officers and crew for the first time in a foreign exercise
Cultural troupe and culinary team shine in Karachi
By Asiri Fernando
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) SLNS Vijayabahu last month participated in a regional naval exercise, ‘Aman 2025,’ which was held in Karachi, Pakistan, engaging in a 20-day sea journey, which saw the vessel travel nearly 2,500 km in the process.
The exercise, held for the ninth time, has become a key event in the Indian Ocean’s naval diplomacy calendar and saw participation from 11 countries, involving 22 naval ships, two submarines, and an aircraft.
The Vijayabahu embarked a crew of 193 officers and sailors and hosted a 10-member delegation of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) to participate in the exercise.
In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Morning, SLNS Vijayabahu Commanding Officer Captain Nalin Gonagala discussed Sri Lanka’s participation in the regional exercise, in the backdrop of maritime security and naval diplomacy being a focal point for defence and security in Sri Lanka.
Following are excerpts:
What was your experience taking part in ‘Aman 2025’? What is it like to participate in a multinational exercise of this nature?
It was a very fruitful experience for my crew to participate in such an exercise. It was my second time participating in the exercise; my first experience was ‘Aman 2013’. This is the ninth time Pakistan held the ‘Aman’ exercise. This regional naval exercise is a good learning experience for the crew of the Vijayabahu.
The main theme of ‘Aman 2025’ was ‘together for peace.’ It saw the participation of 13 foreign warships. It gave us an opportunity to meet, discuss, train with, and understand the way 13 other navies, nations, and cultures worked.
For the exercise, we carried onboard a group of MNDF personnel and lady officers and sailors from the SLN to join the exercise. There was also a naval conference, the ‘Aman Dialogue 2025,’ which was held in parallel and a senior officer from the SLN participated in that forum.
During the first phase of the exercise – the harbour phase – my crew had the opportunity to visit multiple foreign warships. They were able to study and understand how new technologies are being used in several advanced types of vessels. The professional interaction between the participating crews of the warships helps build camaraderie and better understanding of each other’s communication and operational procedures.
There was also a cultural side to the exercise, with a food gala, where we were able to showcase our culture and food. Our cultural troupe which performed well was warmly received and introduced by our Pakistani hosts as one of the best teams, which is a source of pride for us. The dignitaries who graced our food stall were full of praise and joined in making some of our local delicacies.
During the sea phase, we had the opportunity to carry out close manoeuvres and navigate in formation with the other navies. The fleet exercise gave us the opportunity to test our combat readiness and fire our main armament, the 76 mm MK45 gun. Overall, it was a very good experience for us; we were able to represent the Sri Lanka Navy at the exercise and learnt much in the process.
How were preparations made for the journey and was the ship’s company for the mission handpicked?
The permanent crew of the Vijayabahu participated in the exercise. Our planning stage began nearly one-and-a-half months before departure. We had to plan for a 20-day voyage and for the exercise itself; we planned each meal menu and also the cultural displays and participation in the food gala. All the relevant items needed to be carried; stores and logistics were planned in advance. My crew includes two lady officers and six lady sailors, who also participated in the exercise – a first for us.
What components of the exercise did the Vijayabahu participate in?
We first had several training programmes. Then we got to participate in multiple manoeuvres, navigated in formation, and conducted at-sea surface-to-surface gunnery.
There were manoeuvres conducted with aircraft and helicopters, but we did not participate in that segment as we had no organic aviation assets. Multiple boarding operations at sea and counter-terrorism drills were part of the exercise.
In formation sailing, we kept as close as 300 yards (270 m) from other warships; mind you some of these warships are 150 m long. The Vijayabahu also performed night manoeuvres. Our engineering officers were granted a rare invitation to visit the naval shipyards of Karachi and engage in a study tour of their naval industrial facilities.
What parts of the exercise did you find most challenging and why?
I think the final formation which we had to navigate was the most challenging. It was at the end, and called ‘Photo Ex’. We all had a designated station to keep in formation at a constant speed, with an aerial group photograph taken of all participants together.
My ship is 115 m long; we had to keep a distance of 270 m between the ships in formation, so there was very little room for error. Keeping 10 knots speeds, my Navigating Officer did a good job keeping us in formation.
During ‘Aman 2025’ you had to plan, coordinate, and work alongside more technologically advanced vessels, with newer systems and in a highly networked environment. How did you find that experience and how did you communicate?
During the harbour phase, there were a number of prior briefing sessions. For Vijayabahu, my Navigating Officer, Engineering Officer, and Gunnery Officer participated in the conferences and they had developed a streamlined plan for effective communications.
How do you think participation in such naval exercises helps the SLN and the Vijayabahu? What benefit does Sri Lanka get from such participation?
The aim of the exercise ‘together for peace’ is to build relationships, understanding, and interoperability, which helps navies to work together for the common good. This helps us to work in partnership with other nations, especially at sea, where we are often the first responders.
At sea, there are few entities to work with and even fewer people who are on patrol we can cooperate with, so no matter the size of the country or how big their navy is, at sea we all have to work in partnership.
It’s not just the Vijayabahu; our Maldivian counterparts who were onboard our vessels, the Special Boat Squadron (SBS), Sri Lanka Marines, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel who participated in ‘Aman 2025’ all gained valuable experience.
This helps Sri Lanka be a better responder in our ocean and a more effective partner in the region. With such exercises we get to hone our skills and build better partnerships and, as a result, we can all help the Indian Ocean continue to be a region of peace, which is important for Sri Lanka as an island nation.
What is your assessment of how your ship’s company performed during the exercise?
I must say they performed very well. From the planning stage, they had effectively planned and divided the tasks which needed to be done. Each person aboard has a designated role and specific tasks assigned for the sea passage and the exercise.
Each role and task is important and must be done in unison; this is why our crew’s unity and the coordination amongst different divisions of the ship has to be excellent – and it was. They did a wonderful job.
What are your key takeaways from the exercise?
The importance of collaboration and sharing responsibilities at sea are the key ones. You have to follow standards. With such exercises, we can give our young officers and sailors the opportunity to learn those skills, gain mutual understanding of how others operate, and put them into practice.
The opportunity to practise what you have learnt, in a multinational group environment with diverse technologies and culture, is very important. We also give the next generation of naval officers and sailors the opportunity to understand multiple cultures and work practices which will help them in the future.
We also observed the technological advances and the types of systems which are now in service with foreign fleets.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka have a longstanding relationship. How were you received and what was the hospitality like?
We were received warmly in Karachi. We were welcomed ceremoniously into the Karachi Harbour.
The Pakistani Navy nominated a host ship for our vessel and they were very helpful to us. They provided tight security arrangements for us, both in harbour and while we travelled inside Pakistan. They looked after us well – we were given prime spots at cultural events and during the food gala event.
Pakistani Navy Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf and the Fleet Commander visited the Vijayabahu.
Given the experience gained from this exercise, what are the areas you would want to focus on to improve on the Vijayabahu and in the SLN fleet?
Being an island nation, the Navy is our first line of defence. As such, the SLN needs to keep close communication and cooperation with our regional counterparts. Participating in such regional naval exercises is highly important to maintain those links. They are an important gateway for cooperation.
My ship and the technical team aboard will provide a report to the Naval Headquarters with our recommendations and observations from the exercise. There is much to learn and there is room for improvement to our fleet.
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Our crew was well briefed and prepared for this mission and we traversed nearly 2,500 km without any incident despite having to navigate some rough sea conditions (sea state 5). In my view, naval diplomacy helps us better perform our duties at sea and the close links Sri Lanka has with the region enable us to work together effectively
Executive Officer Commander Miyuru Hettige
We used the cross-ship visits to gain an understanding of new technologies, communications, and sensors aboard the advanced warships which participated. Our technical officers got a rare chance to visit the Karachi Navy Dockyard and a floating dockyard and attend multiple workshops. We learnt much from such visits
Senior Electrical and Electronic Engineering Officer Commander Rangana Bamunusinghe
We were fortunate to participate in ‘Aman 2025.’ As the Navigation Officer, it is my job to safely navigate the ship. Our previous experience in station keeping and close navigation in formation helped us to perform the challenging navigational demands of the exercise. This was a good experience for us
Navigation Officer Lieutenant Commander Tharindu Bandara
We had the opportunity to fire our guns in a single line formation. We engaged floating targets 4,000 yards away with our main gun. The targets – large red/orange inflatable balls which we call ‘killer tomatoes’ – are used to signify stationary or moving surface targets (ships/boats). The crew got to experience firing the 76 mm main gun in automatic mode, which was a good training opportunity for us
Gunnery Officer Lieutenant Commander Aravinda Dissanayake
We used only the diesel engines of the Vijayabahu during this mission, since it is the most efficient and cost-effective propulsion option for us. We got the opportunity to engage with other engineers and dockyard specialists and learn about new technologies being used in ship building in Karachi. For the crew it was a good learning experience
Engineering Officer Lieutenant Commander Deshan Panditharathna
For me, the most memorable moment of the exercise was the participation in the food gala and cultural show. Our meticulous planning and preparations paid off. Our stall was a favourite of the guests. We got the chance to represent our country and our culture. We showcased many delicacies and we took with us aboard the Vijayabahu all the ingredients and supplies we needed for the special menus. The Chief Guest at the food gala spent a lot of time with us and made kottu himself
Logistics Officer Lieutenant Commander Raduga Jayawardana