Cavalier India Defence Training Academy

While it is unclear if the government is considering joining the China­ led Regional Cooperation Economic Partnership , Colombo seems open to the idea. Located along one of the busiest shipping routes in the world, Sri Lanka is keen on developing the Colombo and Hambantota ports. A view of the East Container Terminal at the Colombo Port. | Photo Credit: Meera Srinivasan Sri Lanka’s growing emphasis on tapping the emerging Asian market would make the China-led Regional Cooperation Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement seem an ideal forum to build trade ties in the region. But given the island nation’s current economic challenges and India’s decision to opt out of the formidable grouping, the road is far from easy for Sri Lanka, according to economists. Few would dispute Sri Lanka’s distinct advantage, thanks to its strategic location in the Indian Ocean, along one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. “We must develop the [southern] Hambantota and Colombo Ports together with the ...

Indian Navy has participated in a number of joint maritime exercises in last few weeks, including a 3-day drill "JIMEX 2020" with Japanese Navy in September & one with US Navy in July called "PASSEX 2020" . Ex - SLINEX 2020 between the navies of India and Sri Lanka begins today. The navies of India and Sri Lanka will conduct a three-day military exercise off Trincomalee beginning Monday, in a show of growing congruence in their strategic interests and operational convergence in the region, officials said. The eighth edition of the annual SLINEX exercise will feature a series of complex drills including surface and anti-air weapon firings and cross deck flying operations with an aim to further fine-tune the “high degree” of inter-operability between the two navies , they said. The Indian Navy will deploy anti-submarine warfare corvettes 'INS Kamorta' and ' INS Kiltan' as well as a sizeable number of advanced light helicopters, Chetak hel...