The SLINEX-26 exercise concluded at Visakhapatnam on Monday, marking the close of the 13th edition of the bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and the Sri Lanka Navy. Conducted from Thursday to Monday under the Eastern Naval Command, the exercise moved through a Harbour Phase and a Sea Phase built around coordinated manoeuvres, air operations and Special Forces drills.

The two navies used the week for professional interactions and an exchange of best practices, according to the Navy, alongside the operational serials that ran through the Sea Phase.

A harbour phase built on exchange

The Harbour Phase featured professional exchanges, cross deck visits and sporting interactions between the two navies, giving crews from both sides a chance to walk each other's ships and compare notes on procedures before the exercise moved to open water.

The SLINEX-26 exercise concludes with a demanding sea phase

The Sea Phase carried the heavier load. It featured coordinated maritime manoeuvres, air operations and night replenishment at sea, the Navy said.

Night replenishment at sea is one of the more demanding serials two navies can run together, requiring ships to hold station and pass fuel or stores in darkness, a task that leaves little room for miscommunication between crews unfamiliar with each other's procedures.

VBSS and slithering drills for the Special Forces

Special Forces from both navies took part in Visit, Board, Search and Seizure drills and slithering operations during the Sea Phase. VBSS drills simulate boarding and searching a non compliant vessel, a skill both navies use in counter piracy and counter smuggling patrols across the Indian Ocean Region. Slithering operations, in which troops descend from a hovering helicopter on ropes, are practised for maritime interdiction and rescue scenarios alike.

Aligned with the MAHASAGAR vision

The Navy described SLINEX-26 as reflective of the strong maritime partnership between India and Sri Lanka and their shared commitment to a secure and stable Indian Ocean Region. It placed the exercise within India's vision of MAHASAGAR, short for Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions, and the Neighbourhood First policy.

The framing echoes language the Ministry of Defence used earlier this year for a Colombo Security Conclave table top exercise at the Eastern Naval Command, also tied to MAHASAGAR.

Part of a wider run of India Sri Lanka maritime engagement

SLINEX began in 2005 and has run in various forms since, alternating between Indian and Sri Lankan ports.

This year's 13th edition opened at Visakhapatnam with INS Kavaratti and INS Jyoti representing the Indian Navy against SLNS Sindurala for the Sri Lanka Navy. The exercise followed a run of high level contact between the two countries on maritime security, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh having addressed Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence in Colombo earlier this year on regional maritime cooperation, including the Colombo Security Conclave and proposed joint maritime domain awareness arrangements.

The Navy gave no date for the next edition.