Context: This year 9th edition of the India-Sri Lanka bilateral maritime exercise SLINEX is underway at Visakhapatnam with an aim to enhance interoperability and improve mutual understanding between the navies of the two neighbouring countries in the strategically significant Indian Ocean Region.

• The exercise will be conducted in two phases-the harbour phase at Visakhapatnam on March 7 and 8, followed by the sea phase on March 9 and 10 in the Bay of Bengal.

Key Significance

• SLINEX aims to enhance inter-operability, improve mutual understanding and exchange best practices and procedures for multi-faceted maritime operations between both navies. 
• The Harbour Phase would include professional, cultural, sporting and social exchanges. Exercises during Sea Phase will include surface and anti-air weapon firing exercises, seamanship evolutions, aviation operations including cross deck flying, advanced tactical manoeuvres and special forces operations at sea. 
• These will further enhance the high degree of inter-operability already existing between the two navies.
• SLINEX exemplifies the deep maritime engagement between India and Sri Lanka and has grown in scope over the years to strengthen mutual cooperation, in consonance with India’s policy of ‘Neighbourhood First’ and Hon’ble PMs vision of ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR)’.

Other Exercises between India and Sri Lanka are:-

• Exercise MITRA SHAKTI (Military Exercise)
• Dosti Trilateral Exercise (Coast guard India, Maldives and Sri Lanka).

By: Shubham Tiwari